Activism

Call for Presentations

Activism Track: Sex Workers Rights Are Human Rights

It is with great sadness and much consideration that Desiree Alliance announces the cancellation of our July 2019 conference Transcending Borders: Immigration, Migration, and Sex Work. 

Due to FOSTA/SESTA enactments, our leadership made the decision that we cannot put our organization and our attendees at risk.  We hope you understand our grave concerns and continue to resist every law that exists to harm sex workers!  Keep fighting!

Cris Sardina, Director – Desiree Alliance

ACTIVISM TRACK

Activism takes on many forms of action. Activism can include sitting down with someone to talk about your rights and safety as a sex worker to sitting at the current administration’s table to discuss the negative laws and policies that harm those that work in sex economies. What we have to offer and what we give back can be invaluable to the people or the causes we choose to advocate for. Whether you sit at the table with the president’s advisors or sit around the kitchen table, the Activism Track is calling for your skills and presentations!

The sex worker rights movement has grown tremendously since our first conference in 2006 and your presentation is an opportunity to share your skills, as a sex worker, family member, friend, and/or an activist, so that we may bring together our collective knowledge and experience to empower our movement. We prioritize diverse sex worker leadership with representation from a broad range of sex workers around the globe. We encourage presentations from all sex worker communities, outdoor/street economy communities, Immigrant & Migrant communities, Transgender communities, LGBTQI communities, people of color communities, HIV/AIDS communities, differently-abled communities, those who have been affected by the criminal justice system, adult entertainment communities, harm reduction communities, service providers, elderly, youth sex worker advocates, etc.  Expanding beyond diversity, we create healthy, informed, and safe spaces for all.

We invite proposals for workshops and presentations proposals on topics such as (but not limited to):

People of Color: Leaders of color that represent their communities in effectual activism, successful political actions, and resilient community and coalition-building, are models for creating tangible resistance against historical factors that affect us in various ways.  In sex work, what is the relationship of your activism to emerging groups such as Black Lives Matter, Trans Latina’s, LGBT communities, Immigration etc?  What has been successful in regards to your resistance?  Is the sex workers rights movement inclusive for people of color and how are we creating change to include this representation?  We encourage presentations that reflect these topics and more. Bring it to the table and share your expertise.

Advocacy and Outreach: How to build local networks of sex workers and supporters. How to identify and participate in existing networks.

Beyond Inclusion and Representation: Leadership by those who have been marginalized in society and in the sex worker communities.

Peer-Based Outreach: How to set up Know Your Rights and Advocacy trainings in your region, Court Support. Local, National and International Policy campaigns

Economic and social benefits of sex work (i.e., good job for single mothers, service to disabled community, etc.)

Addressing social, cultural, economic, political and strategic issues related to sex work

Anti-Racism/Anti-Oppression: What is colorblind racism? Hipster racism? Can communities of color overcome racism within their own communities? What is the correlation between oppression and the language, morality, and policies that surrounds sex work? Come speak about your work as we break down the visible and invisible issues surrounding this subject. We encourage people of color and alternative communities to present on this powerful subject.

For our 2019 conference, we especially encourage immigrant and migrant sex workers to showcase their activism! 

Demographics: ‘Your struggle is not my struggle” Activists that fight for their rights, safety, and well-being may work effectively in their region but might not be so effective in another region. Share what works in your area, what doesn’t work, and discuss action strategies with activists from around the globe.

All backgrounds, experiences, and genders are part of the social justice movement towards the human rights of sex workers; therefore we emphasize diversity among our leaders, organizers, presenters and participants. We come to this convergence because we believe sex workers have the solutions. You are the expert. Come share it with others. If you have an idea or something you’d like to see around activism, please email and have a discussion with us!

We welcome all levels of advocacy and activists to submit proposals to share the work that you are doing. We especially want to hear from sex workers themselves, which include but is not limited to: commercial sex, transactional sex, survival sex, ho’ing, hustling, providing erotic services, sex for drugs, prostitution and many other forms of sex economies.

A Proposal should include:

Title for your presentation

A name for publication purposes on this public website. This does not have to be your real name, but we need a way to recognize you and your presentation!.

Affiliation with an organization or social justice movement you’d like to have listed (optional)

A short paragraph with your background and experience, or interest, in sex work or the sex workers rights’ movement

A bio which will appear in the program and on the website (approx 200 words)

A detailed abstract of 500 words or fewer (the description that will appear in the program and on the website)

Please include whether or not you will need any technical support, such as a projector or AV, etc. (All rooms will include easel pads with markers). 

In some cases, panels will be suggested if more than one or similar proposal gets submitted on a specific topic.

DEADLINE:  .Proposals must be submitted by March 1st, 2019 to be considered, and all submissions will be notified of acceptance by April 15th, 2019.   

  You can reach Desiree Alliance atinfo@desireealliance.org if you have further questions.

NOTE: A new policy for researchers, academics, bloggers, interviewers etc. is now required for proposal submissions. Please use the link for explanation

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1mrNOHDjlYIrpTPemRkAsq4Un9USu92bt2l0i_yxsdI/edit