Sex Workers Event at WAHC Part 2

cont'd

" you become a category not a human being"

Tim) people tell us "You can do better", oh yeah, well so can a used car salesman ( I have to admit, this was the most intelligent thing she said.
Cara) there are different types of sex work and therefore not all labels apply, by the way, "johns" are people too.
Ian) when you are involved in sex work, people want to hear your story, they are pretty sure you were abused as a child or that other horrors are in your past.

ME: this was a short film, it got the point across with humour. It was a bunch of different women telling us something about themselves that seems "normal" and including that they are a sex worker. My version (if it was me in that film and if I was a SW) would be: My name is Roberta, I am trying to preserved local history, I love animals and i am a sex worker. you get the idea.

Film #2: Street Sex work starring "Gracey", a sex worker in Calgary.

Gracey got into street hooking to feed her kids. There was this ongoing issue in Calgary re: women selling sex in a condo residence and the city wanted to rid the building of SW's. The Calgary Herald likened prostitutes there to rats. This comment had Gracey in tears. The article also said that these women and johns were making living in that neighbourhood "hell", to which Gracey replied that they don't know what hell is.

panel;
Ian: criminalization of prostitution leads to violence against prostitutes. predators pose as johns. Media propaganda perpetuates this especially with calling the women "hookers" (panelist Tim voiced his disgust with that word)
Cara: She quoted a study which I unfortunately didn't write down, that stated that its a myth that street engaged folks cause property values to decrease.

Film #3: Condom Use Mandatory in porn industry in L.A.
all panelists agreed that the industry pays more when you go condom free. That applies to both straight and gay porn.

Film #4: Gay For Pay featured on the Tyra Banks show.
Tyra spoke with a man who is married to a woman and hetero yet performs in gay porn. Tyra expressed that she didn't understand how a hetero man could do that and not be gay.

Anya: if this was a girl on girl situation, no one would even question it.
Cara: its hard for people to view what we do as work. what we do is not sexually who we are.
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ME: at this point in the event I started to get irritated. The chatter back and forth was on how Tyra was ignorant and discriminatory (to which the packed house applauded). Meanwhile the panel by calling Tyra ignorant showed judgement, which they themselves were accusing the world at large of being towards them AND discrimination? This coming from a panel where all participants were white! There was no visible minority voice on the panel. Also the panel as a whole was biased. It would have been more well rounded had they included people on the panel from the other side of the argument, someone who disagrees with sex work being decriminalized. Besides, kudos to Tyra to respectfully ask questions of her male guest, she was curious and just wanted to know. Isn't that how awareness happens? By asking questions?