Maggie's Toronto Sex Workers Action Project

On December 3rd, organizers of the Leather Eats Dinner Group Events (LEDGE), pictured here with our co-manager of our 'HIV & Harm Reduction Program' Michael, invited Maggie's Toronto to attend as their very first recipient of their new charitable initiatives. LEDGE is a once monthly leather and BDSM meetup where Toronto kinksters can meet one another in a relaxed, non-sexual environment to access education and grow community. Maggie's curated and distributed 3 special prize packages at their holiday social at Mick E Fynn's featuring tools and resources regarding sex work in Canada to guests and helped raise $135 in support of programming. Our deep thanks to everyone in attendance that evening! For more information about LEDGE, look for their public group on Facebook at facebook.com/groups/leather…

Tuesday December 17th is the International Day to End Violence Against Sex Workers. It was created to call attention to violence committed against sex workers all over the world. Inaugurated by Dr. Annie Sprinkle and the Sex Workers Outreach Project USA, as a memorial and vigil for the victims of the Green River Killer in Seattle, Washington.  Maggie's will be coming together to hold a vigil and meal at 519 Community Centre and sharing in community and collective grief and hope. This day has empowered workers from cities around the world to come together and organize against discrimination and hold space for victims of violence. We invite you to join us next week and into the new year as we continue our fight for collective freedom, justice, dignity and rights.

Disability justice includes s*x worker rights. When the government and society at large view both disabled people and s*x workers as disposable and not worthy of protection, it's up to us and our allies to work to keep each other safe.

'I am disgusted by the censorship of major social media companies cracking down on sex work. The cleansing of sex workers from public spaces– whether it be physical or virtual– forces sex workers to go into hiding...' We take a Tryst with @MeetJosieQu ✨ tryst.link/blog/a-tryst-w…

If you outlaw the websites sex workers use to advertise ourselves on, how will we make money? Outlawing websites doesn’t outlaw our living costs, like rent or food. You are creating exploitative conditions where we will have to rely on pimps and have less power as workers.

1/4 The two offences that the Kloubakov case is challenging impact not only third parties but #sexworkers as well @SCC_eng One of these offences, the material benefits offence, makes sale of sexual services a criminal offence ( i.e. receiving compensation from sexual services).

Calling all current, former, or aspiring male-identified SWers in the GTA! Our monthly in-person drop-in Incall returns with an amazing workshop, FREE pizza and pop, and a truly luminary prize 🔦 When and where: Tuesday, November 26 at @HQToronto (790 Bay St., #820) from 6-7:30 p.m. Deets: We'll be running a short screening safety workshop with facilitator Jenna, which will offer introductory advice and some basic tips for avoiding bad dates. Plus, Incall will be giving away free #sexualhealth and harm reduction tools, and to top the night off, one lucky person will win a Fleshjack! For more information, or to RSVP, email Michael at michael@maggiesto.org.

Maggie's 'Incall' drop-in happens the 4th Tuesday of every month at @MyHQToronto! Our thanks to our wonderful sponsors @pamco_dist, @SteamworksTO, @Fleshjack, & @JustForFansSite for all the wonderful free swag we gave away last month! Email michael@maggiesto.org to learn more!

Sex workers have been saying this forever.

12 Ontario Mayors are formally requesting that @fordnation invoke the notwithstanding clause to suspend encampment residents' Charter-protected rights so that they can be removed from encampments. The letter cites the Grants Pass Supreme Court decision in the U.S., which allows local governments to criminalize unhoused people in lieu of building housing and shelter, or offering services. It's Draconian and represents an abdication of government responsibility for the welfare of homeless people. This letter comes a day after @fordnation told @ONBigCityMayors to "have the backbone" to formally ask him to use the notwithstanding clause. Ford has invoked the clause three times, twice successfully to both force back-to-work legislation and to limit criticism of his government through third-party advertising. With the Mayors of Barrie, Brampton, Brantford, Cambridge, Chatham-Kent, Clarington, Oakville, Oshawa, Pickering, St. Catherines, Sudbury, and Windsor taking responsibility for the ask, Ford could very well table legislation that invokes the notwithstanding clause to evict encampments, without municipalities needing to offer resources like shelter. Even if you don't care about homeless people, you should be greatly alarmed that entire demographic groups are being targeted to have their Charter rights removed. Who's next?

If you were stranded with no shelter, the first thing you would do is build a shelter. Every survivour/ alone style reality show… shelter first. Survive the elements? You need a shelter. They built themselves homes to survive. Shouldn’t be punished for doing so.

Healthcare workers calling for @fordnation government to reverse decisions to close supervised consumption sites ola.org/en/legislative… Press conference happening now

"It humanizes them and can work to undo the idea that they should be stigmatized. But, [Chandra Ewing/@MaggiesToronto says] that has to be done hand in hand with a realistic depiction of the fraught realities sex workers face." cbc.ca/news/entertain…

Rapid point-of-care HIV testing is as easy as 1-2-3 (and sometimes, just 3 😉)  Thanks to everyone who came through for last week's Zero Barrier Clinic. Our next clinic will take place on Thursday, November 14 from 2:30-4:30 p.m.

Join us on Friday November 8 from 2:30 -5 p.m. at 19 Trinity Square for a hands-on workshop on zine-making! We’ll dive into the history of zines in activism and how you can use them to tell your story, ways to make them, and figure out fair distribution approaches.

🎥SW Movie Night Alert! 🎥 Join us on Friday, November 1 for a special screening of “Family Matters” directed by Maximus Skaff from 2:30 - 5 p.m. at 19 Trinity Square.

Our free monthly adult film screening returns with I am Curious (Yellow)!  ✨ When: Wednesday, October 23 from 6 - 8 p.m. 📍 Where: 140 St. George Street, Room 520

Protecting sex workers means protecting our privacy. Protecting sex workers means putting a stop to facial recognition technology. An article about how facial recognition technology poses a real danger to sex workers, including my own struggles. jackviolet.com/2024/10/20/now…

"Protecting sex workers means protecting our privacy. Protecting sex workers means putting a stop to facial recognition technology."

Friendly reminder 💅Stigma against SWers who use drugs has no place in our community.