The Super Bowl/Sex Trafficking myths come back every year and even though they have been debunked thoroughly by multiple reliable resources, there are 100’s of anti trafficking advocates in Tampa right now, hunting Sex Workers and their clients!
We are fighting back against myths and misconceptions.
We are fighting back against stigma and discrimination.
We are fighting back against coercive interventions!
You can help fight back against the myths that criminalize sex workers. SWOP Behind Bars will be on the ground and is hoping to bond out as many sex workers as we can! Your support will allow us to not only bond them out, we will be able to pay their fines and fees, connect them with critical resources and help those that are being exploited to get to safety! Sex Workers are best positioned to assist trafficking victims because we know what exploitation looks like.
Outside of some reporters with dubious judgement, the only people who are still earnestly pushing the idea that sporting events like the super bowl are hotbeds of human trafficking seem to be
1) politicians who have made a name for themselves stirring up crime panic,
2) state prosecutors, who like to use the prospect of “sex slaves” to justify ramping up their routine vice stings during the big game, and
3) the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, for whom the panic dovetails nicely with their efforts to round up immigrants and promiscuous women. But poke any “Super Bowl sex trafficking sting” headline from the past decade and all you’ll find is a bunch of sex workers and their customers arrested for trying to hook up with another consenting adult.
Join the Sex Worker Outreach Project Behind Bars as we work to fight the marginalization and discrimination of people who trade sex during the days leading up to the Super Bowl 2020 in Tampa.
1 in 2 transgender prisoners is sexually abused.
1 in 2 homeless children is LGBTQ and half of homeless people experience incarceration.
1 in 3 American adults has a criminal record and sexual minorities are three times more likely to be incarcerated.
Trans folks and women of color trade sex in the areas around the stadium in Tampa. We are prioritizing their release so that they can actively participate in their own defense and hopefully mitigate some of the damage done by the violent experience of being arrested. Bonds will run in amounts from $200 to $500 for a soliciting for a prostitution offence. We will be posting bonds after they make their first appearance in court – many times after which they are released on their own recognizance.
The Community Support Line will be open 24 hours and we have staffed it with volunteers who are prepared to help us get as many people released as possible. We will be collecting data that will be released regarding specific circumstances leading up to their arrest to Elizabeth Nolan Brown of reason Magazine after release and we have support services for both sex workers and sex trafficking victims. We will only be bonding out adults over the age of 18.2021
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