Despite adversity, threats, and sabotage, the 50th anniversary of International Sex Workers’ Day was a massive success.
A myth in the making
Every year on June 2nd, thousands of sex workers and allies celebrate the International Sex Workers’ Day. But many of us don’t even know the origins of our most important holiday. Such is the struggle of a culture that constantly faces systemic erasure.
June 2ⁿᵈ 1975, over 100 brave souls occupied the Church of Saint-Nizier in Lyon. They demanded nothing more than basic human dignity, safety, and the right to exist without violence. They inspired protests across all of France, rallying massive support and media attention.
As the 50th anniversary of this day was approaching, the European Sex Workers’ Rights Alliance (ESWA) saw it as our responsibility to honor our predecessors and make sure the torch they lit shines brighter than ever. Fifty years since the beginning of anything is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. We felt that this anniversary needed to include once again, half a century later, the powerful symbolism of a church occupation. ESWA wasn't the only group to arrive at this conclusion. We began working with sex worker-led member groups across Europe, laying the groundwork for a more coordinated pan-European celebration. Each group involved had the opportunity to share their realities and pay tribute to our predecessors in their own way. Together with over 15 member organisations across 12 countries, we organised series of simultaneous celebrations.
Lyon, France; Venice, Italy; London, United Kingdom; Barcelona, Spain; Amsterdam, Netherlands; Kyiv, Ukraine; Yerevan, Armenia; Malmö, Sweden; Berlin, Germany; Leipzig, Germany; Warsaw, Poland; Brussels, Belgium; Zurich, Switzerland; Bern, Switzerland - all took active part in the Pan-European Rally for Sex Workers' Rights.
This is much more than a simple acknowledgment of events of the past: celebrating our movement is a firm stance against oppression. It is how we say: sex workers’ lives reach way beyond the red light districts. Our history belongs in museums, our art in galleries, our writings in libraries, our speeches on podiums. We are part of the society, and we will never stop fighting to be seen as such.
A symbol is one of the most powerful means of communication we have as a society.
And for this reason, we saw it as essential to reclaim the same space in Lyon that was occupied by our colleagues, half a century later.
Hot blooded, cool headed: standing our ground in the face of adversity
When working with a topic as stigmatised as sex work, nothing is ever easy. Entire industries are out there, dedicated to silencing sex workers’ voices. Monetising sexuality goes against every tool of control employed by patriarchy, capitalism, religion, and cis-heteronormativity. In a world that seeks to control people’s bodies, minds, and finances, sex work is the ultimate rebellion. And as such, it is bound to ruffle quite some feathers.
France follows the legal framework called ‘client criminalisation’ (or the so-called ‘Swedish Model’) that aims to eradicate sex work. That creates a particularly high level of hostility: the law shapes the mentality, as much as the mentality shapes the law. We knew the opposition would try and stop us, the question was only how.
After a suspiciously long period of relative peace, the answer finally came only a few days before June 2nd: it turned out the St. Nizier Church was booked for a demonstration by Mouvement du Nid, an organisation infamous for their anti-rights propaganda against sex workers. The demonstration was allegedly supported by the municipality of Lyon.
It was a particular slap in the face, having our day and our space stolen by the very people who seek to eradicate us. It shows yet again the lack of goodwill and understanding and the appetite for destruction among the opposition. Sex workers’ rights activists strive to protect, support, and celebrate each other. The anti-rights movements, on the other hand, have no interest in creating positive change - only in destroying what we are trying to build and further oppressing a community that is facing intense marginalisation and criminalisation.
As if that wasn’t blatant enough, barely hours before the main event ESWA’s Instagram account was wrongfully suspended. Coincidence? Unlikely. We never got as much as a shadowban before - we have always been careful about abiding by Meta’s community guidelines. The same guidelines explicitly state that advocating for sex workers’ rights is allowed on Instagram.
