Kudos are going to the organizers of this protest against transphobia and sex worker oppression.
Residents of a downtown Toronto neighbourhood have apparently bestowed themselves with the moral duty of “kicking out prostitutes” who they say have “disturbed the peace” in their otherwise magically perfect neighbourhood.
Instead of lobbying for anti-prostitution laws, worker safety, or advocating for the rights of sex trade workers so that we can all live more peacefully together, for the last three months these residents have been harassing sex workers, specifically transwomen, to the point of assault.
This Friday August 15th, supporters of human rights and dignity FOR ALL will be gathering at the corner of Homewood and Maitland at 11pm to demand an end to this injustice.
Check out the Facebook event and hopefully we’ll see you there!
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three comments
Jessica,
I would urge you to take a moment to think about the fact that thsi so called protest is actually a call for hundreds of people to descend on a small rsidential street for the express purpose of intimidating local residents into silence. If enough people participate (let's say 100+) then you have an angry mob. I think it would be the height of irresponsibility to encourage people to engage in terrorizing the people on this street.
As a local resident I can tell you that prostitution has become a seriosu problem here. In May there were a series of incidents including a full-on brawl between sex-workers immediately in front of people's houses which was the final straw. Residents have come to feel that prostitution has no place on a residential street.
We are pecefully demonstrating on the street corner, excercising our constitutionally protected right to free expression. We are NOT a mob. We are NOT bigots and facists.
The actions of certain activists, however are nto those of an opposing view who wish to make themselves heard. They are the actions of a lynch mob.
Posted by Michael
August 14, 2008, 3:37 PM
Michael,
Have you managed talked to every single person who will "descend" on the neighbourhood? I know several people who plan to attend who couldn't be farther than representative of a mob and are in fact, coming to PEACEFULLY demand an end to harrassment and oppression.
Which they have every right to do. And they would therefore not be known as bigots and facists but defenders of human rights, which includes the rights of sex trade workers who walk the same Earth as you.
We agree on one point, which is to not encourage people to terrorize others. Funny though how this is exactly why people have decided to gather to protect the rights of sex trade workers, AGAINST the terrorism in your neighbourhood they have faced.
Posted by Jessica
August 15, 2008, 12:49 AM
With all due respect Jessica, makeing false allegations that residents have been violating human rights and engaging in criminal activity is irresponsible. It inflames the passions of the mob. Urging 400 of your closest friends to arive on a street corner in a residential neighbourhood IS a deliberate act of intimidation. You can cloak it in feminist and progressivist rhetoric but that does not change the fact that you and your 400 friends are attemptign to force the people who actually live to adhere to your agenda or suffer the consequences.
Have I managed to talk to a single person? YES. I choose to speak to you, among others.
Hot dog vendors do not have the legal right to sell hotdogs on my street. Is this oppression? Why is it by any stretch of the imagination an act of opression to expect VENDORS (regardless of the product being sold) to resepct the fact that this is a residential street?
Posted by Michael
August 15, 2008, 10:48 AM
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