NEW YORK — Organizers of the "Sex Workers' Pop-Up" installation in New York City have announced the event will run March 10-16 in Greenwich Village.
Developed with support from Open Society Foundations, which funds independent organizations that promote democracy, justice and human rights, particularly for marginalized groups, the pop-up exhibit will focus on illuminating and exploring "the global sex worker movement" through a series of panels, performances and art installations from sex workers around the world.
"Sex work is often misunderstood, misrepresented, stigmatized and still criminalized in most countries," reads the event's website. "Labeling sex workers as villains or victims won’t improve lives or society, but labor protections and human rights will. That’s why sex workers are organizing to represent and defend their interests.
"This pop-up exhibit asks visitors to listen to the voices of sex workers and reflect on how society defines work."
Representatives from various sex worker's rights groups from around the world, including Kholi Buthelezi from South Africa's Sisonke; Jules Kim of Scarlet Alliance in Australia; Shareese Mone from HIPS (U.S.); Leila Raven of DecrimNY; Thierry Schaffauser from Strass (France); and Ruth Morgan Thomas of the Global Network of Sex Work Projects have joined together, forming the pop-up's advisory board.
While the pop-up exhibit is open daily to the public from 10 a.m. until 8 p.m. (EST), several special performances are scheduled throughout the week, beginning with "The Sex Work Movement 101" seminar on Tuesday evening, March 10. The session will feature a panel of sex workers as they explain what sex work means to them and the changes they hope to see in the future.
On Thursday, March 12, there will be a moderated discussion on what sex work looks like in countries around the world and what decriminalization would look like in each, kicked off with a performance by "WhoreCore: A Musical Comedy," by Lady Grew.
Closing out the special events program, "Unsung Stories of Sex Workers" will take place on Saturday, March 14 at 6 p.m., presenting an evening focused on sharing the stories of trans sex workers.
This event is free and open to the public. For more information, visit the Sex Workers' Pop-Up website and follow them on Twitter.
