SPs - show your PRIDE with SPOC!

[Lakota]

Hey everyone, I have an announcement to make on behalf of the Sex Professionals Of Canada (SPOC). This year, we've been invited to march in the Pride Parade with Grand Marshals Todd Klinck and Mandy Goodhandy, and we're inviting other sex workers to join us!

For those who don't know about Todd and Mandy, they've been tireless voices for the decriminalization of sex work, and have held a number of fundraisers for SPOC and other sex workers rights groups over the years. They've decided to make decriminalization the focal point of this year's Pride Parade, and we'd love to have other sex workers come out and march with us.

The parade in on Sunday, July 4th, and we'll be holding a sign-making social in the week before the parade. Just a fun informal event with wine, bristolboard and magic markers. If you'd like to join us for the march, please e-mail me at nikki@spoc.ca, or send me a PM. Alternatively, you can talk to me tomorrow night at the massageplanet party, and I'll tell you what we're planning so far.

More details will be provided as we receive them - let's get out there, and show our Pride in who we are and what we do!

 

[Navy ACC]

You homo. :love:, Love is in the air.

 

[UrbanPhotos]

To me, the Pride Parade is about freedom of sexual expression, and being proud of who you are, no matter what. It's not so much an LGBTQ thing any more (though it's certainly a part of it) but more about being comfortable with yourself, and feeling free to enjoy whatever you enjoy, without fear of being attacked, insulted or judged. :love:

I'm proud of who I am, and proud of what I do - and I'm happy to share that with the world on Sunday.

If any other SPs would like to help us spread our "Decriminalize Sex Work" message on Sunday, please email or PM me ASAP.

Hope to see you there!

 

[RuL]

Becky's gonna make you add an extra Q to LGBTQ. She may even want to put an accent circonflex on it, or sumthin'.

Live long and prosper, SPOC.

 

[Hypnotic]

View attachment 1455

I'm strongly pro-double-Q.

 

[Joe Finkle]

Riley, you are welcome to march with us. This event is open to all sex workers who wish to show their pride, not just SPOC members. Members from Maggie's will also marching (though I'm not sure if they have officially endorsed it as an organization) and we will be joined by other sex workers' rights groups as well.

Regardless of our prior issues, I don't hold grudges, and I hope you don't either. We're working towards many of the same goals, and my thinking is, the more of us who want to show their pride, the better.

For anyone who'd like to march with us, please send me an email at nikki@spoc.ca.

 

[Amerikan Pirat]

Class

 

[Cindy J]

Just email me when you decide, and I'll send you the appropriate details then. The parade starts at 2pm, but we have to be there some time before that... we'll sort out all the details in the next day or so. It's looking like a solid turnout so far, I've had quite a few emails from interested marchers, and we'll be there to spread our message and make ourselves heard.

While I do agree that it would be nice to have a sex workers' Pride March of our own, we're still very lucky to be at the head of the Pride Parade, and it's a great opportunity to show our pride.

Pride Toronto just expanded their program last year to include the first-ever Trans Pride March (it started as a grassroots movement that was later brought under Pride Toronto's umbrella) so they've shown themselves to be accommodating when the numbers warrant it. If we have a huge turnout of sex workers for this year's Pride Parade, they might be more receptive to a Sex Workers Pride March in future years.

So, if you think we deserve our own parade, the best way to work towards that goal is to participate in the Pride Parade this year. That will give us the momentum (and credibility) we need to insist on increased exposure down the road.

Hope to see you all there!

 

[laughing_stock]

And the big day has arrived! We've got plenty of posters, a few big banners, and 3000 Lollipops with a card that says, "Congratulations! You are now a PIMP!" On the inside, the card explains how, according to Sec. 212 of the Criminal Code of Canada, accepting a gift from a sex worker means you can be charged with "Living on the Avails" of prostitution... just one aspect of how strange the laws surrounding sex work really are.

Pride is about more than LGBTQ(QI2SOPetc) rights, it's about expanding sexual freedoms for everyone. I think that everyone on this board can appreciate being able to sleep with whomever you want to without fear of being imprisoned or executed... which unfortunately, is not always true for people in other parts of the world. :frown:

So, no matter who you are, who you love, or who you fuck, have a very happy Pride Weekend! Be proud to live in a city where we can be ourselves, and let love be the music in your heart! :love: