Reaching Out

So like, this month, I was going to do the novel writing thing right? Jazz Fest, pfft, I only need 16 hours to be considered a full volunteer. I was gonna write one chapter a night, steadily, all the way until mid-August, then revise, and register for SIWC.

Oh nooooooooo. No, pride and academic nerdiness dictated that I commit to revising Intersection of Race and Steampunk for an anthology, due August 10. I predict several evening hours spent in the Killam library, as I won't be able to borrow books out of uni libraries without a student ID. But that's okay, it's grad school work in something that interests me without the actual grad school tuition fees!

And not only that, but I'm stage-managing. Four shifts. Each of them six hours, and a possible two more hours (which I hope not, because Dinuk Wijeratne is performing that night and he's a genius so I don't want to have to miss a minute). I don't know why I'm stage-managing so many shifts. Jazz Fest is only one week, thankfully. I'll be lucky if I come out of this without my brain seeping out of my ears.

So. I may have to take a break from the internetz for a while.

So, yesterday, I headed out to help do stuff around Stepping Stone in preparation for "An Evening With Valerie Scott". I wasn't actually in the room for most of the evening, since I was at the table right outside the door, to welcome in people and say goodbye to them (Rene had to tell me that there was no one left but board directors in order to get me to close down).

When Ms. Scott came in, I thought, "wow." She's dressed well. She looks beautiful. She has so many smile lines. In fact, her whole face looks more used to smiling than anything. Rene introduced me, and she laughed a lot throughout the evening. She's a really petite woman too. But these are superficial things. The first non-superficial thing one notices about her? How full of life she is. Laidback, non-judgemental, and she really follows up on this first impression.

The AGM went really quickly because Rene rocks the agenda, and one of the Board members, Debbie Martin, was really nice to me... while I was sitting up front and the talk was over, she brought me food! It was the first real food I had the whole day... except for the nugget that Rene tossed to Jeff earlier in the afternoon (because they always toss Jeff scraps, lol) which I took, because Jeff's awesome like that.

Valerie Scott was interviewed by CTV at the venue itself, as well as a couple other reporters, and I stood behind her while she was talking. It was kinda neat. She speaks slowly, very very carefully, and you can tell she's done this before, thought out what she was going to say, and doesn't just break out into whatever. Really well-spoken lady, and she doesn't speak too fast nor too slow, but every word she says, she says it with conviction.

Her talk was incredible - she described all the problems that sex workers face, and the way she told us was so earnest, I nearly cried. But she was also so funny - she handed out nickels and said, "and now you're all my pimps" because the Living on the Avails Law (aka procuring or pimping) says that anyone who receives any money from a prostitute, or lives with one, is, basically, a pimp, which is stupid because that means they can't share that money or share living space: can't have roommates, can't have a spouse, or a friend.

I didn't get to talk to her much, because I was working the door (and I wouldn't know what to say to her anyway), but I DID get her to sign my "Sex Workers in the Maritimes Talk Back" book... she didn't write it, but it's about sex workers, and she's one, and what better book in which to get her autograph??

The turnout was AMAZING. Over a hundred people were there! I gave out info booklets that I helped photocopy (and fold) earlier in the day, and we were selling Sex Workers in the Maritimes books (inventory from Outside the Lines on Quinpool; they're the only bookstore in Halifax selling it! and the guy from the bookstore came too. I must tell you about him, he's lovely)... only one person bought it, but lots of people expressed interest in it, which is great, because it's a very solid, biographical book that collected stories from sex workers and keeps most of the quotes in verbatim.

It was a good time, honestly. There was a bit of dialogue when during the Q&A session, someone asked, "how did you get into sex work?" and someone who'd formerly worked with Stepping Stone pointed out, "That's not a relevant question; you'd never ask that of a banker." I had a good chat with the girl who asked the question (journalism student at King's, here's hoping she does more research) and I directed her to a few blogs she could read to get a grasp of other issues that sex workers face (one of them's yours, Ren!!) - hopefully, she'll run with it, and it would be a damned interesting assignment to read!

Here are a bunch of links you guys can read on Valerie Scott!

- The Chronicle Herald's interview with Ms. Scott
- Metro Daily News' article on the talk by Ms Scott, with a picture of Rene Ross, Executive Director of Stepping Stone
- CBC's interview with Ms. Scott (RealPlayer needed, I imagine, since it's in .ram format)
- fab Magazine's article on Scott, which has nothing to do with her Halifax visit, but is still awesome nonetheless, plus with an awesome, 18+ picture of Ms. Scott

Here's the Sex Professionals of Canada (SPOC) website, and you can imagine my nerdy glee when Ms. Scott pronounced the acronym just like "Spock".

