Welcome to DU!
The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards.
Join the community:
Create a free account
Support DU (and get rid of ads!):
Become a Star Member
Latest Breaking News
Editorials & Other Articles
General Discussion
The DU Lounge
All Forums
Issue Forums
Culture Forums
Alliance Forums
Region Forums
Support Forums
Help & Search
Minneapolis Celebrates 50 Years of International Sex Workers' Day
https://workdaymagazine.org/minneapolis-celebrates-50-years-of-international-sex-workers-day/On the afternoon of June 2, sex workers and allies marched the streets of downtown Minneapolis for “Dancing in the Streets,” in honor of International Sex Worker’s Day, or International Whores Day, for its 50th anniversary. This year’s march was themed “Saints and Sluts” with attendees dressed in feathered angel wings, nuns habits, and sparkly devil horns. The marchers were met with supportive honks from passing pedestrians, cyclists, and vehicles, including a postal service truck driver and a Metro Transit bus driver.
The sex workers and their allies marched to honor the legacy of sex worker rights activists and continue the fight for dignity and worker protections. Andi Snow, an executive director of the Minneapolis chapter of Sex Workers Outreach Project (SWOP), told the crowd, “We’re here today celebrating victories past, present, and yet to be won!”
In 1975, in Lyon, France hundreds of sex workers occupied a plaza after two sex workers were murdered on the job. The protesters argued that marginalization by police made working conditions more dangerous, which led to the deaths of their colleagues. The French sex workers also demanded an end to racial profiling and stereotypes that all trans women are sex workers. Today, International Sex Workers’ Day is celebrated in cities across the world.
(snip)
In an interview with Workday Magazine, Bianca Black, a dominatrix and online sex worker, shared, “SWOP’s mission is to decriminalize sex work in Minnesota and in Minneapolis. Our focus here is to make it so that strippers can have access to healthcare, even though they’re independent contractors.” Black gestures air quotation marks sarcastically as she says “independent contractors,” referencing the prevalent worker misclassification in the stripping industry.
The sex workers and their allies marched to honor the legacy of sex worker rights activists and continue the fight for dignity and worker protections. Andi Snow, an executive director of the Minneapolis chapter of Sex Workers Outreach Project (SWOP), told the crowd, “We’re here today celebrating victories past, present, and yet to be won!”
In 1975, in Lyon, France hundreds of sex workers occupied a plaza after two sex workers were murdered on the job. The protesters argued that marginalization by police made working conditions more dangerous, which led to the deaths of their colleagues. The French sex workers also demanded an end to racial profiling and stereotypes that all trans women are sex workers. Today, International Sex Workers’ Day is celebrated in cities across the world.
(snip)
In an interview with Workday Magazine, Bianca Black, a dominatrix and online sex worker, shared, “SWOP’s mission is to decriminalize sex work in Minnesota and in Minneapolis. Our focus here is to make it so that strippers can have access to healthcare, even though they’re independent contractors.” Black gestures air quotation marks sarcastically as she says “independent contractors,” referencing the prevalent worker misclassification in the stripping industry.