I want to create a magazine or journal written by and for sex workers in Minneapolis. I see an opportunity to publish important narratives of female and queer people's lives as marginalized labor, as unique individuals, and as a community. I envision the magazine as a platform to strengthen and radicalize our community. The valuation and interpretation of our experiences can help us identify and address the needs, and desires of a population vulnerable to exploitation. I want to specifically address predatory practices in the dancing community, that would be eliminated by unionization. I'm really interested to find out what other contributors, and sex workers find significant, frustrating, and hopeful about sex work in Minneapolis. By doing a few workshops, and editing the magazine I want to cultivate a sex-positive, queer friendly tone as well as present an opportunity for self-promotion, self-preservation, and resistance for the community. I want to look at empowering narratives written by sex workers like Michelle Tea's Rent Girl and Portland's Black Book, and SFX magazines, and draw on the theoretical framework of feminist theorists like Susie Bright and Gayle Rubin.
Project Description: Sin.dicate
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I think your project sounds really interesting. If you're looking for first person sources, I know the general manager that runs Sex World, and I'm sure he would be willing to be interviewed. I know the Twin Cities has a lot of sex trafficking, which may introduce issues regarding immigration/sex trafficking and perhaps complicate your project (at least in regards to unionization).
I agree with Jackie that this would be a fascinating project, as well as an important contribution to the community. My questions would be, Is there already something like this? Have there been any attempts at organizing a forum, or discussion board, or cooperative? I would recommend talking to Jill Bartel (you might already know her, but if I not I could try to facilitate a conversation); Jill is heavily involved in a number of queer organizing groups in the Cities. (She was the queer march coordinator last year I think).
Would your publication be a one-time or an ongoing project? Would you need funding of any kind? There are a lot of logistical issues that I'm sure you're considering right now.
I am really excited by this project and your energy behind it. I am wondering what access you have to the community and the methods you will employ to gather the community to talk about these issues. I know we talked about your writing (that you will do in addition to the magazine/journal/zine) but I want make sure that you're thinking about that piece too. I want a reflection of the work so I am hoping that you will be doing reflective writing pieces on every step of the way especially as (if I understood correctly from our discussion) you are also going to hopefully have something in place in terms of a vision for the future of the project beyond our class.
This sounds like such a great idea! I'm interested in what kind of workshops you are thinking about setting up. Who would be a part of these and what might they address? It might be cool to use the workshops as brainstorming and creation/development spaces to create a magazine that the community makes together. I think you're getting at this when you say you want to create a magazine by and for sex workers in Minneapolis but this might be one way to do that. Not only would you be producing this product for people to engage with but the process of thinking about it and making it would bring people together and create a safe space for community interaction. You may have already seen the film Live Nude Girls Unite! but it might be a good place to think about the process of unionizing sex work. If you haven't encountered it, it is a documentary about the fight to unionize The Lusty Lady in San Francisco.