From Google News:
KOLKATA, India — Hundreds of sex workers from around the world who said they were denied visas to attend an international AIDS conference in the United States began their own meeting in Kolkata on Saturday in protest.
Some 550 representatives of sex workers from India and 41 other countries were attending the seven-day event in the eastern Indian city, organisers said.
From Democracy Now:
Ruth Morgan Thomas: “The Sex Worker Freedom Festival is organized because of the U.S. travel restrictions that prevent sex workers from all over the world going to the Washington AIDS Conference to participate, as we have done since 1988 when the conferences started. And we are here to talk about our rights — of sex workers, that are fundamental to us being able to end AIDS.”
This a pretty badass response to being denied visas.
-SB
