Sex Workers, Resistance, and the Media

Submitted by audaciaray on Wed, 04/15/2009 - 11:17pm
Short Description: 

Sex workers are frequently maligned and misrepresented in the mainstream media, where stories are most often about scandals, busts, violence, health and safety risks, exploitation, legislation, and moral judgment. This panel of present and former sex workers who are activists and media makers will address the ways we are represented in mainstream media and what sex workers and their allies can do to challenge and remake the way we are perceived. We will present media projects created by sex workers and discuss challenges encountered in the process of distribution and building an audience for our work. The workshop will conclude with making a short PSA video about how sex workers and allies can work together.

Presenters
Presenter One Name: 
Audacia Ray
Presenter One Info: 

Audacia Ray is a media maker and activist who is passionate about sexual rights, and is the author of Naked on the Internet. Audacia is a former sex worker who was an editor at $pread magazine who co-founded the advocacy and support organization Sex Work Awareness. Dacia has been writing her personal blog, Waking Vixen, since 2004.

Presenter Two Name: 
Megan Andelloux
Presenter Two Info: 

Megan Andelloux works as a board certified sexual educator , sexual rights activist and author in the book: We Got Issues! She is the founder of a Sexual Resource Center, located in Providence, RI where she hosts workshops, speakers, and activist events related to sex positive issues.

Presenter Three Name: 
Elizabeth Weisbrot
Presenter Three Info: 

Elizabeth Weisbrot is activist, author, student and performance artist. A member of the sex work community for over 5 years, Elizabeth works primarily in the adult film industry and on the internet. A graduate student in the MSW program at York University in Toronto, Elizabeth's social work focuses on the street-based sex workers, working to combat the stigma and marginalization experienced by the community while moving toward total decriminalization of sex workers in North America and worldwide. Currently at work on her first collection of stories, Elizabeth also writes a blog on porn, the media and everyday life.

Presenter Four Name: 
Monica Shores
Presenter Four Info: 

Monica Shores is Managing Editor of and frequent contributor to $pread magazine. Her writing has appeared or is forthcoming in Nerve.com, The Rumpus, DCist, Popmatters, Alternet, and Make/shift magazine. She also pens a bimonthly column for CarnalNation on sex worker rights.

Presenting organization: 
Sex Work Awareness