More than 250 academics, researchers, and harm reduction experts published a formal letter to decriminalize sex work in 2021.
Our goal is to prevent violence against people, prevent human trafficking, and prevent police abuse. What do we think of the study bill? If conducted ethically and with good methodology, we believe the findings will replicate what other studies have shown globally: that decriminalization of sex work reduces HIV and other STI transmission, encourages victim’s reporting, prevents police violence and legal discrimination, and makes it easier to address crimes like rape, robbery and extortion.
Portland Police Bureau and other Oregon police use anti-trafficking funding to place fake ads with the intentions to arrest would-be clients who think they are having an appointment with an adult sex worker. About 90% of their anti trafficking unit funding resulted in prostitution related arrests or citations in the last few years. This does nothing to prevent actual trafficking. This also creates a situation that causes sex workers to be less likely to call the cops when they are in danger, for fear of being arrested, having their assets seized, or worse.
We encourage people who want to prevent abuse of adults and minors to support decriminalization, so that our activities are no longer considered illegal, and so that resources can be used to address actual violent offenders.
How It Started vs How It's Going
2021
January
Representative Rob Nosse sponsored a bill that called for decriminalization of sex work laws, called HB3088. Local advocates and sex workers found each other through social media and in-person networks and formed a small group that was determined to help support HB3088.
The bill was largely unsupported in the Salem legislature. The OSWC was granted one brief hearing for HB3088 but the bill died in session, partly due to lack of support by legislators.
2021
May
An anonymous donor made a large contribution to the OSWC, enabling us to start planning our first event.
2021
July
We host our first Human Rights Commission event in Portland, Oregon on July 15th. For more than three hours, attendees learned how the current partial or full criminalization of sex workers and their clients makes it harder to address victimization, creates underground markets and increases the opportunity for predatory individuals to commit abuses against the most marginalized people in societies.
2021
November
After investigating local arrests in Portland that were improperly labeled as “sex trafficking” by the media and Portland Police Bureau, the OSWC mobilized and testified for six consecutive weeks to Multnomah County Commissioners to raise awareness of this human rights violation and misuse of funds. OSWC Co-Chair Elle Stanger and other sex workers testified to a Portland City Council to end funding of decoy stings, on November 10th, 2021.
2021
November
Johns Hopkins University hosted “Possibilities and Priorities for Marginalized Sex Workers”, moderated by OSWC Co-Chair Bianca Beebe.
2022
April
OSWC hosts its 2nd Human Rights Commission Event in the University of Oregon’s Gerlinger Hall. For two hours, folks impacted by criminalization of sex work give testimony about the impacts of that policymaking. Folks explained how bad laws put them in prison, prevented them from seeking care, or were used against them by their traffickers.
2023
March
Guest Speaker OSWC’s Stoney Faye at University of Oregon, Rally for International Sex Workers Rights Day – Hosted by UO LGBT Education and Support Services
2023
April
Freedom Network USA hosts it’s anti-trafficking conference and our member Bella* gave public comment in front of federal agents about how police stings in Florida had given her three prostitution convictions, made her unemployable with a criminal record, and endangered her ability to parent her children. We at OSWC applaud FNUSA for centering victims of sex trafficking over law enforcement.
2023
May
San Francisco and Online Tribute and Memorial to Carol Leigh, friend of sex workers everywhere and close friend of OSWC’s incorporator and eldest member, Kate Marquez.
2023
June
OSWC members testify to media and legislators on the importance of supporting HB 2501 which later died in session due to lack of engagement from Oregon legislators.
2023
July
Portland Pride at the waterfront allowed OSWC to distribute hundreds of condoms and lubricants, as well as dozens of drug overdose prevention supplies like Narcan, and some specialty items for sexual health, like Plan B. We heard from a surprising number of community members who were grateful for our presence, and disclosed their own personal experiences with sex work to our volunteers.
2023
July
OSWC partners with TOOLKIT to provide free training on trauma education and internal competence. These training sessions are designed to offer skills and knowledge to identify trauma triggers, understand what is happening in the body, and manage these reactions.
2023
July
OSWC partners with ProjectRedInitiative.org to inform and create our Harm Reduction Outreach Program. Free trainings on overdose prevention and direct supplies to venues and individuals is managed by Stoney Faye and can be contacted on IG @naloxonesfavoriteth0t.
2023
August
Governor Kotek vetoes a bill to fund study of the potential impacts and needs of decriminalization of sex work, sex workers respond about our disappointment and her failure to include our needs, despite her history of championing causes for marginalized people like workers, women, parents, and people experiencing homelessness or drug addiction.
Our Work
Our Leadership
Marissa ShoeMaker
Board of Directors
Single and a queer mom of one, I relocated to Salem from Portland a few years ago in search of a stronger tie to the sex worker community. I have several years of experience in both project management and accounting in both reproductive healthcare and in state service. Working for non-profit wages gave me a push to enter into the field of sexwork as a dancer. I like being involved with effort to decriminalize our industry. Criminalization causes sex work to be more dangerous every day and that injustice is used against those who need the most help within the social and justice systems. We need to work together to make this a safer industry by decriminalizing sex work, immediately.
Valentine Von Bettie
Board of Directors
Valentine Von Bettie is a 34 yr old biracial Black queer sex worker who started her career in 2009. She is a community organizer, an advocate for equity among marginalized groups, and current OSWC board member and Co-President. Valentine has traveled nationally and internationally for adult work, spoken on panels, been a guest on podcasts, and has been interviewed many times regarding her experience in the adult industry. Currently working as an adult consensual full service provider, dominatrix, and porn performer she believes dedication to decriminalization allows safer working conditions for all, but especially Black and Brown workers in these trades.
Kate Marquez
Board of Directors
When I was a young mom, I moved to San Francisco to attend college. To support myself and my 9-year-old I went to work at a massage parlor. I worked alongside immigrant women, mostly mothers, who were the support of their immediate families and often of their families back home in their countries of origin. I soon became involved with (then fledgling) COYOTE, the first ever sex workers rights group. COYOTE was founded in 1973 by Margo St. James, who originated the concept of decriminalization. After leaving sex work 40 years ago and returning to Oregon, I'm now re-involved with the issue and with old and new friends. I live in Klamath Falls, where I'm active in my community with non-sex worker issues as well. I'm on Oregon Community Foundation Leadership Council and on the board of Klamath Community College. A chapter of my memoir, How Prostitution Saved My Life, which is also a history of the early sex workers rights movement, is available on the Hunger Mountain magazine website.
Elle Stanger
Board of Directors
Elle is an AASECT certified sexuality educator and longtime adult industry worker, writer, and podcaster who uses their wide social media reach to receive feedback from survivors of exploitation, and consensual sex workers from all over the world and especially in Oregon where she lives. Elle received a BA in Criminology from Portland State University and uses her privileged positionality to teach the impacts of whorephobia and sex-negativity to harm reduction providers such as therapists, counselors, EMTs and other crisis responders. Elle is anti-carceral and has worked as a facilitator for sex worker and survivor specific therapy groups, and as a fundraising-event organizer who co-led Portland Slutwalk, an international movement to end victim blaming and sexual assault. Elle is a co-parent and works in porn, webcam, phone and media sex, stripping, and consensualized-but-criminalized contact work.
Stoney Faye
Board of Directors
Stoney Faye is a 28 year old sex worker, mother, artist, and activist who currently they works full time as a stripper in Portland, Oregon. They have also done online work, full service, and sugar arrangements. Maybe because they're a Libra-sun, Stoney has a deep love for animals, her family, and since they were very young a deep sense of justice. Stoney began graduate school this fall.