Respect Ed Issue 9
Transcription
Respect Ed Issue 9
Issue 9 Respect Ed August, 2015 We love getting feedback here at Respect Inc. It helps us improve and shows us we are noticed. After our May 2015 newsletter went out, we got feedback, and lots of it. We had used the term “whore” way too much. So from now on, we will try and tone down on that one and pick up on other terms. “Whore” is an offensive term, well that is the way I think it was intended originally and the way it gets used by people who seem to have bought into the negative stereotypes or just want to try and throw an emotional punch in the face at someone. It’s easy to say and communicates low social value and can cause feelings of shame. Well I don’t like that there is a word that has that power to inflict shame on me, so I support the concept of word reclaiming. Word reclaiming from the way I understand it works like this: The word used to vilify a community or it’s members is reclaimed as a word synonymous with pride. “Pride” is the antonym of “shame” and for me counters shame feelings. The word is then promoted with pride throughout the community to strengthen it and build resilience to it’s use to inflict shame and perpetuate stigma by those outside the community. A few other examples of reclaimed words are dyke, queer and slut. At Respect Inc, we are interested in increasing the rights of our peers and this often includes strategies to develop our sex worker community to stand united and proud to counter the prejudice, stigma, laws and regulations that take our human rights. For some of us the reclaiming of “whore” is one of those strategies, but we are a very diverse community and there are many of our peers who still hate the word and do not feel the “Whore Pride” intended when they hear the word from their peers. When our May newsletter was just about to go out a few from our team expressed that we may have overused “whore” in that issue, but due to our self imposed publication deadline we let it go. That was a big oops as our feedback from our readers confirmed. To those who let us know, thank you for your feedback. We will respond by trying to be more respectful of the diversity of our community and how they like to identify and already we know that means cutting back on the use of “whore”. Hopefully most of occurrences of this word in this issue will be contained in this apology. Please tell us what terms you like to use when describing your profession/occupation to your clients, your family & friends (if you tell them) and your peers and we will try and use these terms more in future issues. - Annie Mundy, State Co-ordinator 1 W h at ’ s h a p p e n i n g i n B r i s b a n e Brisbane is set to host the World STI & HIV Congress and STI & HIV Conference! These events will run for one week between 13-18 September 2015. These are one of the first major events about STIs & HIV in Brisbane for decades. To mark these such important events Respect Inc will send staff to participate in the events. Our staff will represent Respect Inc and sex workers voices in that space. Hopefully our voice will be heard by thousands of people, they will understand more about sex work so we can reduce the stigma against us. The World STI & HIV Congress and STI & HIV Conference will bring thousands of people into Brisbane city; hopefully we will be busy again after a quiet period. To find out more information about the World STI & HIV Congress and STI & HIV Conference please visit: http://www.worldsti2015.com/ Respect Inc also held a social event regarding this. I would like to send my special thanks to everyone who attended the social event and gave feed back on my personal poster. Sorry there wasn’t much of a cooking show because of the fire issues. Biala will re-open its sexual health services again after years of closure, which sent chaos through our sex worker community. We are not so sure of the exact time when Biala will be up and running again. However I would like to send my thanks and congratulations on the team who advocate for it to re-open. When we know more details about its services, and exactly the time it will be up and running, we will post it on our website and newsletter and send through the email. So if you have not registered your email address with us, please go to our website and leave your email address there. In the meanwhile, Respect Inc still does referrals for workers who want to have Sexual Health certificate. There was a good court case which is related to the industry. There were men who were charged by the police for asking sex workers to give natural services. This a great example for workers to use if anyone asks for natural services. Make sure you tell them “it is illegal to ask, you should not ask and you can be charged by police for asking these services”. It is great to see that police are acting on these kind of dodgy