Lessons from a Mexican Brothel

by Patty Kelly on June 16, 2009
On a chilly March morning, my friend Abraham and I head out by car from Washington, D.C. to rural Virginia to do some exploring. Visiting from Mexico City, Abraham has been to New York City many times. But large cities can give a visitor the wrong idea about a [...]

Workers’ safety at risk: lawyer

Natalie Alcoba, National Post Published: Wednesday, October 07, 2009
In a landmark case, sex trade workers in Ontario have launched a constitutional challenge of Canada’s prostitution laws, arguing that they deprive them …
Women who have worked the risky sex trade have launched a constitutional challenge against Canada’s prostitution laws, arguing that decriminalizing some elements will [...]

CA: David Asper: Why turn prostitutes into criminals?

Posted: October 08, 2009, 1:00 PM by Chris Selley
David Asper
With our prostitution laws being challenged in the courts, moral questions about the world’s oldest profession are being debated in Canada.
And not for the first time.
In the mid 1980s, the Special Committee on Pornography and Prostitution — known as the Fraser Committee — extensively studied Canada’s [...]

Sex Workers and Junkies Networking in Porto

Blog post
By inpud
Mat Southwell gives us his impressions of CLAT 5, the Latin European Harm Reduction Conference. Here he talks to the sex workers and finds some fascinating views and more common ground.
Only Rights will Right the Wrongs -Sex Workers & Junkies Network in Porto
When Erin and I were at the UNAIDS PCB we [...]

SF: The massage parlor mistake

Fearing arrest and/or deportation will mean fewer women will report rape or other violence and exploitation when they occur
BY RACHEL WEST
Tuesday June 30, 2009
OPINION Taking advantage of the recent turmoil over the huge city budget cuts, Mayor Gavin Newsom and Sup. Carmen Chu, have pushed though malicious legislation imposing criminal charges and restrictions on massage [...]

ZAMBIA: PEPFAR prevention approach too narrow – report

JOHANNESBURG, 30 June 2009 (PlusNews) – The United States President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) has taken a damagingly narrow approach to HIV prevention in Zambia, ignoring realities on the ground and neglecting the most at-risk populations, says a new report.
Researchers from the Sexuality Information and Education Council of the United States (SIECUS), [...]

Trinidad & Tobago: FPA pleads for increased funding

Monday, June 29th 2009
The Family Planning Association of Trinidad and Tobago is pleading with the Government to increase the annual subvention it provides to the association.
The organisation’s president, Jacqueline Sharpe, made the call for increased funding on Thursday while delivering “A Report to the Nation” at the association’s annual general meeting at the Crowne [...]

NC: Ex-prostitute leads others out

BY JOSH SHAFFER, Staff Writer
Published: Sat, Jun. 27, 2009 02:00AM
RALEIGH – Last week, Sheila Sanders celebrated five years of redemption — five years since she smoked a crack rock, five years since she turned a trick.
She shook off 13 years as a prostitute in Southeast Raleigh, lost years when she gave up four children to [...]

Pressured by sex workers, Taiwan OKs prostitution

Wed Jun 24, 2009 9:23am EDT
TAIPEI (Reuters) – Taiwan began a process of legalizing prostitution Wednesday making the island the latest place in the world to decriminalize the world’s oldest profession.
In six months, authorities will stop punishing Taiwan sex workers after prostitutes successfully campaigned to be given the same protection as their clients, a government [...]

Indian sex workers fight back with karate

by the national gadfly
Fri Jun 19, 2009 at 12:15:49 PM PDT
Sex workers in India have had enough and are fighting back – literally. The world’s oldest profession is still illegal in many countries. This leaves sex workers vulneralbe to attack from customers and police.
(Cross-posted at sexgenderbody)
the national gadfly’s diary :: ::
There [...]