#survivorsagainstsesta – December 17th: International Day to End Violence Against Sex Workers

Tech Dirt

on February 13, 2019February 13, 2019 By mgd777

A newly-released study [PDF] (via Sophie Cull) shows there's been a corresponding increase in female homicides since the point Craigslist dumped ERS. Online services -- enabled by Section 230 -- helped sex workers stay safe by reducing or eliminating a few of the more dangerous variables. Wed, Feb 6th 2019 9:32am — Tim Cushing for Tech Dirt

We Remember: Donna Castleberry Dalton #justicefordonna

on August 28, 2018February 19, 2019 By mgd777

Murdered by an undercover officer while in custody in his vehicle: More than 100 family and friends gathered at South-wood Elementary School for a vigil for 23-year-old Donna Castleberry.Police said Castleberry was fatally shot Thursday morning after stabbing an undercover police officer during an investigation into prostitution.

Town hall with Suraj Patel marks turning point in sex workers’ rights movement by Jenavieve Hatch

on June 17, 2018June 19, 2018 By mgd777

Patel’s campaign and Survivors Against SESTA organized the event. The panel and town hall focused on FOSTA / SESTA, legislation enacted in April that sex workers say drastically affects their ability to do their jobs safely. The bill amended section 230 of the Common Decency Act. Through tears, Doroshow and Gentili, both of whom are trans women of color, spoke of the violence that’s plaguing their community, and how that violence is getting worse under the new legislation. “Our community is getting raped, beaten and killed,” Doroshow said. “I don’t have the capacity to bury another fucking girl.”

The Voice Of Alaska: Tara Burns of FOSTA /SESTA

on June 6, 2018June 23, 2018 By mgd777

What if I told you that scientists found something that decreases the female homicide rate by 17.4 percent and our government just abolished it? That’s exactly what happened when the Stop Enabling Sex Traffickers Act, HR 1865 (commonly called FOSTA/SESTA), became law on April 11. The bill would allow the government to prosecute websites which knowingly help or promote sex trafficking and also allow users to sue those websites. Although the Department of Justice went on record warning that FOSTA/SESTA would make it more difficult to prosecute sex trafficking cases, the bill was framed and sold as an anti-trafficking measure. FOSTA/SESTA effectively modified section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, passed in 1996, which exempted websites from criminal charges for the actions of their users.