An appeal to all escorts

[Jack in the Box]

The Sex Worker’s Alliance Ireland needs as many escorts as possible to contact them. This is important as the more escorts (happy with what they do) that make their voices known the more difficult it is for the like of Ruhama and the Immigrant Council of Ireland to make out that all sex workers are victims. Their email address is: swaiireland@yahoo.org and their website is: www.sexworkersallianceireland.org/index.html

[LaBelleThatcher]

The Sex Worker’s Alliance Ireland needs as many escorts as possible to contact them. This is important as the more escorts (happy with what they do) that make their voices known the more difficult it is for the like of Ruhama and the Immigrant Council of Ireland to make out that all sex workers are victims. Their email address is: swaiireland@yahoo.org and their website is: www.sexworkersallianceireland.org/index.html

Jack, I am going to have to state here that I have had no choice but withdraw my earlier endorsement of this particular organisation, despite spending a year struggling to see them in as positive a light as possible. Not least because they hardly ever bother to respond to contact from sex workers, and we are not, in real terms, welcome at any decision making level within the Alliance.

In truth it seems to be a group of people from within various organisations such as the WHP and AIDS Alliance who would like to form their own NGO to counter Ruhama, run our lives and usurp our voices for us instead. Which is exactly how the WHP/RUHAMA alliance first began.

There are serious moves going on now to form a real Sex Worker Representative organisation run by sex workers and I recommend that people start getting together towards that, and only consider forming any Alliance with SWAI from a position of strength as a truly user lead organisation.

[Patricia]

I think I disagree LaBelleThatcher!

I believe you are correct that SWAI is mainly made up of people working in organisations that work with sex workers rather than actual sex workers. But I am not aware of them not really welcoming sex workers at any decision making level, I see it more that they don't have enough sex workers involved yet, but they have a much more sex worker friendly attitude than Ruhama and co., and hopefully they can grow to include actual sex workers more.

I am not getting an attitude from SWAI that they want to run sex workers lives and silence them like Ruhama. That could be the case, but I have not seen anything to suggest it will be yet.

I also note that some of the organisations involved in SWAI do great work with sex workers. We know many escorts who have found Chrysalis very helpful. Also various escorts use the services of the WHP (The management there is very pro Ruhama, but apparently various other staff are not so judgemental!).

I'd love to see a strong organisation led by actual sex workers up and running, that would be brilliant, but I also feel SWAI are doing good work so far and I think escorts should take an interest in SWAI.

Remember as well, taking an interest in SWAI doesn't exclude an escort from also taking an interest in any actual sex worker run projects. I think sex workers generally do know better than anyone else when it comes to sex work, but non sex workers can also be a great support to sex workers. SWAI have some people involved with experience that can bring something useful to debates here I think. They also have spokespeople who can go on radio and TV which is something that organisations very much made up of sex workers can often struggle with due to privacy concerns.

I admit I don't know SWAI very well, only what I've seen in the media and what other people have told me about them, but I'd say to escorts give SWAI a chance here, go see what they are about and if they are an organisation you can support and approve of yourself, don't judge them now before you have done that.

Pat x

[LaBelleThatcher]

I don't know Pat, experience in other areas has made me into a hard liner in favour of user based representative organisations these days. They are the only ones that stay focussed on the actual issues rather than the funding streams and the status quo.

It's almost as if these organisation represent a superfluous political middle man, and it does give a very bad impression in cases where the target group are more than capable of representing themselves.

Try reading this page http://www.tui.ie/About_TUI/Default.86.html but substituting the following (transposed from a real NGO) for the first paragraph and you will get an idea what I mean:

"The Teachers' Union of Ireland is dedicated to being the primary source of information and support to organising teachers and lecturers in Ireland engaged in post-primary, higher and further education, working towards an improved quality of life for our members along with a respect and acceptance of teachers and lecturers in Ireland engaged in post-primary, higher and further education as valued members of Irish Society."

Very different emphasis isn't it? Bordering on the ridiculous...but that is the way these organisations are presenting us..and we are letting them, by not getting our fingers out and forming our own representative group. How can people be expected to see us as autonomous until we act that way?

The government now formally favour self funding user groups in preference to NGOs (Duh? RECESSION... ) and if any group of people can afford to fund their own user group at all it should surely be sex workers?

We are not "financially disadvantaged" compared to most people unless we are prevented from working.

One of the most disempowering thing Ruhama and WHP did to the women back in 1993 was to manage to convince some of them that they should not speak at conferences etc unless people were willing to pay them to do so!


Imagine where Ireland would be now if Michael Collins and Dev had refused all non-paying gigs?


They were subtly conditioning the women to see themselves as "primary source material" to be paid for and used, rather than autonomous representatives with a right to demand a voice and a hearing even if they had to pay for it.

We have to change that...

[doodlebug]

Forgive my intrusion as an interested observer i.e. non sex worker, but I find a lot of the points you make LaBelle (still can't quite type Thatcher, LOL) compelling. One of the main things that will be thrown at any organisation representing sex workers that doesn't have actual sex workers to the forefront will be usurping and non representative. I was heartened to hear that moves are afoot to provide a voice from within, there are many people who can and should speak for sex workers and that is the sex workers themselves, there are however many more vested interests who would purport to speak for them and about them. I know nothing of the work of the SWAI but I do fear that involvement with more than one organisation will lead to disillusionment and distraction. What I mean by that is that any worker who begins and involvement with SWAI and then sees a more representative group appearing will have to start all over again and the enthusiasm with wane damaging both organisations and the worker themself.

My tuppence worth.

[Banjaxed]

I would sincerely hope your wrong on this one, Eileen, as I'd thought these were at least an organisation in which sex workers would have a major say. From hearing your experiences and views I don't think it's possible for someone who has never worked as a sex worker to be setting the agenda or pontificating in any way.

It sounds like sex workers have the same problems organising as any other group of workers. It never takes long till usurpers get in and take over and so the truly independent have to go off and form another new group. Advocacy is important, and that's where I think people who haven't experienced sex work should be directing their energies.

[LaBelleThatcher]

Advocacy is important, and that's where I think people who haven't experienced sex work should be directing their energies.

Yes, and ideally advocacy for whales, or the rain forest, or anyone but us.

[LaBelleThatcher]

Forgive my intrusion as an interested observer i.e. non sex worker, but I find a lot of the points you make LaBelle (still can't quite type Thatcher, LOL) compelling. One of the main things that will be thrown at any organisation representing sex workers that doesn't have actual sex workers to the forefront will be usurping and non representative. I was heartened to hear that moves are afoot to provide a voice from within, there are many people who can and should speak for sex workers and that is the sex workers themselves, there are however many more vested interests who would purport to speak for them and about them. I know nothing of the work of the SWAI but I do fear that involvement with more than one organisation will lead to disillusionment and distraction. What I mean by that is that any worker who begins and involvement with SWAI and then sees a more representative group appearing will have to start all over again and the enthusiasm with wane damaging both organisations and the worker themself.

My tuppence worth.

Right on, as always, Doodlebug...and don't worry, I'll pay you 50p for a kiss on the cheek if you want to join.

[Banjaxed]

Yes, and ideally advocacy for whales, or the rain forest, or anyone but us.

Advocacy with your voice, of course. Maybe I'm too used to Gombeenism, but surely there's always room for people to say what you want them to say?

[UKHeather]

Right on, as always, Doodlebug...and don't worry, I'll pay you 50p for a kiss on the cheek if you want to join.

I'll pay him ten bob a tit and a fiver for his arse