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Second UPR of US: Minimal Talk and No Action on Rec 86

During the first Universal Periodic Review of the United States in 2010, the Human Rights Council at the United Nations made Recommendation 86 to the United States to “…ensure access to public services paying attention to the special vulnerability of sexual workers to violence and human rights abuses.” The Obama Administration accepted the recommendation stating, “we agree that no one should face violence or discrimination in access to public services based on sexual orientation or their status as a person in prostitution…” This position was repeated earlier this year in preparations for the 2015 Universal Periodic Review (UPR) of the United States. However, now that the United States has made no mention of sex workers rights in its official response to the 2015 UPR, sex worker advocates are frustrated that there is no sign that Recommendation 86 will actually be implemented. Our concern is that the United States is failing to ensure that the human rights of sex workers are protected and that the systematic violations of sex workers–and people profiled as such–that have been documented by our organizations continue with impunity.

While other recommendations are followed up with plans of action, the U.S. government has failed to make any plans on actually implementing Recommendation 86 and ensuring sex workers have access to public services to ensure safety.

Unfortunately, sex workers continue to experience violence and extreme forms of discrimination from state actors across the country. In May of 2013, Monica Jones, a transgender woman of color in Phoenix, was arrested for “manifestation of prostitution” while on her way to a LGBT venue. These kinds of arrest are a common practice in which law enforcement profiles trans feminine people of color as sex workers. In late 2014, the North Jersey Regional Director of the New Jersey Red Umbrella Alliance was unconstitutionally arrested in relation to her prior prostitution charge with claims of an active warrant which were later discovered to be false. These actions were likely taken in retaliation for her efforts to speak out against police violence. In Alaska, anti-trafficking rhetoric has become so radioactive that Amber Batts was found guilty of trafficking herself. This is the reality that sex workers and people profiled as such have to endure.

The continuing human rights violations that sex workers experience are a direct result of the inaction the United States government has taken to address our concerns. The federal government has the capacity to set restrictions on human trafficking funding so they go to people who actually have been coerced in their labor, and not into the hands of law enforcement efforts that are incompatible with addressing these issues or towards forcing people out of the sex trade who do not want to leave. The federal government can end travel restrictions on those who trade sex that are often enforced in ways that reinforce racial stereotypes. Importantly, the federal government has the ability to formally recognize the labor of sex work and allow labor violations to be reported.

If the government is serious about enforcing Recommendation 86, then the sex worker community requires a plan of action, as current policies run contrary to their rhetoric that sex workers should not be discriminated against. This plan should incorporate ways to work with state and local governments to reverse the trend of using laws against prostitution, solicitation, and loitering to harass sex workers and those perceived to be sex workers. Sex workers want the talk about rights to result in meaningful action.

By Derek Demeri, New Jersey Red Umbrella Alliance; Penelope Saunders, Best Practices Policy Project; and Cristine Sardina, Desiree Alliance.

Update on the United Nations’ UPR process

Best Practices Policy Project and other groups working for the human rights of sex workers and people in sex trade has been engaging with the latest round of the United Nations’ Universal Periodic Review (UPR). This is a continuation of excellent grassroots community organizing around the last round of the UPR in 2010/2011. We submitted a shadow report along with our friends at Desiree Alliance and SWOP-NYC.

You can view the United States’ assessment of its own human rights record as reported to the Human Rights Council here. Now that the government has submitted their report, the next steps for grassroots advocacy are to contact the US government about our shadow reports, as well as contact the diplomatic missions of other countries to encourage them to submit recommendations to the US to support the human rights of people in sex trades. We are participating in several upcoming opportunities for these activities

If you would like to contact policy makers in the US or in the diplomatic missions of other countries, this one-page summary may be helpful.

