2011 Event Locations

Events

We are currently accepting updates for event locations for 2011. Please email dec17@swopusa.org or submit an event.

2011 Events

Sunday, December 11, 2011

Portland, OR

    • WHEN: Sunday, December 11, 2011, 5:30-8PM
    • WHO: Organised by Sex Worker Outreach Coalition swoc@pwcl.org
    • WHERE: Please RSVP for directions- swoc@pwcl.org or call Natalie 503.419.4355.
    • Full info about the event is here:  Sex Worker’s Care Space Yummy treats, pampering, art and goodie bags await you. This evening is reserved for current and former sex workers. Please RSVP for directions- swoc@pwcl.org or call Natalie 503.419.4355.

Wednesday, December 14, 2011

Cape Town, South Africa 

    • WHEN: Wednesday, December 14, 2011
    • WHO: Organised by SWEAT and Sisonke http://sweat.org.zaÂ
      WHERE: Cape Town, South Africa
    • Full info about the event is here:  We will gather at our weekly workshop in Cape Town to talk about ending violence and to remember those we have lost. This is part of activities happening in 3 provinces in
      South Africa. In KwaZulu Natal we are drawing attention to 4 murders and an attempted murder at a brothel in Durban. IN Limpopo we will be highlighting the issues affecting migrant sex workers, and in Johannesburg the daily violence sex workers face. sallys@sweat.org.za

Thursday, December 15, 2011

Durham, NC

    • WHEN: Thursday, December 15, 2011 6-10pm
    • WHO: Organised by the North Carolina Harm Reduction Coalition
    • WHERE: East Durham, North Carolina
    • Full info about the event is here:  We will be walking around East Durham to known street based sex
      worker hang outs and providing violence prevention trainings, health referrals as well as providing sex
      workers with risk reduction supplies and information. Please RSVP for directions- robert.bb.childs@gmail.com or call Robert 336.543.8050

London, UK

    • WHEN: Thursday, December 15, 2011 6pm
    • WHO: Organised by SERTUC LGBT Network This event is supported by SERTUC and GMB I 50
    • WHERE: 6-7pm Eros Statue, Piccadilly Circus; from 7pm in TUC Congress House
    • Full info about the event is here:  At the occasion of the international day to end violence against sex workers, a candle vigil walk through Soho is organised to remember our colleagues who were murdered or victims of violence. The walk will start from Piccadilly circus and end in TUC Congress House, Great Russell Street, WC1. There will be free drinks offered with speeches from sex worker activists and trade unions people as well as a presentation about sex workers’ unionisation and a short movie about Sex Worker Open University 2011. The theme of the event is “unionisation as a means to stop violence”
    • [download the flier]


Friday, December 16, 2011

Chicago, IL

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Saturday, December 17, 2011

Chicago, IL

    • WHEN: Saturday, December 17, 2011 7-8:30pm
    • WHO: Organised by SWOP-Chicago
    • WHERE: Jane Addams Hull House Museum, UIC, 800 S. Halsted St., Chicago, IL
    • Full info about the event is here:  SWOP-Chicago will have a forum and film screenings focusing on police violence toward sex workers and a memorial for sex workers we have lost
      Events this year include:
      Community forum: sex workers will share their experiences of police violence
      Screening of “When We Walk the Streets” and other sex worker made film screenings
      Memorialization and candlelight vigil to honor sex workers who have died at the hands of violence
      Light snacks and beverages will be provided.Â
      http://redlightchicago.wordpress.com/2011/12/03/international-day-to-end-violence-against-sex-workers-vigil-saturday-december-17/Â
      For more information, please contact SWOP-Chicago at (312) 252-3880, sexworkchicago@gmail.comÂ
      www.swop-chicago.org  Thank you!

Denver, CO

    • WHEN: Saturday, December 17, 2011 7pm
    • WHO: Organised by SWOP-Denver
    • WHERE: Please contact SWOP-Denver for location and directions email (preferred)  swopdenver@gmail.com or 720-262-7401
    • Full info about the event is here:  Introduction to the service by our M.C. Vigil/reading of the names of sex workers who we have lost this past year Speak out: Bring poetry, writings, or just speak your truth. Bring your red umbrella. We must come together to show the world that the lives of marginalized peoples, including sex workers, are valuable. http://swopdenver.com/ Â

Kenya, East Africa

    • WHEN: Saturday, December 17, 2011 8am
    • WHO: Organised by The Kenya Sex Workers Alliance (KESWA)
    • WHERE: From Freedom Corner to Charter Hall, via Uhuru Highway – Kenyatta Avenue – Kimathi Street (approx. 1km)
    • Full info about the event is here: The event will kick off at 8:00 am from Freedom Corner where thousands of sex workers, civil society activists, human rights groups and allies from across the country will converge. We will then make our way to Charter Hall via Uhuru Highway – Kenyatta Avenue – Kimathi Street (approx. 1km) for a day of interesting and fun activities led by sex workers themselves!

