a 1936 Daily News political cartoon accompanying a piece critical of police surveillance of sex workers in New York City

short thread on the failure of informal decisions to decline prosecution rather than official policies for decriminalization

“"Hounding one woman out of one neighborhood and into another does not solve the problem,’ … ‘They harass the women. They follow them around. They want to take away their economic livelihood.’” From a 1984 article on sex workers’ resistance to a citizens patrol group

The Tampa Tribune, page 12-A, March 22, 1984

“"Hounding one woman out of one neighborhood and into another does not solve the problem,’ … ‘They harass the women. They follow them around. They want to take away their economic livelihood.’” From a 1984 article on sex workers’ resistance to a citizens patrol group

from an article about a bake sale hosted by Prostitutes Union of Massachusetts (PUMA) in 1976

from Sex, Drugs, Rock and Roll and AIDS: An Odyssey, by Iris De La Cruz, courtesy of Iris House

@ArchivalSex @luxliv3s Here is some great writing by Iris De La Cruz (pictured) for anyone interested https://t.co/nZTaVlQxUO

“Officials of two women's organizations said the bylaw puts women who seek abortions on the same footing as prostitutes.” From 1984; one of many examples in which there are the options of coalition with sex workers or a distancing from sex workers

"If the hookers, the housewives and the homosexuals got together, we could rule the world." —a spokeswoman for Prostitutes of New York, 1980 Daily News, New York, New York · Tuesday, September 16, 1980, Page 3

#InternationalSexWorkersRightsDay dates back to 2001 when a committee of sex workers in Kolkata organized a festival to spotlight their movement and celebrate sex worker community (mobilizing 25,000 sex workers!!!!!!!)

A documentary on the event that began International Sex Worker Rights Day can be found here: "Tales of the Night Fairies explores the power of collective organizing and resistance while reflecting upon contemporary debates around sexwork." https://t.co/xc2hfo1aSx

March 3, 2001. "Calcutta, India: Some 25,000 Indian prostitutes are expected to gather in a Calcutta soccer stadium today to demand official recognition for their profession." #InternationalSexWorkerRightsDay

A brief (and, of course, limited) chronology of stripping in Raleigh, NC, in the late 1960s The News and Observer (Raleigh, North Carolina)15 Feb 1970, Page 1-V

After a drop off from the proliferation of go-go bars in the 1960s, it was questioned whether topless dancing would “survive.” Though booms would ebb and flow, those in the industry showed that they were here to stay.

Correct. There are things I will not do for money. Cooking for men is one of those things. (I have done it for free and regret it half of the times I have.)

The High Point Enterprise (High Point, NC) Wed, Oct 13, 1976. Page 8E

from an article about a bake sale hosted by Prostitutes Union of Massachusetts (PUMA) in 1976

“Oddly, of all the people I talked to, virtually only prostitutes and customers took the view that their relationship was the obvious one of supply and demand, with money the prime factor.” - journalist Jess Stearn, 1956 (p. 6)

This World AIDS Day, we honour Sex Worker AIDS Activist Extraordinaire, Danny Cockerline (1960-1995). 🧵🪡 Danny began his activist career one cold February night in 1981. … 1.🪡

Then, too, anti-porn advocates, appalled by how easily accessible magazines were, argued that they were not opposed to freedom of speech, only to contradict themselves by then saying a ban on retail would be appropriate as pornography was not "artistry."