There were also a bunch of TV interviews too, and apparently they were on after the event was over and I just didn't turn on the TV, which I should do more often. I'll keep posting links as they come up over the next few days.

Shamelessly copied from Holly's e-mail:

---

Sex Work is not only a federal issue, it is a local one. So, just in time for the municipal elections, we made a call to our friend Valerie Scott in Ontario.

The result of that call? ...

Stepping Stone and Sex Professionals of Canada are pleased to present an evening with Valerie Scott!

Valerie is a sex worker and the Executive Director of Sex Professionals of Canada (SPOC). The goal of SPOC is the full decriminalization of sex work in Canada.

Our event will begin with a brief AGM (and we mean brief!) followed by a talk by Valerie on sex work and the case (of which SPOC is leading the charge) before the Supreme Court of Ontario to decriminalize the current prostitution laws. These laws impede upon the health and safety of sex workers here in Halifax and across Canada.

Following the talk, we will conclude with an evening of music, cocktails andopen discussion.

VENUE ANNOUNCED!

The event will be at the Italian Canadian Cultural Centre

2629 Agricola Street, Halifax

7pm

Refreshments - Afterparty

Please help us spread the word. There is also an event on facebook.

This is a FREE EVENT and everyone is encouraged to come early as we are anticipating a crowd.

Valerie will be available for media interviews during her stay in Halifax. Please contact to arrange an interview.

Help us welcome Valerie back to Halifax!

Rene Ross
Executive Director
Stepping Stone
(902)420-0103
www.steppingstonens.ca

---

Come on out, everybody! Somehow, I managed to snag Holly to let me volunteer for this event (volunteering for Stepping Stone is like working blood out of stone). I can't believe that after all the work that Stepping Stone has done, the federal government is still thinking of criminalizing prostitution.

There're so many issues and layers which the general public doesn't get, so many myths still being perpetuated about sex workers by the media and the police, neither party which help at all!!

All of this culminates into a public attitude which tells us that it's okay to treat sex workers like shit, that they deserve the violence they face on the streets, and that it's fine to dehumanize them and see them as less than a human being, simply because, what, they fuck for money? They suck anonymous cock for money? I could break down why prostitution has been denigrated for millenia, and it has nothing to do with morality, and everything to do with a woman owning her own sexuality and body instead of tying it to one man.

And for all the good that Stepping Stone does (advocacy work, resume-building, HIV testing, healthcare help, strolls, food distribution), it STILL doesn't get enough money, still doesn't get enough support, still doesn't get the credit it deserves. And Renee said, we daren't complain, because if we do, we lose our funding. And you know what? That's sad. It's not like if Stepping Stone complains about the lack of support, that it's biting the hand that feeds it... more like snapping for attention that it isn't fed enough!!!

And Valerie Scott will be here, and goodness knows what will come out of her mouth. And she'll say everything that Renee and others in sex work advocacy want to say but daren't for fear of funding being totally cut off because they're uppity women, and everything she's going to say, WE, THE GENERAL PUBLIC, NEED TO HEAR.

I know there're other priorities which you may find more important, and maybe sex worker rights isn't on top of your list, but please, at the very least, come on out this one night to show support in aiding an oppressed group gain the respect and dignity they deserve as fellow human beings.

On Saturday or Sunday evening, I was hanging out on the stage of the mainstage tent, and watching the piano tuner get to work. He's got a neat little gizmo to help him tune the thing, although he doesn't really pay attention to it. I asked him a few questions, and he said, "I can't really tell you right now because I need this done ASAP" (the next show was in half an hour) "but I'm here at 8 in the morning and I can show you then." And I said yes, and I have to do the info desk at 8.30am anyway. But he only comes at 8.30, when I'm hooked at the info desk.

Today, he came looking for tickets and he remembered his offer, and I promised that Saturday morning, I would come see him.

This evening, I went to the Cathedral Church of All Saints (that name never fails to amuse) for a performance by a trio - Sri Lanka-born pianist Dinuk Wijeratne, Syrian clarinetist Kinan Azmeh, and New Jersey table drummer Mayookh Bhaumik.

And, well, wow.

( Read more... )