top
International
International
Indybay
Indybay
Indybay
Regions
Indybay Regions North Coast Central Valley North Bay East Bay South Bay San Francisco Peninsula Santa Cruz IMC - Independent Media Center for the Monterey Bay Area North Coast Central Valley North Bay East Bay South Bay San Francisco Peninsula Santa Cruz IMC - Independent Media Center for the Monterey Bay Area California United States International Americas Haiti Iraq Palestine Afghanistan
Topics
Newswire
Features
From the Open-Publishing Calendar
From the Open-Publishing Newswire
Indybay Feature

Jasmine and Dora 4-Ever

by Carol Leigh
We are launching this video on the eve of a debate and vote by the European Union on whether to support criminilisation of clients of sex workers and the buying of sexual services. In 2012 I met and interviewed Petite Jasmine along with Pye Jakobbson from Rose Alliance of Sweden. Petite Jasmine was murdered one year later, a victim of the stigmatisation and legal discrimination that sex workers face. Dora Özer was murdered in a wave of attacks against transgender people and especially transgender sex workers. This video chronicles the efforts of our communities to memorialize Dora and Jasmine.
800_stoppingclients7-43.jpg
In 2012 during the International AIDS Conference in Washington, DC, I met and interviewed Petite Jasmine with Pye Jakobbson from Rose Alliance of Sweden. Petite Jasmine was murdered one year later, a victim of the stigmatisation and legal discrimination that sex workers face. She was an amazing, beautiful, warm and inspiring person. Her observations were profound and her hopeful tone is haunting.

When Jasmine was murdered, a friend of our community, Dora Özer in Turkey, was also murdered, also because of stigma and criminalisation, and in a rash of escalating transphobia in Turkey.

This video chronicles the efforts of our communities to memorialize Dora and Jasmine. We are launching this video on the eve of a debate and vote by the European Union on whether to support criminilisation of clients of sex workers and the buying of sexual services. This system is known as the Swedish Model. According to most researchers, this strategy is greatly responsible for increased violence and discrimination against sex workers in Sweden. But Petite Jasmine will not be that statistic!

Dora Özer was murdered in a wave of attacks against transgender people and especially transgender sex workers. Again, made vulnerable as a result of laws that limit sex workers so severely that vulnerable members of our community are pushed out to the streets with no support. Sex workers around the world are rising up to challenge the prejudice, the violence and all the injustices.

Some might recognise this title from a famous movie in Sweden, Lilja 4-Ever, which invoked stereotypes of sex work. Those who condemn sex workers used that film to proselytise, promoting their anti-prostitution ideology. But our title expresses a new hope. Yes, the victim does exist, but our understanding has changed. The fictional personna is an actual person. No longer will we be victims to prejudice and violence. Sex workers are standing up and speaking out. The whore-as-victim, is not the 4-ever prostitute. Our friends Jasmine and Dora live 4-ever in our hearts and inspire our resistance, courage and honesty. Only rights can stop the wrongs.

Jasmine and Dora 4-Ever
http://vimeo.com/87450331

Please visit our link for further information:
"End Violence Against Sex Workers: Full Decriminalisation Now
in memoriam of Jasmine and Dora. International Day of Protest 19th July 2013"
§Dora Özer
by Carol Leigh
dora_1.jpg
Dora Özer in Turkey was murdered, also because of stigma and criminalisation, and in a rash of escalating transphobia in Turkey.
Add Your Comments
We are 100% volunteer and depend on your participation to sustain our efforts!

Donate

$110.00 donated
in the past month

Get Involved

If you'd like to help with maintaining or developing the website, contact us.

Publish

Publish your stories and upcoming events on Indybay.

IMC Network