Lessons Learned Hard
When we formalized our Chicago collective, back in 2015, we had a series of informal, messy, crucial, debate-filled, action-based experiences to build from. We were tired of so-called Leftist spaces ignoring whores and side-eyeing us. We were tired of sex worker specific spaces only talking about self-care and jailing bad johns. We wanted more. We still do. But how do we get that?
Over these past ten years we’ve seen sex worker formations come and go–and usually they dissolve because of experiences of violence, burn out, incarceration, lack of broader movement support, or even becoming jaded with fellow workers’ perceived or legit lack of commitment to organizing. Systemic racism, classism, whorephobia, whorestigma, transmisogny, coupled with police violence, incarceration, overdose, and yeah lateral in-fighting and inter-community harm has taken so many comrades from us. We don’t say all of this to wallow in despair though, we name it to (re)ignite a fire. Ten years and change on, we still believe that a small, radical, built-in-trust, group can get shit done. We believe that because we’ve modeled it.
We encourage anyone reading this to get your people together, find an existing small formation you want to support or plug into and/or gather your own. Never compromise your principles for the sake of a “big group”, never sell out your own, never apologize for being a whore, never leave the most vulnerable amongst you behind. Be bold, build. It doesn’t have to look or be perfect (because duh nothing is). It can look like a reading group, a wheat-pasting crew, a mutual aid distro, neighborhood group chat for preparedness, community meals and discussions, etc. It can/should be what is needed by you, your community.
What we’ve been up to…
Back in March, we partnered with our beloveds (and mentors) in Just Practice Collaborative for their Building Coordinated Crisis Response virtual session about sex worker learned / practiced life saving tactics. We’ve mentioned their beautiful work before, but we had to share these gorgeous graphic notes again.
We’ll be debuting (at least) two new zines in time for the upcoming Chicago Zine Fest (on July 19th) and South Side Zine Fest (July 26th)! Here’s a sneak peak at those covers! We hope to see y’all IRL at those fests. Our zines are the primary way we speak our politics, history, and raise crucial cash funds to do all the creative mutual aid work we hold down. Are you a sex working zinester? We’re always up for trades!
We’ve been working to form a Cross Chicago Solidarity exchange for reps from existing sex worker formations and other organizations that (actually) serve our communities. This formation seeks to serve as a knowledge hub and place to talk shop, strategize, and create a more connected sex working city.
*This is exclusively for experienced organizers and those who are permitted to represent on behalf of the organizations/collectives/groups they’re members of.*
If this is you, and you want to get connected to this knowledge-sharing work, reach out here.
Our dear comrade, Aïcha Camara, has been conducting research (for years) into the impacts of Ordinance § 8-04-016 in Chicago.
“This site contains an analysis of the 2001 to 2023 Chicago Data Portal Data filtered for Illinois Uniform Crime Reporting or IUCR codes related to ‘PROSTITUTION’ and a dataset of arrests related to sex work from the Chicago Police Department obtained through the Freedom of Information Act on December 19, 2023.”
The portal resource that they’ve developed features interactive maps illustrating the ordinance’s impact our sex working and trans communities (primarily of color). You can review their findings, here.
Do you know and love a sex worker (who is also a parent or care-giver) currently incarcerated in Cook County Jail or in an Illinois Prison who needs some commissary support? Please reach out to us here.
Other Chi Updates…
SWOP Chicago has recently put out an urgent call for volunteers/organizers to help with day-to-day tasks, application reviews, general operations, and more. FYI they’re more active on their Instagram than website, so follow them there!
Email media@swopchi.org *and* fill out this form if you want to volunteer.
See the screen shots below to plug in and/or check out their upcoming IRL events:
Decrim IL is actively recruiting community members in the fight to win state-wide decriminalization for all people in the sex trades. They have upcoming IRL events for those that are signed up to join. Plug in to get involved here.
