International Sex Workers' Pride Day

History of the Day

June marks International Sex Workers' Day, who celebrate this occasion with pride and demand recognition of their rights. This day dates back to 1975, when sex workers and their allies occupied a church in Lyon, France, in protest against the increased number of arrests of street sex workers, relentless police harassment, and police ignorance in solving murders and other crimes against sex workers.

Protest in Lyon

Workers in Lyon challenged the police to arrest anyone who could be identified as a sex worker in the church, thereby showing that sex workers are ordinary people. At the protest, mainly women with children took a strong stance as a direct action, showing that women who perform work such as sex work are no different from other women who perform other jobs.

Modern Movement

Inspired by this action and in reclaiming derogatory terms of that era, such as 'whore' against women as sex workers, sex workers around the world began to organize, which led to the modern movement for sex workers' rights. The term 'whore' has been enthusiastically reclaimed by sex workers and is no longer an insult. International Sex Workers' Pride Day is a day of pride for sex workers.

Goals of Organizations by Country

Slovenia: The Dobra Družba organization in Slovenia strives to establish the Slovenian model for safe and transparent work. In cooperation with all state services, we want to present safe ways for safe and healthy work in the Republic of Slovenia and establish a mechanism of legal and financial literacy.

Croatia: We invite all sex workers to join us for the purpose of organizing a round table on the topic of the adult industry in Croatia. We have formed the Dobra Družba Croatia cooperative, which will serve as a platform for exchanging information and protecting workers' rights.

Serbia: In Serbia, the goal is to establish the Serbian model of work in the adult industry, based on cooperation and guidance with state services. We will organize a round table on the topic of safe, healthy, and legitimate work in Serbia, which will help shape policies and practices in this industry.

On behalf of Dobra Družba organizations in the Balkans, we wish all commercial sex workers a proud international day. Your efforts for equality, recognition, and dignity are crucial for the progress of our community.