MEDIA ANNOUNCEMENT
July 29, 2002
HomoTiller Media Industries and 612 Wharf Ave. Productions present a 21+ benefit party on August 10, 2002, 8 PM at the VooDoo Lounge, located at 2937 Mission St., SF CA 94110 (http://voodoolounge-sf.com) to supplement funding for direct healthcare and social services to adult entertainers and sex workers. Admission is $8.00 + optional donation at the door. Proceeds will benefit direct service & advocacy providers: the St. James Infirmary/,the Exotic Dancers Alliance, and the AIM Health Care Foundation. This is important to us because as the economy, social climate, and other political forces create fewer and fewer economic survival mechanisms, people, particularly women, are faced with fewer choices to generate a living income for themselves and/or their dependents. We acknowledge this is by no means the only reason for involvement in the adult entertainment industry/sex work. We also advocate for the human right to choose a profession and be accorded the same respect and right to services as any other worker.
INTERGENDER WRESTLERS:
There will be DJ's, performances and featured art by sex workers and non-sex workers,intergender wrestling, a raffle, door prizes, and various games for prizes and artwork donated by sex industry vendors and vigorous advocates/supporters of sex workers. All participants are working on a volunteer basis. **If you have a service, performance, equipment, artwork, prize, talent or questions about donations, please contact Claudia at (415) 710 - 2303 or email me. Event volunteers are welcome.** The EDA/SJI will be actively assisting in promoting the event. The information and descriptions below are edited excerpts from agency web pages and written resource material. As details and commitments are confirmed, updates will be distributed.
Confirmed participants/donors: Mr. S Leather and Fetters, Massage/Energy Work by Christine, JOCELYN SUPERSTAR, DAVID STERRY, DJ FRYLOCK, DJ PONE, PEZ, DJ GPS, DJ CHARLEZ, MC SOUMAS, AIM HEALTH CARE FOUNDATION, Craig J., Kirsten L., DJ Neogeo from Canned Beats and countless volunteers for setup, raffle tickets, auctioneer, fabrication and tear down. I thank you all kindly!!
ST. JAMES INFIRMARY / http://stjamesinfirmary.org EXOTIC DANCER'S ALLIANCE / http://eda-sf.org
"The St. James Infirmary is starting a revolution and taking the concerns of sex workers seriously." Dr. Carol Queen, Author, former prostitute and peep show girl.
On June 2, 1999, the St. James Infirmary was founded by COYOTE (Call Off Your Old Tired Ethics) in partnership with the Exotic Dancers Alliance (EDA) and the San Francisco Department of Public Health, STD Prevention & Control Services. They are the first Occupational Safety and Health Clinic for sex workers and operated by sex workers, anywhere. Their Occupational Safety and Health Resource Guide is comprehensive, well researched and up to date. It provides practical information on behaviors, services, self care and community resources for Unlike other health clinics that target sex workers, they are not limited to treating sexually transmitted diseases which are widely considered to be the only occupational hazards for prostitutes, hustlers, strippers, and exotic dancers. "While these are certainly issues for sex workers, by no means do they represent the full spectrum of occupational hazards they face," said Priscilla Alexander, whose vision created the St. James Infirmary. "Often, when sex workers do talk about their work, they find that physicians and other health care providers are only interested in examining them for STDs, and in a disrespectful manner," said COYOTE founder Margo St. James, also founder of the Infirmary. "One way to address this problem is to develop an occupational safety and health clinic for sex workers, which is why we founded the St. James Infirmary." Johanna Breyer, co-founder of the Exotic Dancers Alliance, and Director of Social Services for the Infirmary, explains further, "the mission of the St. James Infirmary is to provide non-judgmental health care and social services for sex workers while promoting empowerment and self advocacy through a comprehensive continuum of services." Clinic: Open Wednesdays 6pm-9pm; Sundays 3pm-6pm 356 Seventh Street, (between Folsom & Harrison) San Francisco Phone: 415.487.5500 jbeda@aol.com Office: 1360 Mission Street, Suite 401, San Francisco, CA 94103 Phone: 415.554.8494 Fax: 415.554.9636AIM HEALTHCARE FOUNDATION / http://aim-med.org
A non-profit corporation created to care for the physical and emotional needs of sex workers and the people who work in theAdult Entertainment Industry. Through our HIV and STD testing and treatment, our counseling and support-group programs. They happily serve the sex worker community and their goal is to provide health care for body, mind, emotion, and spirit. Services are now available to the general public.
The AIM Health Care Foundation was founded by Sharon Mitchell. Miss Mitchell spent 25 years in the Adult Entertainment Industry as an actress, appearing in over 2000 movies, as a dancer performing in venues all over the world, and she has produced and directed over 42 movies. She has been a certified counselor specializing in HIV and Chemical Dependency since 1996.
In 1998 an HIV outbreak in the Adult Entertainment Industry involved many people that Miss Mitchell had worked with when she was in movies. The Industry gave Miss Mitchell the support that she needed to found the AIM Healthcare foundation. A Non-profit organization serving sex workers and the general public in areas of HIV testing, and counseling of many types, including GYN services STD testing and Treatment and Industry related educational groups and videotape informational materials.
Today AIM Heathcare serves over 400 clients a month and is expanding into a larger full service facility to better serve the community. Sharon Mitchell is a known expert and a resource in sexual health and education and has been on many television and radio shows including MTV, HBO, MSNBC, KROQ, LA TIMES, LA DAILY NEWS, ELLE MAGAZINE, POZ MAGAZINE.
AIM Health Care Foundation, 14241 Ventura Blvd., Suite 105, Sherman Oaks, CA 91423
(818) 981-5681 voice, (818) 981-3851 fax, AIM@vgn.com, http://aim-med.org