x:talk -- an invitation

x: talk – cross: talk
a project of English classes for workers in the sex industry in London

x: talk – a network of sex workers, sex workers rights', and migrants' rights activists are in the process of organising a project that involves the development, co-ordination and delivery of non-commercial English classes workers in the sex industry in London. The project has been endorsed by the International Union of Sex Workers (IUSW). This is a project to put into action our critiques on the "trafficking" politics as producing criminalisation, victimisation and exploitation of migrants and workers in the sex industry.

Project in progress : it would be great if you joined us, in person, by email, or in any other way we can think of together.

First meeting: 1 ^st of June, London, 7 pm, near Covent Garden tube (get in contact for the address)

Dear Friends,

A few months ago some of us based in London and involved in sex workers' rights activism, around the International Union of Sex Workers in particular, started thinking about a project that would move into the organising sphere the confidence we have developed in criticising "trafficking" by bringing together the insights produced by sex workers', migrants', and feminist struggles.

Uder a racist and anti-feminist rhetoric of protection, the discourse and politics of trafficking that see women as victims of organised crime or of cruel men produces deportation, criminalisation and exploitation of migrants, in the sex industry in particular, and of sex workers in general.

It also creates divisions between migrants' and sex workers' forms of resistance.

Putting at the centre the dimension of autonomy of people moving across borders, and of people of every gender employing their resources in the sex industry, we found language to be one of the crucial elements to directly challenge and change conditions of work and life, and to come together, and to organise.

London represents for us a difficult jungle with amazing working opportunities but also opportunities for resistance. Our desire and belief is that together also with people who are not only based in London we can start creating a space for change inside this jungle, and all around.

x:talk is so that degrees and ways of involvement are multiple and variable.

For instance the project is going to need:

teachers

venue

translations

promotion

funding.

x:talk opens and is open.