      The procession will be held in silence in protest at society’s endless violation of sex worker rights. 
      Come dressed in Red and Black (sex worker rights colors).Â
      Kindly confirm your participation by sending us an email at keswa04@gmail.comÂ

Las Vegas, NV

    • WHEN: Saturday, December 17, 2011 6pm
    • WHO: Organised by Sex Workers Outreach Project-Las Vegas
    • WHERE: Erotic Heritage Museum 3275 Industrial Rd, next to Dejà Vu, one block west of the Strip.
    • Full info about the event is here: Please join us! Protest violence while supporting the rights, wellbeing, and safety of workers who provide sexual services, companionship, and/or entertainment in the sex trade/industry. The evening will feature poetry, music, a candlelight vigil, an open-discussion, and more.  If you have any questions, please contact the Sex Workers Outreach Project-Las Vegas at jennyh@swop-lv.org or lisam@swop-lv.org.   You can also visit our website at www.swop-lv.org

Los Angeles, CA

Montréal, Québec, Canada 

    • WHEN: Saturday, December 17, 2011 @ 10am
    • WHO: Organized by Stella Liason www.chezstella.org
    • WHERE: corner of Saint-Laurent and Saint-Catherine
    • Full info about the event is here:  Decriminalization Saves Lives!
      Sex workers and allies, join us for a lightning action in Montreal’s Red Light district.
      Each day sex workers are criminalized, incarcerated and denied the right to protection from violence as a direct result of the criminalization of sex work. Adding to this injustice, the violence of this repression is lived disproportionately by women of colour and women working and living on the street. Despite this, the Harper government is spending a fortune to fight against decriminalization in the courts arguing the government has no obligation to protect sex workers’ safety.
      We must put an end to the criminalization of sex work and the violence it fuels and abets.Â
      Bring your red umbrellas and get dressed up!
      http://www.facebook.com/events/321040291240391/

New York City, NY

Ottawa, ON

    • WHEN: Saturday, December 17, 2011 2pm-3pm
    • WHO: Organised by POWER (Prostitutes of Ottawa Work, Educate and Resist)
    • WHERE: Parliment Hill 1 Wellington Street, Ottawa, ON K1A OA6Â
    • Full info about the event is here:  We will be facilitating a sex worker forum, listening to speakers and holding moment of silence to remember and honor all the sex workers that have died and/or faced violence in 2011 and to call for an end to violence, systemic exclusion and discrimination against  sex workers here in our city and around the world.
      https://www.facebook.com/events/312777125407201/ 

Phnom Penh, Cambodia

    • WHEN: Saturday, December 17, 2011
    • WHO: http://facebook.com/aphunter Sex Workers will protest against Violence done to them by antitrafficking programs!
    • WHERE: Around Olympic Stadium in Phnom Penh, CambodiaÂ
    • Full info about the event is here:  Sex Workers will gather to protest the Free Live concert with Korean girl band “After School” and American pop band “The Click Five” to headline MTV EXIT Live.  mtvexit.org  MTV EXIT is produced in partnership with the Royal Cambodian Government, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the Australian Government’s Agency for International Development (AusAID), and Cellcard. 2008 video http://blip.tv/sexworkerspresent/no-exit-news-mtv-and-the-trafficking-law-in-cambodia-1590570 Â
    • [download the flier]    Â


Portland, OR

    • WHEN: Saturday, December 17, 2011, 7-10PM
    • WHO: Organised by Sex Worker Outreach Coalition swoc@pwcl.org
    • WHERE: Red and Black café, 400 SE 12th
    • Full info about the event is here:  We invite you to an evening of remembrance and healing. We will have community speakers, an open mic, and screening of the film A Safer Sex Trade. We will also make origami cranes to remember victims. Please bring new/used tents, sleeping bags and flashlights for Our Mother’s House.

San Francisco, CA

    • WHEN: Saturday, December 17, 2011 7-10pm
    • WHO: Organized by SWOP Bay Area, with support from SolaceSF.org
    • WHERE: Center for Sex and Culture, 1349 Mission Street (at Grace Street between 9th and 10th streets) in San Francisco
    • Full info about the event is here: Join SWOP and the CSC for a night of celebration as resistance in honor of December 17, the International Day to end Violence Against Sex Workers! Indulge in amoment of peace with the Om Shan Tea table. Watch performances by and about sex workers. Dance to live music and the tunes of a skilled DJ while enjoying drinks and snacks. Remember the sex workers who were killed this year at our Day-of-the-Dead themed altar- you’re welcometo create your own memorial to add. There will be an ASL interpreter for the introduction to the event, and the space is accessible for people with disabilities. Additionally, we will have three silent auction baskets filled with goodies from local companies such as Cleis Press, Vixen Creations, and Crashpad! The money made will go directly back into activism to support sex workers. Come join us as we honor our dead and fight for the living.

