News and Actions this Month!

Take Action!

• NATIONAL | The Runaway and Homeless Youth Act 
  [RHYA] would increase funding for street outreach, housing, crisis intervention, and transitional living programs for homeless youth. This funding directly addresses many of the reasons youth are pushed into the sex trade and vulnerable to exploitation in the sex trade and other industries. Learn more about the RHYA and other legislation here, and learn how you can take action!
• CALIFORNIA | On March 4th, ESLERP filed a law suit claiming that criminal laws against prostitution violate constitutional rights. Learn more about the lawsuit that could decriminalize sex work in California. Learn how to support the case or file a motion here!
• HONOLULU | Last week, Last week, 17 women arrested in Honolulu massage parlour stings were charged with fourth degree sexual assault. Classifying routine massage parlor acts as “sexual assault” is not only blatantly inaccurate — it also constructs a group at high risk of victimization as perpetrators. Learn more about the issue, and join our sign-on letter here!

News and Issues

• NATIONAL | On April 22nd, the Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act [S. 178] passed in the Senate. The bill will increase funding and activity of law inforcement and immigration control and increase surveillance. Read about the bill here.
• NATIONAL | The A&E Reality “8 minutes” has drawn vocal criticism from both anti-trafficking and sex worker rights organisations, and has finally been pulled, thanks to individual sex workers banding together and fighting back. Learn more about how the show impacted sex worker lives here, and learn about how the show got pulled here.
• NATIONAL | Across the US, erotic dancers have waged successful civil suits against clubs for labor rights violations and back-pay. Most recently, a  San Antonio lawsuit proved sucessful. Dancers can learn more about their legal labor rights at We Are Dancers NYC.
• SPOKANE | Gentrification and ‘urban renewal’ efforts commonly result in decreased tolerance and increased policing of street-based sex workers. Read about how efforts to combat ‘prostitution zones’ are impacting sex worker communities in Spokane, Washington.
• PORTLAND | Call for submissions: SWOP-PDX is accepting submissions to their Sex Worker Art Show until May 14th. For more information, visit their website. 
• SEATTLE AND WASHINGTON STATE | A slew of local and state legislation would increase the criminalization of the sex trade. Read the article to learn more about the bills and the work SWOP-Seattle is doing to combat.
• PHILADELPHIA | A Bill before city council aims to ban hourly hotel rentals and require all hotel employees to be trained by Philadelphia police on recognizing trafficking. Read our Philadelphia chapter’s blog post to learn more about the bill and ways to take action!
• PHOENIX | Manifestation charges against Monica Jones were dropped this February after a two year battle. The states’ attorneys decision to drop charges prove a mixed result, as they prevent Jones and her legal team from challenging the legality of vaguely worded “manifestation for prostitution” ordinances that encourage police profiling.
• MARYLAND | Maryland HB241/SB904-2015 — a bill that would have made working in the sex trade with a friend, sharing a hotel to work at, or posting ads for another a felony — was withdrawn by its’ sponsor this March as a result of pressure from a diverse coalition of groups.