Man as Object was a show of visual and video art by women and transgender artists using men and masculinity as their subjects, at SOMArts gallery in San Francisco, November 2011.

I’ve posted the interview in full on the Biological Clock project page.

San Francisco Sex Workers Bare All to Bring Hope
Sex Workers Celebrate A Rare Victory at the United Nations

March 18th, 2011- Scantily clad sex workers and their friends will gather inside the Civic Center Bart Station near U.N. Plaza at 12 noon on Friday March 18th to celebrate a rare nationwide victory handed down from the United Nations. “86 THE VIOLENCE” is an art demonstration drawing attention to the US State Department’s acceptance of Recommendation #86 in the Universal Periodic Review, the UN Human Rights Council’s report card for human rights abuses for individual countries. In accepting Recommendation #86, the US says: “…no one should face violence or discrimination in access to public services based on sexual orientation or their status as a person in prostitution.”

“It’s finally been acknowledged that sex workers are human beings deserving of rights,” said ­­­­­­Patricia West, a coordinator with the Bay Area chapter of the Sex Workers Outreach Project (SWOPBA). This news comes more than 2 years after the Prop. K loss on the 2008 ballot, which would have symbolically decriminalized prostitution in San Francisco.

“In 2008 voters were clearly confused about the difference between sex work and human trafficking,” said Annie Sprinkle, who has been a sex worker rights advocate since 1975. Advocates say that by accepting Recommendation #86 the US has clearly addressed the human rights needs of sex workers, drawing a distinction between consensual sex work and forced labor, “Hopefully this move by the US will better inform San Franciscans and lead to more sensible, effective policies.”

Recommendation #86 equally condemns violence and discrimination based on sexual orientation, “Discrimination against sex workers and discrimination against LGBTQ people are interconnected struggles,” explains Stephany Ashley, Programs Director of the St. James Infirmary. She continues, “Many sex workers are lesbian, gay, bisexual; those sex workers who are transgender experience significantly higher levels of violence. Human rights abuses against sex workers are attacks on the Queer community as well.”

Sex workers say there are complex issues that will have to be addressed to truly improve the U.S.’s human rights status with sex workers. “Poverty, homo- and transphobia and racism are the biggest factors compromising sex workers’ safety,” said artist Sadie Lune, a sex worker participating in the nationwide actions. “Finally, the U.S. is under international scrutiny for its state-sanctioned mistreatment of sex workers. We support the U.N. in taking our government to task and demanding that the U.S. stop allowing sex workers to be the targets of preventable violence.”

A press conference will begin at 1pm during the demonstration inside the Civic Center BART Station near U.N. Plaza. Sex workers and supporters will be available for comment. For more information please contact Stacey Swimme, Communications@StJamesInfirmary.org or 877-776-2004 x 2

More information about Sex Workers and the UPR available at: www.HumanRightsForAll.info

Who: Sex Workers Outreach Project of the Bay Area (SWOPBA), St. James Infirmary (SJI)

What: 86 THE VIOLENCE Art Action and Press Conference

When: 12 noon, Press Conference 1pm

Where: Inside Civic Center BART Station, (nr. stairs leading to United Nations Plaza)

Laura Hautala of the SF Appeal covered the opening of Voluptuary: Expressions of Eros at the Polk St. Good Vibes last Thursday. I talk a lot about sea creature’s turning me on. Slideshow of the exhibit is at the bottom of the article.

31 actions: Crosstraining for Teaching Myself to Love
On my 31st birthday I did a 5.5 hr long performance above the BART station at 16th and Mission in San Francisco. To learn to teach myself, I began by seeking out lessons from others. A few weeks in advance, I asked my community to send me, via email or text, suggestions for actions that took less than 20 mins to complete based on the concept of “Teaching Myself to Love”. I performed/interpreted 31 of the actions I received in the order in which I received them, starting at 11:11 am on 11-11-09.

This was the official beginning of a longer umbrella project “Teaching Myself to Love” in which I proactively explore love and loving in my body, my interactions, and our cultural mythology. Through a variety of actions, small daily practices, performances, and pieces in varying media I work my lover muscles.
I hunt, rummage and probe into relationships with myself/body, sex, romance, family, friends, community, spirituality and the greater world (society and the environment). In a time when there is no clear recipe, regimen, or curriculum to learn love, I will teach myself.

Mabel Jimenez, a photojournalism student at SF State wrote this piece and worked with Lindsey Leake to produce an audio slideshow on 31:Crosstraining… click the yellow bar on the right of the story (under the header Rich Media) for the slideshow/audio. More photos on my performance page.

…and I floss.