An Open Letter to AIDS United et al:

Sex worker “focused” is not sex worker-led (20 Dec 2021)

We are writing this open letter in defense of all sex workers and in the spirit of finding solutions to long-standing dynamics in the HIV/AIDS sector globally that have led to the marginalization of the leadership of sex workers who are most affected and impacted. Please sign on here to future actions.

On December 16, 2021, without any discussion, communication or connecting of campaigns, AIDS United, Sex Workers Project (SWP), Reframing Health and Justice and the Postive Women’s Network (PWN), based their letter campaign and “movement-building” on policy work done by a coalition of sex worker-led organizations. See also, this statement by AIDS United on December 17

We are aware that our organizing and policy work in HIV and AIDS forums is carefully done, based on more than 30 years of experience and is held in high regard. It makes sense that other groups would want to build upon our groundbreaking work. 

We want to be clear about what has occurred so close to the International Day to End Violence Against Sex Workers. This is not about building on the work of others to strengthen sex workers’ voices (which, of course, we do support), this is blatant theft. The organizing and social capital of our work on HIV/AIDS policy and justice are being taken by privileged groups with unlimited access to resources who were in no way involved and with no consultation. And, this has been done by groups that gatekeep funding, have millions of dollars, and use respectability politics surrounding sex work.

We want to be very clear that while we are highlighting a specific instance we are not surprised that our work and organizing has been appropriated. The astro-turfing of work done by sex workers is something that happens frequently. This letter is not only about documenting what happened to us. We hope it serves as an example to other communities of sex workers that have had this happen to them already and for future sex worker rights organizers. This coalition presents a question for all to consider: Who will be at the table for furthering sex worker HIV policies? This question presents a bigger issue on who gets chosen to sit at the table that we built? For these mentioned groups to have a hand in policy-making and not include this coalition disregards our roles as leaders. This should give all in the sector pause.

Adding our organizational links to the letter is not recognition. It portrays sex workers as coming into this policy work when we are clearly leaders in this fight. Our organizations specifically mentioned in our NHAS open letter (one of the links used), that our rights and principles would no longer allow “advocates” to speak for us, but yet, this appropriation of our work clearly shows that our demands were not honored. Every one of the mentioned organizations has leadership that knows there is no greater offense than grifting work off marginalized populations. 

In the spirit of solutions we list the following remedies. AIDS United, SWP, PWN and Reframe Health and Justice must take down the letter/form, publicly apologize and support the work of grassroots organizations that did this work unfunded when the issues were not yet accepted. We are here waiting for your call so you can make this right and we look forward to working with you. Additionally, each organization involved in this must change their internal policies so something like this can never happen again. Each organization should pay the sex workers most impacted by these issues to advise them on how to make these changes. Our leaders and organizers have put their lives on the line for this work without payment for decades. If funding has been obtained by the intellectual and written appropriation of our work, then our groups’ deserve compensation. Monetary compensation is very important to our organizations as it literally allows our survival to sustain the work we do towards human rights for all. We refuse to allow more privileged groups and non-sex workers take from us now because they suspect that sex worker rights has become a popular issue and catching funders and donors attention. 

For people and organizations who are not closely associated with this work, you may wonder why we didn’t try to handle this internally. The answer is we have tried without success and now after this incident, we will not hold secrets when the community of sex workers and trans-led organizations continue to suffer from erasure, astroturfing, and appropriation. We tried to get AIDS United to return our messages for years–almost a decade–after we observed numerous policy missteps and erasures. We made countless efforts to connect with AIDS United as sex worker leaders and Black trans leaders. We even had AIDS United staffers speak to policy directors on our behalf to no avail. Other organizations involved in this action, such as Reframe Health and Justice, have repeatedly been advised privately to stop taking the work of grassroots organizations as their own. And, we have all of these years of reaching out documented in our archives; We have the receipts. 

Our work is our work and we must be acknowledged as such. UN UPR Recommendation 86 is also the work of sex worker-led groups. The legwork of organizing sex workers representing in Geneva for the 2010, 2015, and 2020 Universal Periodic Review was done by sex workers.  

