Firstly, a huge, deeply felt thank you to all of y’all who have been fighting against SESTA/FOSTA. Tweeting, calling, writing letters, meeting with staffers, spreading the word–you’ve pushed the issue of rights and safety for everyone in the sex trade into the minds of so many.
We’re still trying to wrap our heads around your effort, but we’re counting 30+ pieces in the press about the bill’s impact on sex workers, hashtags #LetUsSurvive and #SurvivorsAgainstSESTA with 5 million+ impressions, tons of calls into congressional offices, a letter of opposition with 300+ academic sign-ons. Less countable are the conversations with staffers where they’re hearing stories from us they’ve never heard until now and the organizations (ACLU, National Center for Trans Equality, and many more) that have come out against the bills and made public distinctions between sex work and sex trafficking.
SESTA is going to pass. But our opponents should know that when backed into a corner, we only become more resilient. So we’d like you to join us for a community call. It’s a chance for everyone to get updated info about the bills, receive information and talk about what we need moving forward, as well as connect to other folks.
Please share this invite with everyone in the community you know and trust, especially those who may be working or organizing in isolation now.
Call times:
Thursday, March 22 @ 7:30 pm EST
Sunday, March 25 @ 4 pm EST
Please RSVP for the call by filling out this form.
As medium-term next steps, we are planning the following directed at reducing harm from the legislation and strengthening our movement. We’ll talk more about these and how you can get involved on the call:
- Upcoming Know-Your-Rights and harm reduction/safety info related to SESTA/FOSTA
- A national lobbying and/or direct action day
- Ideas for proactive narrative shifting in the press
Finally, you can check this website for updates on SESTA/FOSTA and beyond.
In solidarity,
Kate, Lola, Red of Survivors Against SESTA