These posters from 1992 by @ProstitutesColl remain just as relevant today.
Last year I was illegally evicted during the pandemic. I was unable to seek any help because I knew I risked having my life savings taken away from me.
A thread.
When law enforcement are called to the home or workplace (often one and the same) of sex workers, it is standard practice to seize money, jewellery, any asset they can find. There is NO onus on the police to prove a crime has been committed.
Instead, the worker must prove they earned that money or possess that asset legally. Particularly in cases of gifts, family heirlooms or cash, it's almost impossible to do. Sex workers have had everything taken from them, even when no actual charges are brought.
This is made legal by the Proceeds of Crime Act, which the police and Crown Prosecution Service have made ample use of to line their pockets.
For more on this, Frankie Miren wrote this incredible and devastating piece a few years ago: vice.com/en/article/nz8…
If my savings had been seized, I would have then been forced to resume working during a time of mandated isolation and social distancing. Breaking those rules would have meant risking further legal repercussions, as well as exposing myself and others to the risk of coronavirus.
I spent weeks terrified that my landlord might involve the police and that they might break down the door, arrest me and take everything. I complied with every order even though I knew he was breaking the law.
I didn't speak up against escalating harassment including randomly shutting off my utilities, sometimes leaving me without running water or a flushing toilet for days.
It's now more than a year later and my heart has been pounding the entire time as I wrote this. I cannot overstate the trauma this causes, the feeling of powerlessness in the face of a system stacked against you, the terror of losing everything you have.
This all feels especially pertinent to talk about on the International Day to End Violence against Women. When it comes to sex workers, the system itself is violent, with laws stacked against us that exposes us to greater risks of exploitation and abuse, physical and mental.
OK, I need a cup of tea. Thanks for reading 💞
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For WhatsApp Users and online privacy enthusiasts - A Thread.
WhatsApp made an announcement of new terms of service at the start of the year, which included some concerning small-print from parent company Facebook.
“As part of the Facebook family of companies, WhatsApp receives information from, and shares information with, this family of companies,” the new privacy policy states.
“We may use the information we receive from them, and they may use the information we share with them, to help operate, provide, improve, understand, customize, support, and market our Services and their offerings."