Commemorating International Day to End Violence Against Sex Workers with Art + Poetry

“Free Them All”

December 17th is International Day to End Violence Against Sex Workers. On this day, and always, we honor the memories and lives of those taken from our community and recommit ourselves to solidarity–to the struggle to decriminalize + destigmatize our work and demand an end to criminalization. This is a day to demand the end of all racist, transphobic and whorephobic violence.

Video art by Valentina Vargas and Juan Pablo Robledo. Created in collaboration with UnionDocs, members of Survived & Punished NY and Alisha Walker.

Subtitles alternate between English and Spanish.

You can follow Valentina Vargas, on Instagram at @vvalentinavvs

Full text of Alisha’s poem that was sourced for this piece (her poetry zine can be purchased in our online shop):

“A cage within a cage”

Sitting in a cage within a cage

Rotting away 

Can’t breathe 

Suffocating 

No fresh air 

Please let me out 

Finally a nice day 

Unlocks the door 

Still within a cage 

Soaking up the sun

Squirrels running rapid

Breath of fresh air 

Barbwire fence 

My sight of sky 

Still isn’t clear

Makes me sick to my stomach 

To think where I could be 

Finally a nice day 

Still not FREE 

I just want to go back 

To

Sitting in a cage within a cage 

Maybe the still air will numb this pain

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