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Police Reports Raise Questions about MPD’s Tactics During Undercover Prostitution Stings (Washington City Paper)

10/17/2019

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“Nefarious people look for the weakest link,” says Tamika Spellman, who is a policy and advocacy associate at the harm-reduction nonprofit HIPS and has been a sex worker by choice for more than 35 years. “And they know there’s a lack of concern for sex workers.” She analogizes the situation to mobsters killing people during Prohibition, or gun crime associated with marijuana—two industries that were very violent so long as they were illegal.  “The root cause [of violence] is not the sex worker. It’s the crime that surrounds the sex worker. I’m not a violent person, but I’ve had a lot of violence happen to me,” Spellman says. “People are going to do what they’re going to do. So we can try to at least make them safe when they’re doing it.”  [Read Article]
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HIPS Testimony at City Council of DC on the Community Safety and Health Amendment Act  of 2019

10/17/2019

 
HIPS staff members Cyndee Clay, Alexandra Bradley, and Jessica Martinez deliver powerful testimony at DC's City Council hearing on the Community Safety Act of 2019.  Decriminalizing sex work would prevent some of the city’s most marginalized members—trans women of color, in particular—from entering the criminal justice system for engaging in consensual sex.

Stop Criminalizing Survivors (Washington City Paper)

10/3/2019

 
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Tamika Spellman, HIPS Policy and Advocacy Associate Credit: Darrow Montgomery/file
#I’ve found another family with the people I organize with. We were proud to join the legacy of freedom fighters like Marsha P. Johnson and Sylvia Rivera, who called to decriminalize sex work and invest in community in the 1970s. And we knew that to fully decriminalize sex work in the District, we had to shift hearts and minds. Through DECRIMNOW, we started uplifting the stories and perspectives of the countless Black and brown trans sex workers who experienced violence and wanted to be safe.  Now, after decades of fighting to be respected and supported, the D.C. Council is starting to take the needs of people in the sex trades seriously. 
[Read Article]

LGBTQ advocates deliver letter to DC council members calling for sex work decriminalization (Metro Weekly)

10/2/2019

 
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Activists advocating for decriminalization of sex work in D.C. submit a letter, signed by 72 organizations, outlining their position to D.C. Councilmember Elissa Silverman, I-At-Large (left). – Photo: Sex Worker Advocates Coalition.
LGBTQ activists and advocates has dropped off copies of a letter addressed to members of the D.C. Council, signed by 72 different organizations, advocating for a bill that would  decriminalize sex work in the District of Columbia.  The four key arguments in favor of the bill are that decriminalizing sex work will 1) allow sex workers, particularly transgender individuals who otherwise can’t obtain jobs due to discrimination, a way to make money to survive; 2) decrease the incidence of violence and harassment that sex workers face at the hands of clients, criminals who target sex workers for money, or even police; 3) decrease rates of HIV by allowing transgender people more time and space to negotiate condom use; and 4) allow sex workers to access resources, government benefits, and employment opportunities that they would otherwise be denied if they have a criminal conviction for prostitution. [Read Article]

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  • About
    • Mission
    • History
    • Who We Are >
      • Staff
      • Board of Directors
    • HIPS in the News
    • Partners
    • Impact
    • Supporters
    • Jobs
  • How We Improve Lives
    • Resources and Referrals >
      • Harm Reduction
      • Transgender Resources
      • Our Services
      • Housing Resources
      • Syringe Exchange
      • Employment Resources
    • Advocacy >
      • Policy
      • Chosen Few
      • Sex Worker Advocates Coalition (SWAC)
      • Advisory Neighborhood Commission Training
      • Media Inquiries
      • Videos
  • Get Involved
    • Events
    • Intern
    • Volunteer
  • Swag
    • Pride Gear
    • Shirts & Tanks
    • Sweatshirts, Fleece, & Outerwear
    • Hats
    • Mugs
    • Bags & Totes
    • Jewelry
    • Posters
    • Dresses
    • Accessories
  • Contact Us
  • Donate