Our roots in this work go very deep and it is an affront to every organization listed here that the seminal work of Black trans leader Sharmus Outlaw is also being taken without acknowledgement. It is foundational in whorephobia and transphobia to erase us from our own history. In 2011, many years into her advocacy, Sharmus addressed the Global Dialogue on HIV/AIDS and shared our joint policy agenda. She was also a central part in globally organizing, presenting, and participating in the many IAS conferences. This work cannot be erased.

Sincerely,

BPPP

Desiree Alliance

The BSWC

NJRUA 

The Outlaw Project

“Centrado” en las trabajadoras sexuales no es lo mismo que dirigido por trabajadoras sexuales (20 de diciembre de 2021)

Estamos escribiendo esta carta abierta en defensa de todas las trabajadoras sexuales y con el espíritu de encontrar soluciones a las dinámicas de larga data en el sector del VIH/SIDA a nivel mundial que han llevado a la marginación del liderazgo de las trabajadoras sexuales que son las más afectadas e impactadas. Por favor regístrese aquí para acciones futuras.

El 16 de diciembre de 2021, sin ninguna discusión, comunicación o conexión de campañas, AIDS United (SIDA Unidos), Sex Workers Project – SWP (Proyecto de Trabajadores Sexuales), Reframe Health and Justice (Replantea la Salud y Justicia) y Positive Women’s Netwotk – PWN (la Red de Mujeres Positivas), basaron sus cartas de campaña y la “construcción del movimiento” en trabajo político realizado por una coalición de organizaciones dirigidas por trabajadoras sexuales. Consulte también esta declaración de AIDS United del 17 de diciembre.

Somos conscientes de que nuestro trabajo organizativo y político en los foros sobre el VIH y el SIDA se realiza con cuidado, basado en más de 30 años de experiencia y goza de un gran respeto. Tiene sentido que otros grupos quieran construir sobre nuestro trabajo innovador.

Queremos dejar claro lo que ha ocurrido tan cerca del Día Internacional para Poner Fin a la Violencia contra las Trabajadoras Sexuales. Esto no se trata de la construcción sobre el trabajo de otros para fortalecer las voces de las trabajadoras sexuales (que, por supuesto, apoyamos), esto es un flagrante robo. El capital social y organizativo de nuestro trabajo sobre políticas y justicia sobre el VIH/SIDA está siendo tomado por grupos privilegiados con acceso ilimitado a recursos que de ninguna manera estuvieron involucrados y sin consulta. Y esto lo han hecho grupos que controlan la financiación, tienen millones de dólares y utilizan políticas de respetabilidad en torno al trabajo sexual.

Queremos dejar muy claro que, si bien estamos destacando una instancia concreta, no nos sorprende que nuestro trabajo y organización se haya apropiado. El astroturfing del trabajo realizado por las trabajadoras sexuales es algo que ocurre con frecuencia. Esta carta no se trata sólo de documentar lo que nos sucedió. Esperamos que sirva de ejemplo para otras comunidades de trabajadoras sexuales a las que ya les ha pasado esto y para futuros organizadores de los derechos de las trabajadoras sexuales. Esta coalición presenta una pregunta para que todos la consideren: ¿Quiénes estarán en la mesa para promover las políticas del VIH para las trabajadoras sexuales? Esta pregunta presenta un problema mayor sobre quién es elegido para sentarse en la mesa que construimos. Para que estos grupos mencionados participen en la formulación de políticas y no incluyan a esta coalición ellos ignoran nuestros roles como líderes. Esto debería dar una pausa a todos en el sector.

