MANCHESTER, N.H. — The New Hampshire chapter of the Sex Workers Outreach Project (SWOP NH) has announced it will hold a special luncheon and fundraiser to raise awareness on Monday, Dec. 17, the annual International Day to End Violence Against Sex Workers.
According to the group, the event will be open to the public at The Flats at Hanover Commons, 235 Hanover St., in Manchester, from 5-7 p.m. The luncheon will support the work the SWOP does to secure protections and equal rights for sex workers in the Granite State. In attendance will be SWOP NH members and like-minded supporters.
Dec. 17 is the International Day to End Violence Against Sex Workers. This day has been observed since 2003 marking the conviction of Gary Ridgway, The Green River Killer, who was convicted of 48 murders of sex workers, confessed to more than 70 killings and is suspected of more than 100 murders. Violence against sex workers is pervasive across the globe, and trans and sex workers of color are specifically vulnerable due to intersections of violence.
“As we mark the memories of victims and rally in support of the sex worker community, events marking December 17 are an opportunity to continue to build a corresponding community of sex worker allies,” SWOP NH President Ashley Fires says. “The more we shine a light on the plight of sex workers, the more we combat the misinformation and stereotypes that contribute to the stigmatization of sex work.”
As of today, there are more than 17 affiliated events spread throughout the United States to mark this significant date. These events span from vigils and rallies to art installations and various celebrations of life.
“In the continuing effort to support sex workers, fight for their rights and raise awareness of the violence and oppression sex workers face around the world,” SWOP NH representative Angie Rowntree says. “Dec. 17 is an important day of annual remembrance and one that inspires hope that the goal of the International Day to End Violence Against Sex Workers will someday be reached.”
As an organization, SWOP attempts to track and document all of the sex workers who die in a calendar year. The organization has recorded 45 deceased sex workers who will be recognized on Dec. 17, 32 of whom passed in 2018.
Unfortunately, they believe this number will significantly increase as we get closer to the day of recognition. The global list tracked by the SWOP contains more than 104 names of sex workers who have passed internationally.
Criminalization of sex work in the U.S. is a large contributing factor to the violence that sex workers face. SWOP calls for the full decriminalization of sex work and the dismantling of policing systems that prey on the most vulnerable members of the sex work communities.
Trans sex workers of color make up a disproportionately large number of those that were lost this year, likely due to sex worker stigma and transphobia that go hand-in-hand — both of which must be defeated.
Sex workers rights are human rights, and sex work is work. This Dec. 17, the SWOP will renew its commitment to fight for safety, dignity, and respect. As the community gathers together, they will honor and uplift the names of the many victims who have fallen to violence, as well as hold space for those facing daily non-fatal attacks.
For more information, click here or email swopnh@gmail.com.
