January 27, 2009
Dear Friend,
I am writing you this letter to invite you to take part in a project to create a health and safety guide for Canadian sex industry workers. This project has been in the works for some time now, but due to funding issues it has started, stopped, started again and been revised in a way to substantially reduce the cost.
I am a member of the BC Coalition of Experiential Communities – a group of men and women activists with lived experience as sex industry workers. We feel that a health and safety guide would be an invaluable tool for Canadian workers.
Trade Secrets is a collaborative project engaging on and off-street sex workers from across Canada, exotic dancers, adult film workers, live no-contact sex workers (peep shows, phone operators, sex shows, etc), BDSM/fetish workers, hustlers (male sex workers), transgendered sex workers, business owners, support staff (security, drivers, booking person etc), and patrons of the sex industry.
The result of this project will be a guide with information generally and specifically for all the industry groups identified above, including business owners and patrons.
This project will identify health and safety risks in the sex industry and offer advice to reduce those risks in the following areas (and any further identified areas of concern):
Work Spaces
Among co-workers
In dealing with clients / workers
In negotiating with employers / agents etc
Personal well-being
Physical health
In relationships
Guides will also contain important information on sex industry workers’ rights, as well as resources and supports for sex industry workers in British Columbia.
Despite funding restraints, we have decided to go ahead with a project. We had originally planned to pay everyone we consulted with and had limited the participants to the British Columbia area. However, we are now inviting volunteer (unpaid) participation from industry members and patrons across Canada.
We feel that as a participant of the sex industry, you can offer a unique and important perspective to the guides. Furthermore, there will be a section dedicated to our patrons with positive messages from workers giving you advice on how to make your encounters with us more safe and enjoyable.
The guide will be considered a “working document” so it will constantly be evolving to maintain relevancy. We hope that in the future, consultants can be paid for their advice.
But for now, please consider filling out the attached questionnaire and returning it to annie@nakedtruth.ca so your expertise can be included in the guide. You are free to do this anonymously or be credited (have your name included as a contributor) in the document. Pseudonyms and aliases are also acceptable.
Thank you for your willingness to improve the working conditions of workers across Canada by sharing your knowledge. Your courage and cooperation are deeply appreciated.
For a copy of the questionnaires; for customers, business owners, support staff (drivers, security, booking person), or for the sex industry workers themselves please contact;
Trina Ricketts
Project Coordinator
Trade Secrets: Health and Safety in the Sex Industry
annie@nakedtruth.ca
or
Mz. Scream
Consultant
Trade Secrets: Health and Safety in the Sex Industry
cookiesn_scream@yahoo.ca
Dear Friend,
I am writing you this letter to invite you to take part in a project to create a health and safety guide for Canadian sex industry workers. This project has been in the works for some time now, but due to funding issues it has started, stopped, started again and been revised in a way to substantially reduce the cost.
I am a member of the BC Coalition of Experiential Communities – a group of men and women activists with lived experience as sex industry workers. We feel that a health and safety guide would be an invaluable tool for Canadian workers.
Trade Secrets is a collaborative project engaging on and off-street sex workers from across Canada, exotic dancers, adult film workers, live no-contact sex workers (peep shows, phone operators, sex shows, etc), BDSM/fetish workers, hustlers (male sex workers), transgendered sex workers, business owners, support staff (security, drivers, booking person etc), and patrons of the sex industry.
The result of this project will be a guide with information generally and specifically for all the industry groups identified above, including business owners and patrons.
This project will identify health and safety risks in the sex industry and offer advice to reduce those risks in the following areas (and any further identified areas of concern):
Work Spaces
Among co-workers
In dealing with clients / workers
In negotiating with employers / agents etc
Personal well-being
Physical health
In relationships
Guides will also contain important information on sex industry workers’ rights, as well as resources and supports for sex industry workers in British Columbia.
Despite funding restraints, we have decided to go ahead with a project. We had originally planned to pay everyone we consulted with and had limited the participants to the British Columbia area. However, we are now inviting volunteer (unpaid) participation from industry members and patrons across Canada.
We feel that as a participant of the sex industry, you can offer a unique and important perspective to the guides. Furthermore, there will be a section dedicated to our patrons with positive messages from workers giving you advice on how to make your encounters with us more safe and enjoyable.
The guide will be considered a “working document” so it will constantly be evolving to maintain relevancy. We hope that in the future, consultants can be paid for their advice.
But for now, please consider filling out the attached questionnaire and returning it to annie@nakedtruth.ca so your expertise can be included in the guide. You are free to do this anonymously or be credited (have your name included as a contributor) in the document. Pseudonyms and aliases are also acceptable.
Thank you for your willingness to improve the working conditions of workers across Canada by sharing your knowledge. Your courage and cooperation are deeply appreciated.
For a copy of the questionnaires; for customers, business owners, support staff (drivers, security, booking person), or for the sex industry workers themselves please contact;
Trina Ricketts
Project Coordinator
Trade Secrets: Health and Safety in the Sex Industry
annie@nakedtruth.ca
or
Mz. Scream
Consultant
Trade Secrets: Health and Safety in the Sex Industry
cookiesn_scream@yahoo.ca