clients. Just friendly reminder that there will be a meeting for the Adult Industry Gala Ball at Respect Inc Brisbane office on the 7th of September at 2pm. Hope you can make it! - Joe, Brisbane Peer Educator 2 W h at ’ s H a p p e n i n g i n T h e v i l l e ’ What a quarter it’s been! The last three months have seen an ugly mug be incarcerated due to not following his bail conditions and contacting sex workers. This man had contacted sex workers throughout the nation and was very cunning with his tricks on how to obtain their services. It was fantastic to see sex workers coming together for support and to help make sure this man was charged. I would like to make a special thankyou to a sex worker who works in the Rockhampton/ Emerald region, you showed strength and determination when all you were receiving was a closed door in the face. You got him off the streets, THANK YOU! International Whores Day was held at Dynasty restaurant and it was great to see diverse new faces attend. We had lots of conversation, learnt new ways of making money and plenty of laughs. Outreach was held in Gladstone Rockhampton and Mackay in late May. The Asian Sex Workers Needs Assessment team came along. It was refreshing to have bilingual peer educators along for outreach and meeting with sex workers and the relevant networks. Sex workers reported extremely quiet times in the region and most appeared to be running at minimal profit yet losing money more than not. Social events were held and we had good attendance at most events. James Cook University had their mid year intake market day on July 29th. Respect and QPP volunteer Lisa manned the stall and as always we were exhausted after giving out free condoms and sexual health information. We handed out over 1200 condoms! People’s responses are improving noticeably towards sex work and HIV. Another shout of special thanks to Josh Duyker CHEP for making our stall happen. Lisa you were amazing thank you so much for your tireless smile and energy! Townsville office is holding Tea and Tarts on the 31st of August. Drop in to the office on 118a Charters Towers Rd for supplies or chat if you have questions etc, contact me on 0416987011. Drop in times are: Mon-12pm-3pm, Tues-12pm-3pm and Wed-12pm-4pm. - Michelle, Townsville Peer Educator Michelle (Respect) & Lisa (QPP), JCU Open Day, 2015 3 W h at ’ s H a p p e n i n g o n t h e g o l d c o a s t Hi Peers and Peeps, I hope everyone has survived the cold snap and business is starting to pick up again after a bit of a slow start to the year. There has been lots going on within our community over the last 3 months and lots more planned in the second half of the year if you wish to get more involved. We now have a Gold Coast page on our website at http://www.respectqld.org.au/gold-coast where you can keep track of the local drop in times, workshops, events and news. Keep an eye on the page as it continues to be developed during the year. The Respect team on the GC headed out on Tweed Rivers Brothel Outreach on 17 June 2015 with Joanna from SWOP NSW. We went to the Venus Lounge, Julianna's Gentlemen's Retreat and Le Penthouse Suite and were blessed to meet so many lovely workers, managers and owners and I want to thank everyone for being so warm and welcoming us into their workplaces to provide some information and goodie bags to the women. As many of you are probably already aware, the Gold Coast Sexual Health Clinic has recently moved to Southport just around the corner from the Respect office. They are now located on Level 4, 16 - 30 High Street, Southport and there new number is (07) 5687 9200. They are open 7.15 am – 7.00 pm Mon Thursday, 7.15 am – 4.30 pm Friday and are closed 1 pm – 3 pm Wednesdays. So if you have an appointment at GCSH we would love for you to drop by the Respect office while you are in Southport. We still have cheap safer sex supplies for sale and if you are a Respect member you get a further 10% discount on products, We have had some great events at the Gold Coast office including a wonderful lunch to celebrate International Whores Day in June. A huge thank you to Linda, our Asian Focussed Peer Educator, for cooking us a lovely Thai lunch and for all the workers who came to celebrate the 40th anniversary of sex workers rights movement. On the 1st of July we were very lucky to have the wonderful and talented Mistress Ruby, our resident trans-tainment dominatrix, deliver a “Bondage and Discipline 101” workshop to a group of about 15 workers. We hope that in the coming months we can hold some more workshops, so if you have any suggestions on a workshop you would like to either host or attend please let me know. 4 W h at ’ s H a p p e n i n g o n t h e g o l d c o a s t In the last week of the July we were busy representing Respect and the Gold Coast sex worker community at a number of events around the Gold Coast