Living In Community – Balancing perspectives on the sex industry

BALANCING PERSPECTIVES on the sex industry

Living in Community is an innovative community initiative that is working to change the conversations we have about sex work. We believe that everyone has the right to health and safety – from sex workers to residents to businesses.

We bring together groups who hold different perspectives to collaborate for change around sex work issues. We focus on getting at root causes like stigma, poverty and gender-based violence that create vulnerability not only for sex workers, but also for other community members.

We educate, change policies and share our unique model of collaboration with the goal of creating communities that are healthy and safe for everyone.

ABOUT US

Our Story

Back in 2003, violence against sex workers in Vancouver was unacceptably high. Sixty-seven sex workers had gone missing and/or had been murdered in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside.

Our Model

At the heart of the Living in Community model is the bringing together of different groups who are impacted by or have an impact on sex work...

Training and Education

Living in Community offers a variety of workshops to increase knowledge about sex work with a view to improving services and supports for sex workers...

Living in Community: Balancing Perspectives on Vancouver's Sex Industry, is a unique community development initiative that was started in 2004 by a group of community organizations, sex workers, police, government and business, to make communities healthier and safer in relation to the impacts of sex work and sexual exploitation. Looking back to how the project began, the video explores this innovative model and how it has made an impact on communities in Vancouver and beyond.

EVENTS

Safer-Province-for-Everyone-Conference_May-2019

A Safer Province for Everyone: Responding to Violence Against Sex Workers

On May 28-29, 2019, over 130 stakeholders from

across BC came together in Vancouver on the unceded

Coast Salish territories of the Xʷməθkwəy̓əm (Musqueam),

Sḵwx̱w.7meshsi (Squamish), and əsəlil̓wətaʔɬ (Tsleil-

Waututh) Nations to discuss best practices in responding

to violence in the context of sex work. The first of its kind,

the Safer Province for Everyone Conference: Responding

to Violence Against Sex Workers hosted sex workers,

sex worker organizations, Indigenous organizations,

anti-violence organizations, police, three levels of

government, health authorities, social service providers,

legal organizations and others from across the province.

Read the final report here

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