For Immediate Release:	May 1, 2007
For More Information:	Melissa Hope, Network of Sex Work Projects (NWSP), melissa@nomadcode.com, - Juhu Thukral, Sex Workers Project at the Urban Justice Center, jthukral@urbanjustice.org, 646.602.5690
Sponsor Organization:	Sex Workers Project at the Urban Justice Center
Tobias was the chief enforcer and mouthpiece of the Anti-Prostitution Pledge, which requires USAID grantees, among others, to denounce prostitutes—the very people whom they are trying to empower and serve.
(New York City, May 1, 2007) – As groups who advocate for the human rights of sex workers, we are not interested in Randall Tobias’ personal life. However, the recent revelations about his connections to an escort agency that operated in Washington DC do cast a spotlight on the ineffective and morality-driven policies that he had been enforcing. Tobias was the chief enforcer and mouthpiece of the Anti-Prostitution Pledge, which requires USAID grantees, among others, to denounce prostitutes—the very people whom they are trying to empower and serve. It is imperative to take away these kinds of moralistic views on prostitution, and to see the reality that many people go into sex work and prostitution for economic stability—to make a living wage that supports their families. For a vast majority of people in the world, including the U.S., there are not many economic options available that pay a living wage. The proponents of the Anti-Prostitution Pledge claim that it will help in the fights against HIV/AIDS. However, sex workers are not the source of the HIV problem—instead, they are a key part of the solution. When they are empowered and their rights are protected, sex workers are able to insist on condom use and take on the role of sexual health educators. It is difficult, if not impossible, for them to mobilize when they are being demonized. The real human impact of the Anti-Prostitution Pledge is that people around the world are being denied the healthcare, rights, and services that they deserve: Brazil rejected approximately $40 million in USAID money because signing the Pledge would interfere with its successful anti-HIV/AIDS program; A class that taught English to sex workers in Thailand lost funding as a result of this policy; In Bangladesh, 16 drop-in centers lost funding when the agency that supported them signed the Pledge—the sex workers affected by this describe it as having lost their home, their family, and their sense of community and safety; and Organizations in India that work to empower and organize sex workers in India have been falsely accused of trafficking the very women that hey are helping. Organizations are so fearful of the political backlash stemming from the Anti-Prostitution Pledge that they are going further than the Pledge may even require, because they do not understand what kinds of programs are banned. For examples, some groups have dismissed sex workers, claiming that they can no longer keep them on staff, and other groups have distanced themselves from sex workers’ groups with which they had worked and whom they had supported. The real hypocrisy here is that people who need healthcare and services, and who need their rights to be protected, are being denounced by those whose stated mission is to help them. The Sex Workers Project at the Urban Justice Center provides legal services, legal training, documentation, and policy advocacy for sex workers in New York City. For more information, please visit our website at: http://www.sexworkersproject.org ###