On October 26th, we held our annual AGM followed by a panel discussion. The discussion focused on the impacts of COVID-19 on street-based & im/migrant sex workers. The types and forms of sex work are extremely varied and diverse, however, the focus of this panel was on street-based sex work and im/migrant sex work; two areas of sex work that see the most amount of vulnerability and risk.
Panelists volunteered their time to speak from a combination of lived experience and expertise as well as from their roles as frontline service providers. The discussion was not intended to represent or speak for all sex workers or types of sex work but rather, was informed by the lived expertise of the panelists and what they are hearing from the folks they work with and support.
It is important to acknowledge that WISH is located on the traditional, ancestral and unceded territory of the Coast Salish peoples–Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), Stó:lō and Səl̓ílwətaʔ/Selilwitulh (Tsleil-Waututh) and xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam) Nations.
Please watch the full panel discussion below.
Read more about our panelists
Eva Ureta
Eva has worked at WISH since 2009. Being at WISH for close to a decade, Eva has been the Food Coordinator, Drop-In Centre Coordinator and for more than 6-years has been the Supportive Employment Program Coordinator. With an education in Criminology from Kwantlen Polytechnic University, Eva continually focused on racial injustices across cultures manifested in the lives of women in the Downtown East side. The violence, abuse, neglect and discrimination faced by women and trans-women in the survival sex trade are a result of the gender and economic inequality in Canadian society. Over the past six and a half years, Eva has seen first-hand how the Supportive Employment Program at WISH has made an impact. Women have the opportunity to find their voice and power, to contribute, understand their equity within the labour market and to feel they are stakeholders in society.
Kelly Go
Kelly is a Chinese settler who lives on the unceded, traditional and ancestral territories of the Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh peoples. Inspired by one of Alison’s community presentations, Kelly began volunteering with SWAN in 2016 before stepping into a full-time outreach role in 2017. In the spring of 2019, she transitioned into her current Outreach Coordinator role and now oversees SWAN’s Outreach and Netreach programs, our outreach volunteers, and our quarterly SWANzine newsletter. Kelly speaks English, Mandarin, and Cantonese, and is currently doing her BSW.
Lyra McKee
Lyra is a white settler trans woman who moved to Coast Salish territories from the States 5 years ago. She is the community-based Co-Executive Director of PACE Society, a grassroots nonprofit in the Downtown Eastside for, by and with sex workers of all genders. Lyra holds a B.A. in Women’s and Gender Studies from Dartmouth College and an M.A. in Gender, Race, Sexuality and Social Justice from the University of British Columbia. Lyra brings lived experience of sex work, poverty, homelessness, and drug use to any space she occupies and aspires to be an advocate for herself, her communities, and her peers.
Spencer Johnston
Spencer Johnston is a settler on Coast Salish Territories, living and working on Musqueam, Squamish and sleil-Waututh Nations lands, raised on Semiahmoo Nation lands. Queer, experiential and using He/Him/They/Them pronouns, they work at Health Initiative for Men as Program Manager of Community Engagement, working within the communities he cares so much for. When not advocating for human rights, they can be found feeding crows in the West End
Lisa Gibson
Lisa Gibson is a transformative coach, facilitator and systems change consultant. With 25 years’ experience in local and international work, she specializes in working with individuals, organizations and communities to embed systemic change, transform belief systems, and construct alliances across diversity. Through her work with non-profits, government, and foundations, Lisa focuses on facilitation of complex multi-stakeholder processes, diversity and equity, coaching, leadership development, curriculum design, and mindfulness for changemakers.
As the Director of Living in Community for 14 years, Lisa supported the development of an innovative multi-stakeholder methodology to create health, equity and safety around sex work issues, centering the lived expertise of sex workers, while transforming the roots cause that create vulnerability. She is also founder and instructor of the Social Innovation Certificate at Simon Fraser University, and teaches systems change in a variety of settings.
As a woman of Irish, Polish and English decent, she is based in Vancouver, BC on the unceded Coast Salish lands and waters of the asalilwata?, X*malkwayam, & Skwxwú7meshsi Nations with her two children, two stepchildren and partner.
Join us in our Calls to Action brought forward by the panelists
Educate
The importance of education – all of us can and should inform ourselves about sex work issues, intersectionality, how sex workers struggles relate to other people’s struggles. (Lyra – PACE Society)
There is a gap in knowledge surrounding the issues affecting the women we serve – it’s not just criminal law but also the immigration prohibition. Immigration laws are representative of the racism that is more broadly reflective in our culture. There’s a role we can all play in educating ourselves in the unique experience of im/migration sex workers. Learn more here. (Kelly – SWAN)
Advocate
“We need to speak up and we need to inform, and we need to advocate – continuing to inform and educate health care providers, policymakers, the general public to reduce stigma, to share understanding, to break down barriers, to help people understand that sex work is work and it requires the same support other employment providers. Sex workers deserve to retire. Sex workers deserve to access health care without judgement and ignorance defining the experience.” (Spence – Health Initiative for Men)
Taking that education and having sex workers voices heard and making your support for sex workers and sex workers rights issues are known. (Lyra – PACE Society)
Community
Employing women with lived experiences to patrol hot spots in order to provide women engaged in street-based sex work with support during certain hours. This would fill the need for community and employment and ensure there are eyes on the street. (Eva -WISH )
Essentials
Shelters and housing for everyone (Eva – WISH)
Providing information and PPE and ensure sex workers have the proper equipment to safely continue their line of work. (Eva – WISH)
Policy Reform
Defund the police in favour of social supports (Spence – Health Initiative for Men)
Push the Canadian government to stop criminalizing sex work (Spence – Health Initiative for Men)
