on sex workers
I have to organize something
In the future, I want to bring the Native Sisters Society from Duluth who are holding a forum on Sept 19 to discuss human trafficking across our border.
In October last year, I met a sex worker named L. randomly on the street and we had a conversation that i still think about and connects me to her experience. She left a brochure at GiC.
Initiative:
1. cell-phone collection project
2. faceless dolls project with aac
3. panel discussion/sharing circle
4. faceless dolls
How and what I need help with organizing:
design a leaflet with info on:
human trafficking - stats, more info, support services in community
relationship I see between the work of GIC in advancing rights. I think as the news articles come about the (Aboriginal) women and women in Thunder Bay in sex work or being trafficked, concerns for safety and questions will surface more and more. I see sex work as a double-edged sword, so to speak. What I mean is 1. it exists and people don't really openly talk about what happens in our community, or attempts to -- seem to be met with apathy, judgement, discrimination 2. it brings reflection to the question 'what is work?' and (as women) we are still fighting for equity in so many other ways as other people who face oppression when trying be 'recognized' by the law in other ways.
Sex work shakes people up I think because it makes a person think about our intimate needs in a different way -- my sense is that it is empowering for some, but also oppressive. I want to get people thinking about the sex workers and see that barriers and challenges, risks/dangers exist for them and talk about how a person might get (drawn) to this work. Personally, I want other people to be able to access or have the opportunities to make choices in the ways I am able to
When L. and I connected last fall, a seed in a way was planted for me in terms of: I care about her and that she faced these experiences as a human being. I felt really emotional and reflected alot about our interaction. GIC to me, works to raise awareness and educate -- to bring in what's happening 'out there' and in a safe-space and vise-verse. I think it's important I see the GIC as a reflection of the student body and also a force/voice in the community to direct people's attention to challenging and sometimes uncomfortable social issues. Uncomfortable in that it's difficult to talk about -- which means there is all the reason to discuss and to bring awareness to. My thinking is this cell-phone collection program would be one way to engage students in a way that ties-into a future awareness event/initiative on campusFor me, personally -- intellectually, emotionally -- I am passionate about how our bodies are represented and the 'gaze' in particularly on women's bodies and the notion of our bodies (physical, biological, economic, legally etc.) as we-individual and collectively-- intersect. So, for example theory-wise -- I'm coming back to Butler performativity (my honours thesis: I used gender as a performance to apply it to parenthood), and Foucault's concept of biopower. Once I started to observe/notice how much the media continues to objectify/quantify, by language and visuals, I couldn't stop looking again and discussing -- our gaze ought to keep shifting.
In the future, I want to bring the Native Sisters Society from Duluth who are holding a forum on Sept 19 to discuss human trafficking across our border.
In October last year, I met a sex worker named L. randomly on the street and we had a conversation that i still think about and connects me to her experience. She left a brochure at GiC.
Initiative:
1. cell-phone collection project
2. faceless dolls project with aac
3. panel discussion/sharing circle
4. faceless dolls
How and what I need help with organizing:
design a leaflet with info on:
human trafficking - stats, more info, support services in community
relationship I see between the work of GIC in advancing rights. I think as the news articles come about the (Aboriginal) women and women in Thunder Bay in sex work or being trafficked, concerns for safety and questions will surface more and more. I see sex work as a double-edged sword, so to speak. What I mean is 1. it exists and people don't really openly talk about what happens in our community, or attempts to -- seem to be met with apathy, judgement, discrimination 2. it brings reflection to the question 'what is work?' and (as women) we are still fighting for equity in so many other ways as other people who face oppression when trying be 'recognized' by the law in other ways.
Sex work shakes people up I think because it makes a person think about our intimate needs in a different way -- my sense is that it is empowering for some, but also oppressive. I want to get people thinking about the sex workers and see that barriers and challenges, risks/dangers exist for them and talk about how a person might get (drawn) to this work. Personally, I want other people to be able to access or have the opportunities to make choices in the ways I am able to
When L. and I connected last fall, a seed in a way was planted for me in terms of: I care about her and that she faced these experiences as a human being. I felt really emotional and reflected alot about our interaction. GIC to me, works to raise awareness and educate -- to bring in what's happening 'out there' and in a safe-space and vise-verse. I think it's important I see the GIC as a reflection of the student body and also a force/voice in the community to direct people's attention to challenging and sometimes uncomfortable social issues. Uncomfortable in that it's difficult to talk about -- which means there is all the reason to discuss and to bring awareness to. My thinking is this cell-phone collection program would be one way to engage students in a way that ties-into a future awareness event/initiative on campusFor me, personally -- intellectually, emotionally -- I am passionate about how our bodies are represented and the 'gaze' in particularly on women's bodies and the notion of our bodies (physical, biological, economic, legally etc.) as we-individual and collectively-- intersect. So, for example theory-wise -- I'm coming back to Butler performativity (my honours thesis: I used gender as a performance to apply it to parenthood), and Foucault's concept of biopower. Once I started to observe/notice how much the media continues to objectify/quantify, by language and visuals, I couldn't stop looking again and discussing -- our gaze ought to keep shifting.