to celebrate World Hepatitis Day. Respect collaborated with a number of other organisations including Quihn, Kalwun Health Service, Gold Coast Sexual Health, QPP and Hepatitis QLD to bring the “Hep, Hop and AWAY Roadshow” to town. We held successful events at Coolangatta on Tuesday 28 July 2015, Burleigh on Thursday 30 July 2015 and Southport on Friday 31 July 2015. The Roadshow was a great success, providing information and education around hepatitis prevention, testing and treatment, with a number of people taking advantage of the onsite testing and health checks and getting the word out about the new Hepatitis C treatment. Tegan Nuckey(Quihn), Jane Goodwin (Respect) and Glen Driver (QPP) We are still hosting our Tea n Tarts Morning Tea’s with the next two to be held on 2 September 2015 and 7 October 2015. The Tea n Tarts social events provide an opportunity for sex workers to become more involved in the community and to meet other sex workers. It’s a great chance for workers to network and share experiences and skills with their peers. They are scheduled for the first Wednesday of each month from 10:30am to 12:30pm in our office at 4 Bay Street, Southport. All past and present sex workers are welcome to attend. Snacks, tea and coffee are provided. The “New Worker Workshop’s” continue to be held at 2:00pm on the 1st Tuesday of the month at 4 Bay Street, Southport or by appointment. RSVP’s or private bookings can be made by texting 0401 969 223. The workshop provides an opportunity for you to sit down and discuss health, safety, legal and business matters in a confidential environment free from judgement. Come to the workshop, pick up some free safer sex supplies and information that could help you start or structure your business and most importantly stay safe and well. Look forward to seeing you soon and remember.. “We’re Peers, and We’re Here”! Jane Goodwin Gold Coast Peer Educator The “Hep Hop and AWAY Roadshow” crew setting up at for the World Hepatitis Day Event in Coolangatta. 5 C a r e e r d e v e lo p m e n t p ro g r a m Hello my fellow sex working stars! It has been a busy couple of months for the Career Development Program. With 5 new program participants, who have been exploring many different pathways and actively increasing their skills, the program has taken off with some very exciting things on the horizon. One lady has big dreams of furthering her skills within the industry by learning BDSM skills, while another is pursuing a career in the mining sector. Every participant has some fabulous goals to work towards and I am very proudly assisting them through their development. Thanks to some funding from the PLA, we are now able to offer some financial support to participants who are struggling to meet the costs of professional development. I am currently working on some exciting workshops for sex workers who want to learn more about managing their finances, dealing with stigma, interview skills and resume writing, self care and health management. I have some wonderful peers on board who are very skilled in different areas, and have kindly offered their time and expertise to help me develop these workshops. I can’t wait to get them started! Please remember to jump on our mailing list via the website so that you receive updates on all of our programs and events. Poster from the “Debby Doesn’t Do it for Free” booth, Global Village, AIDS 2014. Photo by PJ Starr. I am loving this position and the opportunities I’ve had to get to know more of the super cool sex workers we have here in QLD. I hope to meet more of you very soon and strongly urge you to visit one of our offices in Brisbane, Gold Coast, Cairns or Townsville when you get the chance. Drop in hours vary in each region, so please check the website! Ciao for now Elle xo 6 As i an wo rk e r n e e d s as s e s s m en t The Asian Sex Workers Needs Assessment survey was conducted and has had 106 Participants! Linda and myself went to Gladstone, Rockhampton and Mackay during May to conduct surveys among the sex worker communities. Monica and Linda also travelled to Townsville and Cairns in June for this project. We have had such a great response with: - 87 Female sex workers, 10 Male sex workers and 5 Transgender sex workers. - 32 Chinese, 27 Koreans, 16 Thai and 28 others - 48 Private sex workers, 22 licensed brothel workers (mainly from 5 Asian brothels in QLD) And very lucky to get responses from - 28 Unlicensed Brothels, 2 street based sex workers and 1 opportunistic sex worker. I just have started to collate data all of the data together. You can expect to see a report being distributed in the coming months! Sonya Asian Focused Peer Educator Brisbane Staff, peers, friends & family at a morning tea in Brisbane, June 2015 7 Dealing with Crack Dick Oh the joys of dealing with crack-dick punters….. Come Thursday night - they’re rolling