Seattle, WA

    • WHEN: Saturday, December 17, 2011 5-7pm
    • WHO: Organized by SWOP-Seattle  http://www.NW-SWOP.orgÂ
    • WHERE: Cal Anderson Park
    • Full info about the event is here: Vigil and Procession. This candlelight vigil will be a space to show our love and respect for sex workers murdered due to maginalization, stigmatization and hatred. We invite our allied community to mourn collectively.  Participants are more than welcome and encouraged to bring a poem, song, prayer, or loving words. This event is open to the public. For more information on the SWOP-Seattle: http://www.NW-SWOP.org

Tucson, AZ

    • WHEN: Saturday, December 17, 2011 4:30pm March followed by 5pm Vigil
    • WHO: Organized by SWOP-Tucson  http://www.swop-tucson.org 
    • WHERE: MARCH: Joel Valdez Main Library, 101 N. Stone Ave, Tucson, AZ
    • WHERE: VIGIL: El Tiradito Shrine, 354 South Main Avenue, Tucson, AZ
    • Full info about the event is here: New Orleans style funeral procession down Stone ave to El Tiradito Shrine. Dress in red and black, formal attire, carry a red umbrella if you can. Death masks will be handed out.
      Vigil held at El Tiradito Shrine, a national historic site tucked away in one of the many old downtown Tucson barrios (neighborhood).  Often called the wishing shrine, the story associated with it involves broken hearts, crimes of passion, and a lover’s triangle. It’s the only shrine in the United States dedicated to a sinner and sex workers in Tucson have long held this place dear to our hearts.  We will have live music, poetry, a ritual and remembrance circle where we light candles on shrine as we speak the names of fallen sex workers, and a few other things to make this event special.
      Refreshments.  Cameras not allowed without prior permission. Here’s a link to our webpage as well http://www.swop-tucson.org/dec-17th-eventÂ

Vancouver, BC

    • WHEN: Saturday, December 17, 2011 8pm-12am
    • WHO: Organized by www.NakedTruth.caÂ
    • WHERE: Prophouse Cafe 1636 Venables, Vancouver, BC
    • Full info about the event is here: Please join us for a candlelight vigil with live performances and presentations to pay our respects to those in the sex industry who have sufferedviolence and hate crimes. Shortly following with memorial vigil, we will celebrate our successes in bringing the community together in solidarity to promote awareness and social change with DJ’s and dancing. Suggested donation is $5 to support sex worker online support and advocacy networks at www.NakedTruth.ca
    • [download the flier]

Washington DC

    • WHEN: Saturday, December 17, 2011
    • WHO: HIPS (Helping Individual Prostitutes Survive) http://hips.orgÂ
    • WHERE: Washington DC
    • Full info about the event is here:  HIPS will work to raise public awareness about violence against sex workers by passing out cards honoring sex workers who we have lost to violence in Washington DC and asking our community to commit to end stigma, discrimination and violence against sex workers! We’ll also be recognizing the day with sex workers on our evening outreach activities, and by adding names to the Wall of Remembrance in our office.

Sunday, December 18, 2011

Albuquerque, NM

    • WHEN: Sunday, December 18, 2011 5pm
    • WHO: Sex Workers Outreach Project – Los Angeles will be holding a sex worker speak out and candlelit vigil to remember and honor all the sex workers that have died and/or faced violence in 2011. Please join us in support and solidarity
    • WHERE: PEP office, 149 Jackson NE walking to: Albuquerque Social Club, 4021 Central NE
    • Full info about the event is here:  Slut Walk + Red Umrella DayÂ
      Join us as we Slut Walk from the PEP Office to the Albuquerque Social Club in honor of the International Day to End Violence Against Sex Workers (aka “Red Umbrella Day”)!Â
      We are thrilled to announce plans for our THIRD Albuquerque Red Umbrella Day! Here’s the plan:
      Meet at PEP (www.peplove.com) at 149 Jackson NE in ABQ at 5pm. Bring signs for Slut Walk if you wish, or just bring yourself. Walk together to the Albuquerque Social Club at 4021 Central NE, which is graciously allowing us to gather for the reading of the names of sex workers murdered in 2011 and candle-lighting ceremony. After we read the names and light candles, we will open the floor for anyone to speak.
      *We will be taking photographs. If you do not wish to be photographed, please let Sarah or Brittany know prior to Dec 18th.
      *Regarding Slut Walk, we want to note that we are aware of the controversy and varying view points about the name and purpose of Slut Walk. For our purposes, the Slut Walk is inclusive of sex workers and is a supporting pillar of Red Umbrella Day.
      This event is organized by Brittany and Sera Miles. Check out our facebook posting here:Â
      http://www.facebook.com/events/253791691343060/
      Questions? Email Sera Miles: seramiles@gmail.com.

 

Events Archive

We maintain an archive of previous December 17 events which may be useful for organizations planning events who wish to see what other organizations have done in the past. It may also be useful for scholars wishing to uncover the history of December 17.