HIV Community Link is one of the Bentley Awards 2017 winners with our Shift Program, which for the past 10 years has provided support, outreach and education for adults involved in sex work. First place was …
Today I Stand up to Disrespect
This article contains potentially traumatic subject matter. December 17th is International Day to End Violence Against Sex Workers. To recognize this day and bring awareness to the experiences of sex workers in our communities, the …
A Q & A with the Counter-Exploitation Unit, Calgary Police Service
December 17th is International Day to End Violence Against Sex Workers. At Shift, we know that many people may not feel able to report situations of violence, assault, and harassment, and to seek support from …
June 2 is International Sex Workers’ Day
June 2 is International Sex Workers’ Day. In 1975, hundreds of sex workers gathered in Lyon, France, to protest their increasingly unsafe working conditions and the violence they were experiencing. Now, in 2017, more than …
March 3rd is International Sex Worker Rights Day
The day originated in 2001, when over 25,000 sex workers gathered in India for a sex worker festival, despite efforts from prohibitionist groups who tried to prevent it taking place by pressuring the government to …
Sex Work and Language, why does it matter?
Language shapes the way we perceive the world around us, how we interact with it, and how others respond in return. If we want to provide the best possible care and support to sex workers, …
December 17 is International Day to End Violence Against Sex Workers. Read Some of Their Stories
! This article contains graphical depictions of violence and potentially traumatic subject matter In Calgary, it is estimated that there are 1000-3000 sex workers, and less than 10% of the sex work occurs on the …
TRANSforming Support Services
The marginalizing of people who self-identify as transgender and in sex work is dangerously compounded by the societal stigma attached to sex workers — putting people at an even greater risk of violence. Shift is committed to pushing back and here for support and advocacy.
Human Trafficking: A Sex Worker Rights & Harm Reduction Narrative
At Shift, we don’t spend a whole lot of time talking about human trafficking.
In 2014, we provided ongoing support and case management to 125 registered program clients; only a handful of these individuals had experienced trafficking. In the 8 year history of Shift, people experiencing human trafficking and other forms of sexual exploitation have remained a small minority of the individuals we support.
What Now?: Sex Work in Calgary Post Bill C-36
When Bill C-36 (The Protection of Communities and Exploited Persons Act) was first proposed the Shift Line phone was ringing off the hook. And honestly, it hasn’t stopped ringing. Sex workers are confused, upset, frustrated, and in general unsure how this new law is going to affect their lives. Many of the people who call us care about following the law and avoiding criminal charges, but these laws are so vague that they just can’t figure out what they can and cannot do.
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