Diversity Rules Magazine

5 Diversity Rules Magazine May 2020 Many sex workers have tried to find temporary em- ployment but due to the health crisis that has shut down any alterna ve means of making an income to survive, they have been unable to do so. Some are living on borrowed money or whatever mea- ger savings they may have accumulated. However, many others simply have no means of support any longer, due to the pandemic. If they do get clients, they put themselves and their clients at risk. It is inexcusable that folks who rely on the talents given to them, and that have served them well, are being forced to beg, and live on borrowed money due to a government that has ignored them, and shut them out from any monetary assistance due to vile and repulsive religious dogma that has no place in gov- ernment, and dicta ng the decisions of that govern- ment in terms of helping those who need help the most in our country. As per an ar cle by CNN, dated April 20, 2020, some countries, such as Japan, have been very progres- sive in assis ng all its people, including that na on's sex workers. While there are some limita ons on who can get help, such as those exclusively engaged in pros tu on, others are eligible who are involved in more innocuous forms of sexual income such as escor ng services stopping short of intercourse, and those persons who work in establishments that en- gage in more orally focused sexual ac vi es. While Japan is being somewhat progressive on this front, it s ll falls short on helping those who need help because of "occupa onal discrimina on" based on subjec ve perspec ves of those who look down upon sex workers and their value in society. Other countries, such as those in Asia, have begun to look more favorably on helping sex workers, de- spite their country's prohibi ons on pros tu on, and such other illicit forms of sex work. One, in par- cular, Bangladesh, has legal pros tu on and has taken steps to help ease the burden of Covid-19 on its 2000+ sex workers, as per CNN. Rents have been suspended, and workers are given free rice to help them cope with the loss of their income. Other coun- tries have set up subsidized housing for homeless ci zens, many of whom are sex workers. The fact that many countries have recognized sex workers as worthy of receiving assistance says much about the compassion and empathy of the leaders in those respec ve countries. Unfortunately, the same can- not be said for the current government here in the United States. While our government may have shut its eyes to the suffering of many of its ci zens due to the pan- demic inflic ng its wrath on the country, some mu- nicipali es have taken steps to help those who must s ll have in-person interac on with clients to make ends meet during this trying me. According to an ar cle in "The Lily," a resource published by The Washington Post, those who s ll engage in sex work can take steps to protect themselves somewhat, by doing what medical professionals do, and ask poten al clients ahead of me about recent travel and some other risk factors that are asked of those who think they may have been exposed to Covid-19. "The Lily" also references that a consor um of sex worker advocacy groups has published a resource guide for those who s ll must partake in sex work to survive. The guide can be found at h ps://drive. google.com/file/d/1ymJ5motdh0zh453-wFs1p4- syL3koC2dD/view. The NYC Department of Health has also published guidelines for having sex during the pandemic. The guidelines suggest that sex work- ers move to more online ac vi es and try to have as few partners as possible. While these ac ons do not directly help monetarily for sex workers who need help, they do offer sugges ons on how to approach their work, and yet remain rela vely safe at the same me. Most sex workers, like most Americans, and ci zens across the globe, are simply trying to stay afloat, and get through this health crisis with al- terna ve means of sex work such as webcamming, picture sharing, and such other digital/virtual envi- ronments that allow sex workers le with no income to bring in some much-needed cash. Other organiza ons, such as the Network of Sex Workers of Indonesia (OPSI), as described by an ar- cle by UNAIDS, have set up a support network to address mental health issues of sex workers who have lost their incomes. This could certainly be used as a model for other countries to help those in mar- ginalized and unrecognized professions related to the sex industry. How does all this relate specifically to LGBTQ per- sons and the impact of the virus and loss of income? Unfortunately, any discussion of sex work and per- sons of the queer persuasion go hand-in-hand many mes. While the majority of LGBTQ persons are contentedly and sexually happy singles, in stable re- la onships, marriages, have children or may be ac- cepted by society at large in many places, there are Sex Workers - Con't on page 15

• Cover