out of the woodwork, ready to make that hour long booking a nightmare. If you thought you were getting out of this booking easy, think again. Mr. Crack-dick is gonna make you earn every cent baby. Guaranteed you’ll know within first five minutes of the booking. Try to keep that smile on your face while suppressing a whole-body groan. So now you’re trying to somehow get this guy hard while keeping yourself safe. Body-sliding till you’re skin’s raw; dirty-talking filthier than a porn star. But still, not an erection in sight. Of course, he’s naturally decided it’s your fault. ‘Come on baby, you’re meant to be good at this!’ he berates, and you’re wishing you could reply ‘not even Jenna Jameson could do anything with that cock after you’ve be on the pipe for 3 days, asshole’. As meth use is growing, sex workers are dealing with this more and more. It’s incredibly frustrating, as you probably know. A booking with this kind of client is incredibly draining, affecting your entire night. You might feel like you’re walking on eggshells not to upset them; as clients using meth are often unpredictable. They can also get angry and aggressive if they’re finding it tricky to get their rocks off. There are ways to avoid seeing clients who have been using. Alternatively, if you are open to seeing them, or don’t realise until you’re into the booking; there are ways to make things easier. Tricks for dealing with crack-dick clientsAdvertising/ Communication before booking: If advertising online, use the slang-term ‘PnP’ (pipe/party and play), which refers to drug use and sex. As in ‘no PnP’, ‘I don’t do PnP’. This can also put clients off, who may otherwise have been going to offer you meth for services, who have been using, or who wish to use with you during the booking. Remember, you can be charged with possession if you have illegal drugs on the premises. Be polite but firm with text messages asking if you’d like to ‘have a smoke’ during the booking. They’re unlikely to be asking about Winfield blues! Be cautious of guys who keep telling you they’re on their way but don’t seem to be turning up. When using, people can get sidetracked and lose track of time. They may have intentions of arriving soon, but in reality, it can take hours to get to you. This is why I always recommend not giving out your full address/room number until the client is actually there. Before the booking: So you’ve noticed your client shows all the tell-tale signs of being on a bender, but you haven’t started the booking. You’re not really up for it, but don’t want to cause dramas. This might be especially worrying if he’s already at your house/hotel room and you guys are alone: Ask up front: ‘hey baby, have you been smoking?’ with a cheeky smile. If he says yes, politely explain that you guys can reschedule for a time when you would both enjoy the booking more. Tell him you have another booking soon and can only do a short time, e.g. half an hour. If he says he only wants an hour/longer, explain that you will have to reschedule. You can often soften this with ‘because you look like fun and I’d like to spend more time with you too’. If he does agree to the half an hour, you’ve saved yourself the stress of a longer booking. 8 During the booking: Take things slowly. Don’t get into the hard work too early, otherwise your hand/mouth/downstairs bits are going to be worn out. Start out with an extra-long, sensual massage. Be firm when he tries to turn over, and reassure him that you’ve got a sexy body slide coming if he stays put. When he does turn over, bring your client to the end of the bed and give him a drawn-out, teasing lap dance. Even if dancing isn’t your strong-point, improvise a few moves. When you’ve spent time on this, push him gently back onto the bed and continue with a front body-slide. Slower is better, remember you’ve got a long booking ahead of you. Keep gloves handy. Chances are this guy’s gonna need some serious hand action before he’s hard. Gloves help you get full-on without risking passing on an infection from client to you. You can really rub him up and down without stressing. However, if you’re worried a pair of gloves is too much, and may put your client off, you could use one hand. If you’re right-handed, make this your left-hand, or ‘cock-hand’. Use this to work your magic, but remember to keep it away from your own bits, and out of the way while you put the condom on with your right hand. Keep dental dams handy. These can be great for ball-licking/suck, and some mouth-to-cock action, until the client is hard enough to put on a condom Use an extra-large condom to start oral with. The condom should be bigger than you would usually use for this guy. Place it on the head of your client’s cock, squeeze the tip and, using your mouth, suck the soft penis up while rolling the condom over the shaft. You can then suck away knowing