Hi POWER!
Last September at our AGM, a new board was elected to help relaunch POWER and revamp our mandate to ensure we can best serve the needs of sex workers in Ottawa and Gatineau. We heard from you that POWER should focus on community building and supporting the development of strong connections between sex workers in our region. After some time getting the new board up and running, we are now ready to focus and shift our energy into these priorities.
Since the AGM we supported the Day to End Violence Against Sex Workers, we planned our first social in February, we have spoken to students at Algonquin college about decriminalization and attended a harm reduction event hosted by Willow’s. More recently we have been working on a COVID-19 response to support local sex workers. More information on this response to follow shortly. We look forward to continuing to expand our relationships with the local sex work communities.
We decided, along with this update, to include some short bios of our board members.
I’m Sophia Lilac (she/her, they/them). A local escort and activist. I work for the Ottawa Independent Companions (a by sex worker, for sex worker collective) as well as with local queer activism groups. Just hoping to help create a more compassionate world.
Zoey Jones has been working with POWER as a volunteer, then board member, since 2014. She presently serves as POWER’s treasurer. Zoey is a graduate student at Carleton University and has researched sex workers’ clients and BDSM practitioners, with a focus on fighting for the decriminalization and de-stigmatization of sex work and marginalized sexualities.
Brave Lady “if you’re going to be a slut, be a selective one” I don’t know where I heard this, but this made sense to me when I started my journey as a sugar. I am an older “sugar” and I love that I am. Smart, educated, and sophisticated and so ever so happy. I’m confident and shy; one of those introverts that’s hiding in front of you as an extrovert. Good thing I am a Gemini, lol!”
Leah Bee is an activist primarily focused on grassroots harm reduction within the drug using community. A core organizer with Overdose Prevention Ottawa, and now the Harm Reduction Task Force (just to name a few) – Bee has been a sex worker and a person who uses drugs for over a decade. Bee is unapologetically vocal about her experiences with survival sex work and addiction and hopes that by doing so, the need for decriminalization will once again be made self-evident.
Matt, He/Him – I enjoy conversations about pizza, dogs and social justice. I hate bios but understand their need. I guess you want to get to know me…. #voyeurism. Here are a few hashtags that tell you almost a bit more about who I am #decrimsexwork #decrimsubstanceuse #abolishgender #decolonize #u=u
Natasja she/her – I’m a law student and escort who loves antiquing, reading policy, and thigh high stockings with seams up the back. I am passionate about the decriminalization of sex work and abolishing the prison industrial complex (while wearing fake eyelashes of course). I’m the youngest member of POWER and look forward to connecting more with sex workers all over the Ottawa/Gatineau region.
In solidarity,
POWER
POWER is launching an Emergency Fund to provide sex workers with financial support in the form of $100 grants. We know this is not much and is not enough to help with major costs like rent, but we are hoping to assist sex workers in the Ottawa-Gatineau area who could use this for emergency expenses such as food costs and medication.