Agregar nuestros links organizacionales a la carta no es un reconocimiento. Retrata a las trabajadoras sexuales como parte de este trabajo político cuando claramente somos líderes en esta lucha. Nuestras organizaciones mencionaron específicamente en nuestra carta abierta de la NHAS (uno de los links utilizados), que nuestros derechos y principios ya no permitirían que los “defensores” hablen por nosotros, pero, sin embargo, esta apropiación de nuestro trabajo muestra claramente que nuestras demandas no fueron cumplidas. Cada una de las organizaciones mencionadas tiene un liderazgo que sabe que no hay mayor insulto que arrebatar el trabajo a las poblaciones marginadas.

En el espíritu de las soluciones, enumeramos los siguientes remedios. AIDS United, SWP, PWN y Reframe Health and Justice deben retirar la carta/formulario, disculparse públicamente y apoyar el trabajo de las organizaciones de base que hicieron este trabajo sin financiamiento cuando los temas aún no fueron aceptados. Estamos aquí esperando su llamada para que pueda solucionar este problema y esperamos trabajar con usted. Además, cada organización involucrada en esto debe cambiar sus políticas internas para que algo como esto nunca vuelva a suceder. Cada organización debe pagar a las trabajadoras sexuales más afectadas por estos problemas para que las asesoren sobre cómo realizar estos cambios. Nuestros líderes y organizadores han arriesgado sus vidas por este trabajo sin pago durante décadas. Si la financiación se ha obtenido mediante la apropiación intelectual y escrita de nuestro trabajo, entonces nuestros grupos merecen una compensación. La compensación monetaria es muy importante para nuestras organizaciones, ya que literalmente permite que nuestra supervivencia sustente el trabajo que hacemos en pro de los derechos humanos para todos. Nos negamos a permitir que los grupos más privilegiados y las que no son trabajadoras sexuales nos quiten ahora porque sospechan que los derechos de las trabajadoras sexuales se han convertido en un tema popular y atrayendo la atención de los financiadores y donantes.

Para las personas y organizaciones que no están estrechamente asociadas con este trabajo, es posible que se pregunten por qué no intentamos manejar esto internamente. La respuesta es que lo hemos intentado sin éxito y ahora, después de este incidente, no guardaremos secretos cuando la comunidad de trabajadoras sexuales y organizaciones lideradas por personas trans continúe sufriendo el borrado, el astroturf y la apropiación. Intentamos que AIDS United respondiera nuestros mensajes durante años, casi una década, después de observar numerosos errores y borrados en las políticas. Hicimos innumerables esfuerzos para conectarnos con AIDS United como líderes trabajadoras sexuales y líderes trans negras. Incluso hicimos que el personal de AIDS United hablara con los directores de políticas en nuestro nombre sin éxito. A otras organizaciones involucradas en esta acción, como Reframe Health and Justice, se les ha aconsejado en repetidas ocasiones en forma privada que dejen de tomar el trabajo de las organizaciones de base como propio. Y tenemos todos estos años de contacto documentados en nuestros archivos; Tenemos los recibos.

Nuestro trabajo es nuestro trabajo y debe ser reconocido como tal. La Recomendación 86 del EPU de la ONU también es obra de grupos dirigidos por trabajadoras sexuales. El trabajo preliminar de organizar a las trabajadoras sexuales para que representen en Ginebra para el Examen Periódico Universal de 2010, 2015 y 2020 fue realizado por trabajadoras sexuales.

Nuestras raíces en este trabajo son muy profundas y es una afrenta para todas las organizaciones enumeradas aquí que el trabajo fundamental de la líder trans negra Sharmus Outlaw también se esté tomando sin reconocimiento. Es la base de la putafobia y la transfobia borrarnos de nuestra propia historia. En 2011, muchos años después de su labor, Sharmus se dirigió al Diálogo Mundial sobre el VIH/SIDA y compartió nuestra agenda política conjunta. También fue una parte central en la organización, presentación y participación a nivel mundial en las numerosas conferencias de la IAS. Este trabajo no se puede borrar.

Atentamente,

BPPP

Desiree Alliance

The BSWC

NJRUA 

The Outlaw Project