you’re protected. When your client finally gets hard, take this one off and use a closer-fitting condom for sex (if you use a condom that’s too big for sex, it can come off and stay inside of you, spilling semen everywhere) Have toys on hand. These are great for a visual. Suggest he plays with himself while you do the same. This puts a bit of the work back in his hands (excuse the pun), and gives him a great show to get hard to. You can also suggest anal toys for him. Use them on him from behind while he plays with himself. Wrapping up the booking: If your client hasn’t managed to orgasm, but the clock is ticking, things can get tricky.. Remind him that there’re only a few minutes left (leave a decent margin for yourself to work with – expect that you’ll need more time than normal to get the client out). Remain extremely firm with this time and do not allow yourself to be lured into continuing to try to make him cum. If he’s been trying for 55 minutes, how will another 5 help? Apologise that you can’t continue, but you have another booking straight after this one. Offer him another quick shower If he’s becoming angry that he couldn’t cum, suggest he spends a few minutes in the shower to wrap things up by himself (10 minutes by himself in your shower is better than another ten minutes together on the bed). Your client may continue to try and engage you in long conversations after the booking. Suddenly your 1-hr booking has turned into 1 ½ hours, due to mindless chatter. Reply with short answer, do not start new topics of conversation, and use body language to convey the booking is over. Limit eye-contact, and turn away from the client while he’s talking. This helps break the intimacy of your encounter. Start cleaning up in an obvious way. Begin putting your clothes back on, and moving towards the door. Flick the bright lights back on, and help him gather up his personal items. Article by Magenta WA, find out more about Magenta WA at :http://www.magenta.org.au 9 Let’s Talk About Sex, Baby 10 B o o k s , m ag a z i n e s , F i l m s & b lo g s Playing the Whore: The Work of Sex Work, by Melissa Gira Grant Sex at the Margins: Migration, Labour Markets and the Rescue Industry, by Laura Maria Agustin Sex Work: Writings by Women in the Sex Industry, edited by Frederique Delacoste & Priscilla Alexander Unrepentant Whore: The Collected Works of Scarlot Harlot Whores and Other Feminists, by Jill Nagle The Brothel Bible: The Cathouse Experience, by Sisters Of The Heart A Vindication of the Rights of Whores, by Gail Pheterson & Margot St. James Policing Pleasure: Sex Work, Policy, and the State in Global Perspective, by Susan Dewey Sex Working and the Bible, by Avaren Ipsen Prostitution and Sex Trafficking, Opposing Viewpoints, by Louise Gerdes WHORE LOGIC, watch a preview at: www.vimeo.com/111927785 A Kiss for Gabriela film & blog: www.akissforgabriela.com $pread Magazine 11 S o c i a l e v e n t s a r o u n d t h e s t at e Gold Coast office Tea n’ Tarts on Wednesday the 2nd of September at 10:30am– 12:30pm & Wednesday the 7th of October at 10:30am– 12:30pm Cairns office Tea n’ Tarts on Friday the 18th of September at 1pm-4pm Townsville office are holding Tea n’ Tarts on Monday the 31st of August Visit: www.respectqld.org.au/news -events to stay updated about all upcoming sex worker social events, workshops, launches & to stay in the loop about the sex industry in Queensland! 12 n o t i c e b oa r d Elena Jefferies (Scarlet Alliance) “Marginalised Identities” Presentation on Wednesday the 9th of September at Southern Cross University on the Gold Coast at 1pm The Scarlet Alliance National Forum is on the 10th-13th of November & will be held in Sydney. This is a FREE sex-worker only event including workshops, presentations, peer education, a red umbrella rally & so much more! On the last evening of the forum, Scarlet Alliance host a sex-worker only party with live DJ’s & performances! For more information, visit: www.scarletalliance.org.au/events Or to RSVP, contact: [email protected] Our beautiful volunteer Jess was awarded a small grant from Hepatitis QLD. With the grant she produced a short video on ‘Sex Work & Hep B’, which is available for viewing on our website: www.respectqld.org.au Respect Inc in affiliation with University of Queensland, TC Beirne School of Law Qld Uni Pro Bono Centre are undertaking a confidential legal research project on judicial attitudes and decision making in Queensland Family Law disputes involving parents who at the time were Queensland sex workers. If you are or were a Queensland sex worker, have been through the Family Law Court in Queensland and feel you have been discriminated against due to your work and you would like to be part of this project. OR if you are interested in this project and would like to know more, OR if you have a friend who has been in this situation, please