Sometimes the challenging topics are the ones we should pay the most attention to, which is why we are excited to announce the launch of our new series WISH Talks: Creating Impact Through Conversations.
Join us on March 11th for our very first WISH Talks virtual event. In honour of International Women’s Day, we are “Choosing to Challenge.” We will be hosting a panel discussion where current and former street-based sex workers will be challenging perspectives on violence, reconciliation, trans inclusivity, family separation and stigma.
Date: March 11
Time: 6:00pm
Admission: Free
Tickets: Limited availability
Through this initiative, we hope to bring awareness to the pressing issues faced by street-based sex workers, in their own words. We want to have the difficult conversations necessary to create impactful and meaningful change.
Speakers:
Avery
Avery Grey, (pseudonym), is a team leader at an organization that supports women in Vancouver’s DTES. After only two years in Vancouver, she is very proud to have become a trailblazer in motivating women to achieve their employment goals and very much enjoys seeing them succeed. Friends and co-workers would describe her as a loving mother, kind and forgiving soul, and is not shy to back away from a fight. Avery is choosing to challenge family separation and the belief that substance use automatically makes someone an unfit parent.
Mikayla
My name is Mikayla Cadger. I’m a 47-year-old proud Transgender woman. I am a lifelong artist, writer, poet and dreamer. As a former sex trade worker and a survivor of Trans violence, my journey has been difficult. However, today those scars are symbols of my strength, not reminders of my pain. Those experiences have shaped the woman I have become, and are the inspiration for my Trans rights advocacy and activism efforts.
T
T, (pseudonym), is a proud Indigenous mother, grandmother and community ally. She works in Vancouver’s DTES supporting, teaching and empowering women across various feminist organizations. Others would describe T as a gentle, patient soul with an edge. She is a passionate advocate for women’s rights, justice and above all, truth telling.
Liz
Liz, (pseudonym), has lived in Vancouver for more than 20 years with many of those dedicating her time (paid/unpaid) advocating for the rights of women, drug users, and sex-workers. Friends would describe her as a woman with an endless and abundant amount of lived experience. Liz became involved in street-based sex work when she was 13 years old. Liz’s soft spots are her canine fur babies that she loves and adores. Her lifetime of challenging norms, stereotypes and stigma is what sparks her activism. Liz is choosing to challenge stigma and the ongoing violence faced by women, in particular, street-based sex workers.
Jasmine
Jasmine, (pseudonym), is 30 years old and has been living in Vancouver since 2008. Currently, she is a street-based sex worker navigating countless barriers while trying to move her job indoors. She subsidizes her sex-work by working at a feminist organization in Vancouver’s DTES and since the pandemic, she has thrown herself into creating safer and more accessible/inclusive spaces for women to access the services they need to not just survive but thrive. Friends would describe her as a natural team leader and activist. On this International Women’s Day, Jasmine will be challenging criminalization, privilege and violence against sex workers.
We hope you are able to join us. Registration is free but ticket availability is limited. Get yours today!