Thanks to the quick reaction of ESWA staff and amazing support from allies and the wider community, we were able to switch to alternative communication channels in time. Our Instagram account was reinstated two days later, with an apology. Suspending it without a warning was an unlawful act nevertheless. Even though we got the account back, the damage was done and ESWA is currently considering our further steps to pursue justice and accountability.
It was a turbulent ride, but by the morning of June 2nd, we were back on track. The live stream of all the events - styled like an old school satellite TV channel, by sex workers and for sex workers - went online as planned, and delivered the exact sense of connection and community across countries that we hoped for.
By noon, we were ready for the main event.
Rain on our parade? Good thing we brought (red) umbrellas.
We went to Lyon with our hearts full of unease, not sure what to expect. As the event came closer, every piece of information we received was only more worrying: a community member was allegedly considered a person of interest by the police. We feared arrests but were determined to defend our people at all costs.
Upon arrival at the St Nizier Church, we saw the plaque commemorating the actions of 1975 - and spontaneously seized the space underneath. To the vocal dismay of some locals, we put up ESWA’s banner, determined to hold the space, out, proud, and visible. Some passersby helped, borrowing chairs from a local cafe to support our makeshift barricade. Others yelled slurs but backed down when it became obvious we were not going to move.
The mayor of Lyon, who was originally supposed to support Mouvemendt du Nid’s demonstration with his presence, did not make an appearance - officially due to the rain on June 2nd, even though there was barely a drizzle. Could it be that he’d been reached by the sex workers’ rights supporters and reconsidered his position? We do not know, but we see this as a promising sign - and the local organisations continue to work to gain the municipality’s official support.
Without official support, the opposition’s demonstration was rather underwhelming, a small group, timid in comparison to the sex workers’ flair, outnumbered by a long shot. Our chants were louder, our umbrellas and flags more colorful, and our energy unparalleled. After a somewhat anti-climactic confrontation, they retreated from the church. The sex workers proceeded with the celebration undisturbed, singing happy birthday, sharing a cake, and spreading confetti and community love.
The police drove by twice, without as much as stopping. We saved the broadcast, pushed out the haters, and achieved the community spirit we wanted. By the evening, it turned out we also made headlines - several media outlets covered our events. Stay tuned, as we will be publishing a list soon.
You can still watch the recording of the live stream of the main activities on ESWA YouTube Channel!
The rest is herstory
It’s a bittersweet victory, on multiple accounts.
Overcoming obstacles together with community members and allies has only brought us closer together and boosted our confidence. The support for our cause has exceeded expectations, while the opposition was, in the end, much weaker than expected.
Still, it is sad when those who claim to share our values of feminism, equality, and justice, make it their sole mission to attack us simply because the fact that some people choose to sell sex makes them uncomfortable. Despite their tragically misguided methods, we want to believe in good intentions. And if we truly share the desire to address systemic injustice, power imbalance, gender inequality, and other root causes of exploitation - wouldn’t we be better off fighting the far right, instead of each other?
It is deeply upsetting that half a century after the events of 1975, sex workers are still fighting for the same basic rights in most countries If anything, for many sex workers conditions we work and live in are increasingly tough and precarious due to increased authoritarianism and the rise of the anti-rights movements globally which contributes to the erosion of human rights, freedoms, and dignity.
And yet, the positive change in attitudes towards sex work is undeniable. We are louder, prouder, more visible than ever. This year on the 2nd of June, sex workers took over Lyon where it all started. In the halls of Berlin, a new law proposal for the decriminalisation of sex work, written by sex workers, was presented at a press conference. Sex workers threw a fashion show in Amsterdam, and created art against the backdrop of war in Ukraine. Our movement is a tapestry of resistance, resilience, and hope. We close this chapter with immense gratitude and excitement for what’s to follow. Thank you for being on this journey with us.
Merci, Gracias, Grazie, Danke, Bedankt, Dziękujemy, Obrigadas, Дякую!
