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  Proposed resolution for forming affiliated sex worker organizations

WHEREAS sex workers and ex-sex workers historically have been denied a voice in their destiny, being ignored and silenced by well-meaning professionals and academics who have attempted through the years to expropriate the sex worker's ability and right to speak for him or herself in our movement. No matter how much such professionals claim to do for prostitutes, those that don't allow prostitutes to speak for themselves are no different than all the other egocentric, pompous social workers, legislators, and others who think they know better than we do what is good for us, treating us with the same condescending/patronizing manner as feminists who want to protect us for "our own good," and;

WHEREAS sex workers and ex-sex workers in countries through out the world have established local organizations for the purpose of enabling the sex workers to have a voice in their own destiny and speak out on their own behalf,and

WHEREAS these established organizations have carefully worked out policies for empowering the sex workers to represent themselves, decide their own issues and set their own goals, and that within these established organizations, the sex workers carry more weight than the allies, supporters and advocates to ensure that the sex worker is not denied the opportunity to speak and be heard, and

WHEREAS the efforts and hard work of said established organizations by and of sex workers and their allies has led to an increased public awareness of our lives, problems and goals; and the fruits of the activists in these organizations has been the achievement of credibility in the media and academic areas, as well as the increased public visibility of sex workers as individuals with the ability to speak for themselves, to the extent that the public and the media has come to positively associate the names of certain sex worker organizations with reliable and accurate information on the sex industry,

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED THAT: While any advocate, ally, supporter or other non sex worker is free to organize a prostitutes' rights advocacy group, they may not claim affiliation with established sex worker organizations without consulting said organizations and receiving permission to do so, and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that any organization founded by a non-sex worker must state that it is an advocacy organization rather than a sex worker organization in order to avoid confusion in the public's mind that it is representative of sex workers or merely speaking on their behalf:

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED Sex workers everywhere are encouraged to and are free to form any alliance/support groups they wish, but any sex worker organization that wishes affiliation with established organizations, to form a chapter thereof, and to use of the name of said group, must meet minimum criteria in order to preserve the credibility of the established organization;

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that any formation of a chapter of an established sex worker organization for inclusion in the national and international sex workers network must be done by a current or former sex worker who has met the standards required by its' parent organization, for the protection of all the sex workers and ex sex workers from the possible infiltration of government agents, and to maintain the credibility and good name of established organizations. Therefore, the parent chapter must know of and can vouch for the current or former sex worker(s) who wish to establish such an association, and that the current or former sex worker who organizes said new chapter has had previous experience in the prostitutes' rights movement and knows and understands the goals of the movement.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that no chapter of an established sex worker rights organization may be created by a non sex worker, and at no time shall a non-sex worker take it upon themselves to be the spokesperson for any such sex worker organization with which they are affiliated.