[dropcap size=big]A[/dropcap] young woman is decorating a sign that says “Sex Is Not A Crime” with bright red lace. Another is embellishing a sign that says, “Repeal the 2nd Amendment.” All around, sex workers and their allies are working on art pieces that honor their fallen comrades lost to violence this past year.
About 40 people attended an International Day to End Violence Against Sex Workers event held at the East Los Angeles Women’s Center on December 17. The Sex Worker Outreach Project-Los Angeles (SWOP) hosted the event and vigil for sex workers and allies. Participants made evocative art pieces advocating for an end to violent crimes against sex workers.
International Day to End Violence Against Sex Workers is a day to remember lost sex workers and call for a renewal to commit to the “ongoing struggle for empowerment, visibility, and rights for all sex workers.” The day was first recognized in 2003 when organizers held a vigil for the victims of the Samuel Little – who has recently confessed to 90 murders of mostly marginalized women, including sex workers.