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Last week, Kemal Ordek, a trans* sex worker and the head of Red Umbrella Sexual Health and Human Rights Association, a Red Umbrella Fund grantee-partner, was assaulted and raped in their home in Ankara, Turkey. The Red Umbrella Fund is concerned that these criminal acts are not being taken seriously enough by the Turkish authorities.

The story of Kemal Ordek is not unique. It is the story of many people in the sex worker community around the world. Violence and impunity for this violence are fuelled by laws and social norms that fail to respect the fundamental human rights of sex workers and trans* people. Police corruption further exacerbates the problem.

In Kemal’s own words:

“What I will tell you is not a simple robbery case. It’s not a mere rape case either. This is the story of a series of events that could possibly end in murder. It is a story of the apathy and the denial and ignorance that come after—the story of the surrounding paralysis of a lonely sex worker and an LGBTI.”

Kemal’s case sheds light on several injustices and abuses regularly experienced by those in the trans* sex worker community in Turkey – at the work place, in the streets or even in their homes. It also calls into question the effectiveness of national laws and policies that should be combatting violence, reducing vulnerability and ensuring universal access to rights and justice for sex workers and trans* people. There is no justice if justice isn’t accessible to all.

It’s time to end violence, stigma and discrimination against sex workers and trans* people. We urge the Turkish authorities to take violations against trans* sex workers seriously by conducting a thorough investigation, led by and focused on supporting Kemal’s human rights. In addition, we urge for better laws and policies to protect sex workers and trans* people in Turkey.

Read full story:

http://lgbtinewsturkey.com/2015/07/09/raped-and-assaulted-lgbti-activist-kemal-ordek-says-im-not-well/

“Rights not rescue” – the message could not be more clear in an article published this week in the Amsterdam-based newspaper, de Volkskrant, about the sex workers’ rights organising around the world.

 

‘I’m an independent woman’, says Juliëtte, from the Dutch Geisha Fund, in a spirited tone. ‘My profession is beautiful. I don’t want to be treated like a victim. I’m too proud for that. I get so tired of people talking about us. The feminists try to decide what is good for me.’  

‘Yes, violence does take place’, says her colleague Jacqueline. ‘Violence also takes place in marriages. Should we ban marriage because of that?’

Dutch journalist Rob Vreeken writes about the Red Umbrella Fund’s approach to financing sex workers’ rights organisations – where decisions about funding are made by sex workers themselves.

Sex workers […] want to be heard and recognised. They say that they are too often the subject of discussions and decision-making by both conservative governments, and well-meaning donors and aid organisations. Too much moralism and paternalism.

The Red Umbrella Fund embodies the opposite approach. The sex workers here have the final say. All the money goes to sex workers and their self-led organisations. The decriminalisation of sex work and recognition of the profession as an honest job are the cornerstones of its philosophy.

Read the entire article here: Volkskrant article ‘Sex workers tired of paternalism’

Crossposted from Mama Cash