Sex Workers Unite

I was reading an article about a Danish retirement home where a staff member had been propositioned by a resident. The solve the problem, the staff called a prostitute for the man. The article got a comment on the situation from somebody at the Danish Sex Worker's organization. Before that point, I had never even realized that there could be a sex worker organization. So I decided to do a little more research. I found two of these foundations in Australia and The Netherlands that are quite real.

Probably one of my favorite pictures of all time...

The Australian Sex Worker organization does a great job providing information. On their Q&A page, you can find clear answers to questions you may have. Here's a small sample:

Sex work - what is it?
Sex work is the exchange of sexual services for money or goods.

Sexual Services - what are they?
The definition of sexual services adopted in Victoria has three main activities under it. They are:

• Taking part with someone in an act of sexual penetration. This includes oral, anal and vaginal sexual penetration. If you put a tongue, finger or other part of the body or an object, into a vagina, anus or mouth - or let any of these things be done to you - it's an act of sexual penetration (Crimes Act 1958).
  
• Masturbating someone. To be considered masturbating, their genitals can be clothed and they don't have to cum.
  
• Letting someone view acts of sexual penetration or masturbation when there is any form of physical contact between any watcher and any watched or when any watcher is allowed or encouraged to masturbate.

If you get money or goods for doing any of these things, you are doing sex work.

Has anybody realized that they're doing sex work yet? Apparently, Australia has a very proud tradition of sex work. According to the Scarlet Alliance:

Prostitutes, or ‘doxies’ or ‘blowens’ or ‘biters’ or ‘strumpets’ as they might have been called by the marines and convicts of the 18th century, were among the very first white women ever to step onto the continent of Australia when they arrived at Sydney Cove with the First Fleet in 1788.

And let's not forget about The Netherlands. The Red Thread has started a Pimp Free Zone campaign.

You'd think the logo would be a chalice with an X through it

Rode Draad and Vakwerk started a sticker and poster campaign against pimps. They are putting up stickers and posters on windows with the phrases "Pimpfree Zone" and "Pimping is forbidden in The Netherlands".

Despite our Puritanical roots, there is a similar organization in the US called Sex Workers Outreach Project. They define themselves as a "Sex Workers Outreach Project-USA is a national social justice network dedicated to the fundamental human rights of sex workers and their communities, focusing on ending violence and stigma through education and advocacy." I think I'm going to start calling OfficialChrisDuncan.com a social justice network. SWOP is in San Francisco... and you know New York doesn't enjoy being left out. So that's where SWANK comes in. SWANK is a group of former and current sex workers based out of New York City. The SWANK MySpace profile shows that they have an event in New York on May 8th. Looks like the OfficialChrisDuncan has a party to cover...