Shaka Zine Shaka Zine Shaka Zine Shaka Zine: Ho Down (part 3)

Thursday, April 9, 2009

Ho Down (part 3)

While researching this tangent, I found an article which mentions two people I'd previously written about whom I couldn't find a reason to punish them. The Advertiser article's old, but if them dudes still act the same, I'd challenge them.

My friend Tracy Ryan's group APLE (Arresting Prostitutes is Legal Exploitation) is probbly the most vocal advocate for sex workers on Oahu. Sisters Offering Support (SOS) of Honolulu I think has closed but did a lot to help those wanted to, leave the business, and drew attention to the child sex trade.
HBO once aired a documentary Called Downtown Girls: Hookers of Honolulu?focusing on some local girls including movie star Saellah V and Shaka Zine cover girl Barbie Q.

I'm glad I don't remember the local pimp's name from "American Pimp", a documentary by the Hughes Brothers. This way I don't glamourize or slander him, because I believe that most often pimps are the true criminals in the sex-business. But I couldn't ignore or overlook the movie.

My favourite quote is from Vice Magazine:

"Pimps are parasitic rapists that turn desperate drug addicts into slaves and then beat them up."

~
In some situations, the sex-worker is doing the job out of economic necessity. In many countries, it is a legitimate occupation of choice, (including the USA state of Nevada). Some people have no other choice, whether because of poverty or slavery. Things are tough all over.

Around the world, sex workers unite and work for fairness.
NSWP (Network of Sex Work Projects) their webmaster must be dating because their site needs uppdating, but it still has some good links and they apparently produced the documentary below.
It's about how when our government offers money to foreign charities via USAID (US Agency for International Development) and PEPFAR (The US Predident's Plan For AIDS Relief), the recipients must take an anti-prostitution stand, or else be denied the funding. Consequently many classes and clinics were closed due to these prohibitionist policies. Ironically, in 2007 Randall L. Tobias, the Bush Administration's director of USAID, resigned after admitting he was a client at a Washington, DC escort service. (If the video is too big for your screen click here.)

$pread Magazine is a free publication supporting the rights of sex workers, and they're having a fundraiser called "Muff Muff Give" Thursday April 16, 2009 at Sugarland in NYC. On May 8, 2009 $pread will be teaming upp with SWEP (Sex Workers' Empowerment Project) and the Witness Project to host a video production event, providing training for activists and advocates in the New York Area, according to deepthroated.wordpress.com a blog for sex-workers

The Desiree Alliance the Henderson, Nevada -based group will not hosting their usual event this year, and instead will meet upp at the

6th San Francisco Sex Worker Film, Art & Music Fest which runs May 31st to June 7th, 2009.

St. James Infirmary celebrates their 10th Anniversary this year and is hosting a Fundraiser called Cirque X on Friday, June 5, 2009 at the Paradise Lounge in San Francisco from 9pm-3am.

ISWFACE (International Sex Worker Foundation for Art, Culture and Education) also known as "Ice Face" might not have uppdated their site in a while, but it still has some good links on it, plus they have a cute art gallery with 2 pages including a cool Myth and Reality poster.

COYOTE (Call Off Your Old Tired Ethics) has a few dead links on their site, but here's a cool one telling you how to know you're in a sting operation and a super long one about what to do if you get arrested.

Prostitutes' Education Network has links for days and a thorough list of videos for sale, but I don't have a PayPal, so I'm not sure if they're still available.