BY EMMILY BRISTOL

Whores, unite!

Even in downtown Las Vegas on the steps of the Regional Justice Center, it's a phrase that causes a stir among passers-by. But in the oppressive midday heat of July 13, about two dozen self-described sex workers massed for a grassroots demonstration to lobby for their civil rights, human dignity and a little vocational pride.

"Any time a woman takes control of her own sexuality, she can be labeled as a whore," said Susan Lopez, a Las Vegan and former prostitute who now lobbies on behalf of the industry and its workers' rights.

The demonstration was at the culmination of a week-long sex worker rights conference, which drew about 150 people from around the world, coordinated by a variety of different organizations including the Desiree Alliance and several sex worker outreach projects from around the country. (In the context of the conference, "sex worker" referred to anyone who works in a business that directly relates to sexual activity including prostitution, phone-sex operators, stripping and escort services.) According to organizers, this is the first such conference since the 1970s "Whore Conference" in California.

Of course, Las Vegas seems a natural place for a sex worker conference considering Nevada's laws, which permit brothels in some counties. (However, prostitution is illegal in Clark County.) But even a place nicknamed "Sin City" has its own contradictions about sex. Conference organizers pointed out it is illegal to carry more than a handful of condoms at a time on the Strip. Any more and you risk being arrested for prostitution. Because who would want to carry around more than five condoms at a time in a place called Sin City?

"The laws that criminalize prostitution don't target the things that the public thinks they do," said Barb Brents, a UNLV sociology professor who is known for her research on sex work. "They make things worse."

Key messages at the protest were decriminalization of prostitution; increased safety for sex workers; and better treatment of sex workers by law enforcement.

"We are here to put a human face on prostitution. You are witnessing a groundswell right here. This is the beginning of a movement," said Robyn Few, the executive director of Sex Workers Outreach Project USA and a sex worker who is on probation for federal charges of conspiracy to promote prostitution.

"We're proud to be whores. There's safety in numbers. We're not afraid. We're not going to take this [treatment by law enforcement] anymore," said Few, who lives in San Francisco.

Few said she was prosecuted in 2002 under the PATRIOT Act as promoting terrorism through prostitution.

"I couldn't believe that our country would use the words 'terrorism' and 'prostitution' in the same sentence," she said.

At the protest, some of those who attended the conference -- sex workers, academics and activists -- held up banners reading "Sex worker rights are human rights" emblazoned across American flags. Many spontaneously chanted such slogans as "Whore pride!"

Many at the demonstration talked about the pride they had for their profession. San Franciscan Sadi Lune said she got involved in sex work because it was her fantasy from childhood. Lune said it is important for the social stigma of sex work to change, including decriminalizing prostitution and increasing health options for sex workers.

"[In San Francisco] we've got community," Lune said. "There's support through free clinics and a network of people. Most sex workers feel a lot of isolation. They feel invalidated and abused."

Lune admitted that not everyone gets involved with sex work by choice.

"I come from privilege. I'm young, white. I came from a middle-class background. I have choices that others do not," she said.

Indeed, Jennifer Ramirez said she started her career in prostitution and phone sex because of economic hardship but has since "grown to love it." The New York City native is a transgendered sex worker, which sometimes adds another element of danger to her work. (Born a man, she has had several surgeries and takes hormones to live life as a woman, but is awaiting her final gender-reassignment surgery because of its expense.)

"I try to be careful about mentioning my gender identity right away, but sometimes I forget because I am so used to just living my life out in the open," Ramirez said. "There's been situations where clients have gotten physical or violent. But usually after a few minutes their lust takes over and they want to anyway."

Starchild, an openly bisexual sex worker from San Francisco, said he is running for the Board of Supervisors there to try and raise awareness of the community's issues and change laws. Like Lune, Starchild (who legally changed his name to the one-word moniker) said he has always felt very sexual and first entered the business in low-budget porn videos. In addition to porn, Starchild now works as an escort.

"I'm more of a starlet. Not really a full-fledged porn star," he jokes. "I love the exhibition of the videos. It's a lot of work that you don't see behind the scenes.

"Generally, I feel incredibly lucky to do what I do. Most sex workers feel an internal stigma or guilt about what they do, but I don't have that. I like my work," he said.

Starchild said he is very proud of his work, but that laws need to be changed. Likewise, Lopez said it is most important to ease the stigma surrounding sex work.

"The stigma is reinforced every day by the legal system," she said. "They lack respect. We are treated like second-class citizens. Until private, adult, mutually consensual sex is legalized [these problems] won't go away."

Perhaps because of the upcoming elections, local law enforcement have been particularly focused on prostitution lately with several stings set up in the past few months. One sting resulted in the arrest of a local judge.

Emmily Bristol is a CityLife staff writer. She can be reached at 871-6780 ext. 344 or ebristol@lvcitylife.com.

Original link: http://lvcitylife.com/articles/2006/07/20/local_news/news01.txt