Sex Workers Will Be Heard – Support Decrim, Support Sex Workers!!!

Attention Friends, Sex Workers, Hustlers and Allies;

This is a call out for support, action and attitude!

As many of you know on September 28th 2008, sex workers and allies celebrated Judge Himel’s landmark ruling that would effectively decriminalize sex work. The Superior Court of Ontario struck down three sex worker related laws in the Canadian Criminal Code (CCC)

Section 210 ‘Common bawdy house’

Section 212 (1)(j) ‘Living on the avails’; and

Section 213 (1)(c) ‘Communicating for the purposes of prostitution’).

Ontario Superior Court Justice Susan Himel ruled that these laws violate the right to liberty and security that is guaranteed in Section 7 of our Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Himel exposed that harm done to sex workers through criminalization outweighs any harm done to the community in respect of these laws.

On June 13th 2013 these three laws will again be revisited in the courts at the level of the Supreme Court of Canada. This will be the first time in Canadian History that the Supreme Court of Canada will be deciding on the constitutionality of the criminalization of Sex Work.
Sex Workers Will Be Heard: The (not so Honorable) Justice Richard Wagner of the Supreme Court of Canada has decided, in denying sex worker led organizations intervenor status in the hearing, that our voices do not matter, but WE WILL BE HEARD!

On June 8th 2013 there will be a National Day of Action to support the sex working community and demand the decriminalization of sex work. Sex workers, sex worker led organizations and our allies from across Canada will be taking to the street to march and be heard. We want you to join Maggie’s and other sex workers in Toronto and surrounding areas in this historical moment for sex workers rights, dignity and the fight against criminalization.

Show your support of decriminalization and our national Day of Action

By:

Helping to MOBILIZE allies and supports. Bring out as many people to our event as possible and help us make our voices heard – sex workers know what they need to work with dignity and safety, and RIGHT NOW, sex work needs to be decriminalized in Canada
We have very limited resources and a short time to organize so if you or anyone you know can donate supplies or resources please get in touch with us.
We are also seeking volunteers to assist with the planning and execution of a march and community gathering in Allen Gardens Park
We are holding our next organizing meeting May 21st at Maggie’s Toronto at 7pm to finalize our Day of Action plans. We are inviting a point person from each of your organizations to participate and help support making this a loud, proud and successful event.

For further information regarding this event or the next organizing meeting please contact outreach@maggiestoronto.ca

In Sweat and Solidarity,

Maggie’s: The Toronto Sex Workers Action Project,
and The Support Decrim Organizing Committee