published 15th of june 2023
Lees dit artikel in het Nederlands
On Friday June 2nd, we celebrated International Sex Workers’ Day. GiA G. visited the Pleasure Providers Pillow Talk, a night organised by Kami Million at the San Seriffe bookstore.
Floorwork
This evening was a space for sex workers and allies only. The politicians and journalists that usually speak about us but not to us were left at the door, denied entry by the bouncer. The event itself was organised in the Rest is resistance tradition. Creating a comfortable floor on which everyone could lay and sit, the room filled with the warmth of being close together. A mattress, which is the archetype object of our workplace, became a place of comfort and speech, a soft stage lifting up the workers who got to share their stories. The speakers, who were an original and complementary mix of queer sex workers, lit up the space even more with their words.
The panel
Red Insight contributor Alejandra Ortiz read an English chapter of her book, De waarheid zal me bevrijden, successfully showing the hardness of being a young, trans sex worker in a light way. She gave space to breathe between the harsh realities, by showing that we are versatile beings with love and hate, sadness and smiles.
Alice Danger, based in Berlin, brought a theoretical rereading of Pat Califia’s work and fantasised about the idea of a Whoretopia. They reflected on sex work as a social service, stating that it would indeed still be a part of this world even if capitalism didn't exist.
MF Akynos, founder of the Black Sex Worker’s Collective based in Berlin and New York, brought an activist piece to explain what sex workers actually need and want. Emphasising that sex workers’ rights lay at the basis of human rights, Akynos voiced the words we all needed to hear, especially on a day like this.
For us
“If we hold each other, the weight really does become lighter,” Kami declared and we all felt it. The warmth and pleasure continued at Kanaal40, we were spoiled with sexy performances by the sultry Ruin Klarity and the gorgeous Akynos, before dancing the night away. Kami Million created a night to remember; the unique beauty that sex workers bring to the world belonged to just us.
