Campaign and Policy Issues
	US Sex workers and programs that work with them are confronting many policy issues. The Best Practices Policy Project will help you keep in touch with campaigns, actions, and policy development across the country

New Federal Legislation Against Prostitution

New anti-prostitution measures were included in US Federal legislation on December 14, 2005. The re-authorization act of the Trafficking Victims Protection Act (HR 972) passed unanimously in the House of Representatives and conservatives unexpectedly included a number of harmful amendments to the TVPA. These Federal provisions mandate new actions to "end demand for commercial sex acts" such as increased anti-prostitution law enforcement within the United States, research, NGO service provision, conferences and police training in "the enforcement of laws prohibiting sex trafficking and commercial sex acts." More analysis and information about this new legislation can be found here.

2006 Conference on Policy, Research and Practice

A coalition of sex workers, social scientists, professional sex educators, health professionals and their supporting networks have announced a conference in Las Vegas, Nevada, July 9-12 2006. The Best Practices Policy Project is a sponsor along with other groups working with and representing sex workers across the United States. The conference entitled "Re-visioning Prostitution Policy: Creating Space for Sex Worker Rights and Challenging Criminalization" will focus on developing strategies and leadership skills for ending the criminalization of sex work and sex workers. The complete conference announcement can be found at the information link below. If you wish to join the conference organizing group and participate in the process email Stacey Swimme at staceyswimme... at... yahoo.com. Two members of the Best Practices Steering Committee, Penny Saunders and Elizabeth Nanas, are involved in the organizing group as well as being part of a Diversity Planning sub-group. Informacion en espanol                       information in English

Campaign about NOW Resolution

In the past the National Organization for Women (NOW) has supported women who engage in various forms of commercial sex. At the National NOW conference in July 2005, an anti-pornography resolution was proposed to the board of directors. The resolution will be voted on during the nation BoD meeting in September 2005. You can find out more about a grassroots campaign against the resolution by emailing staceyswimme@yahoo.com or by clicking here.