contact Karen Smith at: [email protected] 13 august whore-o-scopes Aries Same theme, finances look good, but it’s not luck it’s work. No gambling though! Now is the time to let your creativity shine. Rewarding Days:2,4,7,13,14,15,16 Challenging Days:3,5,6,21,31 Taurus Think seriously about making your home work for you, its in the stars. You seem to have a year full of great company and companions coming up, yay! Rewarding Days: 1,2,4,11,13,19,25 26 Challenging Days:3,5,6,7,20,21,31 Gemini Rewards for hard work and charm are coming your way.You’re getting your message out but think about the words before they leave your lips, after it’s too late. Bit of romance around you, enjoy. Rewarding Days:2,7,13,14,15,19,26 Challenging Days:3,4,5,6,12,21,31 Cancer Be prepared for gifts and dramatic expressions of feelings.You seem to have plenty of money but don’t be too extravagant, things change too quickly for that. Have some well earned fun though. Rewarding Days:1,2,7,23,26 Challenging Days: 3,5,6,12,21,30,31 Leo Picture your wildest dreams, cos it looks like they’re coming true.You may be irritated by having to wait on some money, but it will come,You may need to tighten your belt, seems a bit at odds with wildest dreams, but it’s there, tighten you must. Rewarding Days:1,2,4,7,13,15,19,26 Challenging Days: 3,6,12,21,22,31 Virgo A time for growing over the next year, make sure it’s on the inside, you’re weight could be an issue for the next year from now. The 26th is a big day, someone who’s got what you’re after will offer a change or a boost, don’t ignore coincidences. Rewarding Days:4,6,10,11,23,26 Challenging Days:3,5,12,20,21 14 august whore-o-scopes Libra Friendships and fiery declarations of love and devotions are coming your way, be sure you decide with yor heart and not your ego. On 6th you should work all day and earn as much as you can, they may all become regulars! Rewarding Days:1,2,6,13,16,19,26 Challenging Days:3,5,7,12,21,30,31 Scorpio Time to have that conversation you’ve been avoiding, work it out. Someone may challenge your authority on 21st, you’ll fight for as long as you need to win this. be a bit gentle, not everyone is as verbally skilled as you. Money is still tight. Rewarding Days:6,11,13,14,25,26 Challenging Days 3,5,7,12, 21,22,31 Sagittarius From the 11th, a year of lucky breaks and fortunate encounters is coming your way. Work hard and attend to details, you will be rewarded. Rewarding Days:1,2,4,6,7,13,15,26 Challenging Days:3,5,21,22,31 Capricorn Tap into your intuition and let your feelings guide you, hard for you but it’s worth it. Challenges regarding tax, who owes what or inheritances may cause a scene, go for it. Finish anything left part done quickly. Rewarding Days:2,4,7,11,13,19,26 Challenging Days:3,5,6,21,22,31 Aquarius Playmates are everywhere, better if they are paying playmates, you have some financial issues to address. Seems it’s time to have a chat about sharing the burdens and rewards fairly. Rewarding Days: 2,4,7,13,14,19,20 Challenging Days:5,6,12,21,22 Pisces You’ll have to work hard for rewards you get, but others are finally willing to see you point of view.You may have trouble with deciding about education or work, make them work together. Rewarding Days:6,11,12,13,15,23,26 Challenging Days:3,4,5,7,20,21,22,31 15 Respect Inc Offices Brisbane 28 Mein Street Spring Hill, 4000 07 3835 1111 Annie- Southern Co-ordinator 0451 149 782 [email protected] Joe- Male Peer Educator 0424 657 064 [email protected] Liv- Peer Educator, 0476 061 661 [email protected] Elle– Career Development Peer 0432 367 598 [email protected] Sonya– Asian Peer Educator 0487 005 333 [email protected] Gold Coast 4 Bay Street Southport, 4215 07 5657 0857 Jane- Peer Educator, 0401 969 223 [email protected] Erica– Youth Focused Peer Educator 0437 000 724 [email protected] Cairns 7/24 Florence St, 4870 07 4051 5009 Mo- Peer Educator, 0413 571 394 [email protected] Townsville 118a Charters Towers Rd, 4812 07 4724 4853 Michelle- Peer Educator 0416 987 011 [email protected] www.respectqld.org.au Content published in Respect Ed is collated from a number of sources across the sex work and community health sectors. Respect Inc accepts no responsibility for the accuracy or nature of the material contained in this newsletter. If you feel as though you may be offended by reading material relating to sex work, we advise you not to read Respect Ed. Information in this newsletter is not intended to substitute for independent professional advice. Respect Inc does not accept any liability for injury, loss or damage incurred by use of or reliance on, any information provided in this newsletter. Content that appears in this newsletter may be copyrighted and if you use material contained within, please credit Respect Inc or the original source. Final editing is at the discretion of the Respect Inc executive. 16