IT STARTED WITH A PROTEST.
On June 2nd, 1975, over 100 sex workers began an 8-day occupation at the Saint-Nizier Church in Lyon, France. They demanded the end of fines, stigma, police harassment, and the release of ten sex workers who had been imprisoned a few days earlier for soliciting.
This occupation was initiated to call attention to the increasing violence against sex workers perpetrated by the French government.
It was widely reported both nationally and internationally, receiving support from labor and feminist organizations alike. On June 10th, after 8 days of occupation, the police forcibly removed the women from the church, but their impact marked the start of an international movement.
IT CONTINUES WITH US.
Photo by Danielle Blunt
Photo by Melissa Gira Grant
June 2nd has since become a benchmark day for sex workers all over the globe as International Whores’ Day prompts protests and celebrations every year.
JOIN OUR FIGHT.
In 2022, with the Internet now a site of displacement and resistance, we are protesting the state violence, racism, and stigma-based discrimination that still targets our working communities.
Do you have IWD memories to share?
Please submit your own memories of IWDs from years past as we construct an archive.