In September 2010 the Best Practices Policy Project reported on key human rights questions in regards to HIV/AIDS in the United States for sex workers, people in the sex trade and vulnerable communities in general. This report was submitted to the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights in partnership with the Desiree Alliance, Bayswan, Women with a Vision, HIPS, Madre Tierra, St James Infirmary, SWOP-USA, SWOP-Tucson, SWOP-NYC and SWANK, SWOP-Colorado, SWOP-Chicago and other organizations. Key issues emerging included the lack of mention of sex work in the US National HIV Strategy, human rights violations of people living with HIV who are arrested for solicitation, and the use of condoms as evidence. Read the report and download it as a pdf.
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The first National Leadership Training Institute was held in Washington, DC from October 25 to 27, 2007. The Institute brought together 25 emerging and experienced leaders working for rights to share human rights based skills to work for justice. The Institute model is an intensive series of classes that will help new and current leaders understand activism, organize for change, work to change images of sex workers in the media and much more. Since the first Institute was held in 2007 other organizations have drawn on the experience to host regional and national trainings. If this is something you would like to find out more about please email us at psaunders… at…. bestpracticespolicy.org or consult the handbook we created in 2008 and updated in 2010 compiling all the steps we took to hold the first National Leadership Training Institute in 2007.
In 2010 BPPP joined with the Desiree Alliance to research and describe the state of sex workers’ rights in the United States to be included as one of only five US presentations to be part of the Sexual Rights Initiative reporting back to the UN High Commissioner on Human Rights Universal Periodic Review. This report found that sex workers in the United States, especially those from communities of color and low-income LGBT communities, are subject to police harassment, extortion and false arrest. Policing also undermines sex workers ability to protect their sexual health because condoms and other safe sex equipment are used as evidence against them. In some parts of the United States people detained for violating anti-prostitution laws are subjected to mandatory testing and face much more serious penalities if they are found to be HIV positive. A significant rights violation is the placement of sex workers in some jurisdictions on “sex offender registry” lists that limits where they can live, work, and more. Read the full report.
In 2003 new legislation was passed that allowed the US government to restrict NGOs in regards to what they can do and say about working with sex workers. Darby Hickey analyses the latest development on this issue, a lawsuit against the restriction from the Open Society Institute and affiliates.