BAYSWAN / SWFEST

Contact email
Who do you work with?

We work with male, female and transgender sex workers, clients, third parties, families, partners and friends, arts aficionados, health workers, activists, general public, artists and formal sex workers.

How are sex workers involved in your organisation?

Most of the organisers are sex workers or former sex worers.

Which of NSWP priority areas does your organisation work on?
Oppose the criminalisation and other legal oppression of sex work and support its recognition as work
Critique the trafficking paradigm that conflates representations of sex work, migration, and mobility
Advocate for universal access to health services, including primary health care, HIV and sexual and reproductive health services
Speak out about violence against sex workers, including violence from police, institutions, clients, and intimate partners, while challenging the myth that sex work is inherently gender-based violence
Oppose human rights abuses, including coercive programming, mandatory testing, raids and forced rehabilitation
Challenge stigma and discrimination against sex workers, their families and partners, and others involved in sex work
Advocate for the economic empowerment and social inclusion of sex workers as sex workers
What are the two main challenges that the sex workers you work with face

There are many facets to the work that BAYSWAN does. In terms of providing telephone resources, a main issue has been child custody, with few resources. Former sex workers call often for respectful transition options, students call often for information and interviews.

Describe other areas of your work

Web resources. Political advice based on longevity but our MAIN current focus is on empowerment of diverse sex workers in the movement and anti-racism/anti-oppression work. This is basically our direction, funding priority, and it provides the basis for our organising and arts work.

Country
États-Unis