The following information is submitted by the Best Practices Policy Project (BPPP) and the Desiree Alliance. Both organizations were founded in 2005 to be part of a re-emerging movement for sex worker rights in the United States. Both groups prioritize sex worker leadership in issues of concern to them and strive to ensure social justice through anti-oppression/anti-racism work. The Desiree Alliance has worked since its inception to speak to the concerns of the wide range of people— including lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender communities—who engage in sexual commerce (such as street sex work, escort work, informal sexual negotiations for basic income). The Best Practices Policy Project is dedicated to building excellence amongst organizations working with sex workers and related communities of people also affected by anti-prostitution policies (such as transgender people, youth, low income people of color and immigrants) so that collectively we can build a society in which these communities can enjoy their health and rights.
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A federal appeals court has ruled the United States cannot force US-based groups seeking international HIV/AIDS funding to denounce sex work. This decision from the U.S. 2nd Circuit Court in New York upholds a lower court decision in favor of the Alliance for Open Society International, Pathfinder International, Interaction and the Global Health Council. The decision, however, does not prevent the United States from applying the “anti-prostitution pledge” (also known as the anti-prostitution loyalty oath) to organizations based outside of the United States seeking US government funding for international HIV/AIDS work. Read BPPP’s media analysis to understand the full story.
Recent press coverage of the murder of a number of women on Long Island has quoted sex worker organizations about the issue. The Long Island Press quoted SWANK and SWOP-NYC using information from their press release on the issues. CNN’s Susan Candiotti spoke to SWOP USA representative Stacey Swimme and SWOP-NYC’s Kate D’Adamo. This coverage is helpful because communities whose members may be effected by this kind of violence are situated as credible sources of information rather than “helpless victims.”