May 5, 1998

Commercial Sex, HIV And Human Rights at the 12th International AIDS Conference

• A one-day satellite hosted by ASPASIE on Sunday June 28 for sex workers and supporters at a community centre in Geneva. This meeting will be tranlsated to French and possibly Spanish. There is more information about this at the end of this mail.

• A Ball entitled "la nuit du bitume" on the Tuesday night in a grand dance hall. It will feature performance groups of sex workers from India, Thailand and Europe.*

• Three booths at which sex work projects are welcome to display and sell their materials ( e.g. posters, t-shirts) The booths are NSWP/ASPASIE; EMPOWER/Asian Pacific Network of Sex Workes projects and PASST the Paris organisation for transgendered sex workers. As well as displaying material sex work projects are also welcome to contribute to decorating and staffing of the NSWP/ASPASIE booth. The NSWP booth is always a highlight of the conference so please, and for many delegates it is a unique opportunity to discuss sex work issues with sex workers.

• The networking session at the Community Rendez-vous (pre-conference) on Saturday June 27. This will be a plenary session in which each of the sex work networks makes a presentation followed by regional or interest group meetings. The future of the International NSWP will also be discussed.

• A session in the community Symposium (Wednesdsay, 5.30 - 8 p.m.) on developing strategies and advancing the research agenda.

Conference sessions in tracks C and D:

• a session on "Commercial Sex: Female Workers and Male Clients" Tuesday, June 30th,11:00-12:30.

• a session on transgender (transsexuals, transvestites, eunuchs)

• A keynote speaker session on "male sexuality" in which Shane Petzner, the Southern African NSWP representative is speaking

• Two sessions on sexual identity and behaviour among men who have sex with men in industrialised and developing countries respectively

There will be a special reporter for the commercial sex content at this conference. Her name is Bebe Loff and she has kindly offered to summarise the sessions and activities and compile a report of proceedings.

ISWFACE, the International Sex Worker Foundation for Art, Culture and Education will be introduced at the conference. They will hold an exhibition and make a video.

The contact people for the various conference activities are Shane Petzner (South Africa), Smarajit Jana, (India) Sue Metzenrath (Australia) Nury Pernia (Venezuela) Paulo Longo (Brazil), Maya Czajka (Germany), Marianne Schweizer (Switzerland), Norma Jean Almodovar (USA), and Noi Apusuk (Thailand) Most will be on this list and I can supply addresses for those who are not if you wish to contact them.

* Tickets for the ball will be approx. U.S. $3O which means that many delegates from developing countries won't be able to go. Can you sponsor a ball ticket for someone from Africa, Latin America or one of the less developed Asian countries? If so, contact me on CherylOvers@dial.pipex.com I will work out an easy way to get the money (in francs) to Aspasie. We are also looking for a donations towards a drinks reception and lunch at the Sunday conference. Can you help?