Hello, I'm Steph Wilcock and you've reached my Indiegogo Campaign. I want to travel to Las Vegas Nevada to present a paper at the Sexual Health & Politics Conference hosted by the Desiree Alliance, July 14-19th 2013, and I've set up this appeal to raise the funds that will help me get there.
The conference brings together people who are passionate about, and who are working towards better conditions and social status for people involved in sex work, however that may be defined, all over the world.
Sexual freedom and rights for sex workers have long been eroded in many overt and covert ways. There are the obvious erosions that occur through governments, agencies and mainstream thinking where subjective moral values are imprinted upon policy and/or funding strategies, and there are the less obvious attacks which come from blurring the margins when discussing more sensitive topics such as (for example) trafficking, exploitation and abuse.
I've been involved in gathering a huge amount of experiences and insights into sex work since the early 1980's, where my own personal experiences led me to identify a strong desire to connect with others who had similar stories to share. This led me to ICOP (International Conference on Prostitution) in Los Angeles in 1997, and it was here that I met many of the women and men who were to become pivotal in expanding my understanding; people like Annie Sprinkle, Carol Leigh (Scarlot Harlot), Cheryl Overs, Tracy Quan, Melissa Ditmore and many, many more.
From that conference, I went on to establish, in association with the University Of East London, the first UK sex work conference which insisting on high (40% min) representation of current and former sex workers. This took place in September 1998 and was entitled Sex Work Reassessed. It is my view that it's not possible to discuss sex work WITHOUT the real and varied consultation of those doing the work, and anything less than this is flawed at best, and harmful and reactionary at worst. This important involvement remains a key factor in my ongoing activism.
The debate around sex work has always suffered from a dreadful polarisation of views; either we are all damned and in need of rescue or we're all happy hookers operating in the best working conditions in the world. Neither is true. As with most jobs, the range of experience is huge and can change from day to day depending on the circumstances and the people we encounter in a day's work. The point is that I firmly believe that sex workers and those working in the field of sexuality in general must be able to set our own agendas in order to work in safe and healthy ways, and that moral values have no place in deciding whether or not a person is entitled to the full protection of both the law (including employment laws) and the judicial system.
Many sex workers feel isolated, vulnerable and fearful in their daily work. There can be massive burnout rates due to lack of mentoring and supervision, depression due to lack of peer led support and external undertanding, vulnerability due to lack of decent health care and legal protection, and dependence due to stigma and continuing prejudice. That said, there are people out there doing incredible things to challenge and change this, but it's a long haul without the same basic rights afforded to others.
My own perspective has changed over the years and I now work as a tantric healer, holistic therapist (I still identify as a 'sex worker') and an ongoing blogger for sexual freedom amongst many other things. I have something of value to take to this conference and to that end would like to present a paper in the arts and media stream which will focus on how we represent ourselves in this arena. I will look into how to to develop activism for social change through the arts, blogs, publishing and social networking. Sex Workers Speakeasy (the title of my paper) will be the launchpad for a cameo film project "I Have A Voice" which will be made up of short snippets of dialogue from sex and sexuality workers speaking about their key experiences, concerns, hopes and dreams in a similar style to my appeal video above.
Initially, I need to raise around £1,500. £600 GBP for return flights, £500 GBP for accommodation, food and local travel, £300 GBP for conference fees and other expenses and £100 towards the expenses of the filmmaker for this video appeal. Without it I cannot afford to attend the conference to launch this longer term project. Your donations will be used to start the process of my project to create a great piece of work, which will support sex workers self determining in positive, healthy and dynamic ways.
Sexual health and access to safer sex and work practices, along with a shame-free and guilt-free experience of pleasure and intimacy are our birthright.
I thank you in advance for helping me to make the world a sexier, healthier place to be!
Credentials
Experience in many aspects of the sex industry.
Researcher and author of extensive report on Street Sex Work in Manchester, UK. 1998 for Lifeline Publications.
Author of 'On The Beat' - harm reduction leaflet for street sex workers - Lifeline Publications 1998.
Sex-Work Reassessed Conference Organiser - London, UK 1998. Also opened the conference and served as a panel member in a workshop on harmful kerb crawling initiatives.
Erotic Award nominee & finalist, category: blog, 2010
Interview on BBC Radio 4 by John Peel on my personal sex work experiences, 1999
Contributor on Injecting Advice website: Risk Reduction for Street Sex Workers.
Family Support Worker for young people's drug & alcohol service in Manchester.
Currently working as an holistic therapist and tantric healer.
Recently published (under the pseudonym Claudia Bellocq) the book Switchblade Sentiments. Transformative fables of a transgressive life.
***If I exceed my goal, please note that excess funds will be used to start the film project "I Have A Voice" - thank you***
