A red umbrella with the words Sex Workers Welcome on it

Brass Butterflies Has Made the Sex Workers Welcome Commitment with SWAN (Sex Workers’ Action Network) Waterloo

Sex Workers Welcome Declaration

At Brass Butterflies, we recognize that people who do sex work have the same rights as any other individual accessing our organization and commit to:

Remaining mindful of our own preconceptions

We commit to being conscious of our own assumptions, prejudices and beliefs and seek to understand the motivation behind them. If our values interfere with meeting an individual’s needs, we will refer them to someone else.

Reflecting upon stereotypes

There are many common misconceptions about sex work/workers: we do not assume that they have low self-esteem, or are victims, bad parents or face addiction issues. We will not assume it is appropriate to involve the police or Children’s Aid Society solely based on an individual’s participation in the sex industry. We recognize that although sex workers may be in conflict with the law when they engage in their work, it is not against the law to be a sex worker. We will assess the specific risks and respond accordingly.

Being aware of sex worker diversity

We recognize that sex workers are men, women, trans, gay, straight, white, indigenous, racialized, single, married, hyper-marginalized, very privileged, varying abilities, etc. How they work, what services they offer, why they work and their relationship to their work, is also diverse. We will not assume that we know who is, or who is not, a sex worker. We will not assume to know the nature of the experiences of the sex workers we meet.

Respect sex workers’ life choices

We will not assume that an individual’s involvement in the sex industry is a problem and/or that their immediate or even ultimate goal is to exit the industry.

Being vigilant about respecting confidentiality

We remember that, unlike other workers, sex workers’ labour is criminalized. It is imperative to respect and guard the confidential information disclosed to us by sex workers.

Appreciating that trust must be earned

Sex workers have a long history of being in an adversarial relationship with the criminal justice system and its agents, and being forcefully ‘saved’ by well-intentioned social service workers. We do not expect them to trust us immediately. Trust takes time to develop and must be nurtured.

Believing and acknowledging their experiences

Sex workers are sometimes the victims of sexual and physical assault. We will acknowledge the violence they have experienced and treat them with sensitivity. We recognize that sex workers are not responsible for their victimization.

Creating a sex worker friendly space

We will take steps to make our organization sex worker friendly. Some examples may include adjusting our hours of operations, location, décor, and the attitudes of staff and other clients. We will avoid enforcing or creating policies against sex workers that we would not use against any other member of the general public, for instance use of the restroom or waiting area.

We commit to ensuring that all current and future staff and volunteers are aware of our organization’s commitment. We will provide resources and training to ensure compliance.