Lighthouse Learning Series: Sex Work 101
Starting in January 2023 and running until April 2023, we will be covering a series of queer harm reduction topics with the goal of creating a more inclusive movement.
Priority is given to those living and working in New York due to program scope. However, the series will be held virtually and is open to all those who would like to build on their harm reduction knowledge to provide better services to LGB/TGNC+ folks!
Session description: HIPS is a full-service community organization that has a growing policy and advocacy department that represent people who are active members in informal economies, including sex workers and people who use drugs. Our harm reduction mission of meeting people ‘where they are at’ is often the topic of discussion, so we do training sessions, community fairs, and seminars for non-government agencies, service orgs, and others interested in the work we undertake on the behalf of our marginalized client base. So, sit back and enjoy as we take you on a tour of what it is we do, who we are, what harm reduction is to us, and how we work on behalf of the sex workers and drug users in Washington, DC.
Facilitator bio: Tamika Spellman (she/her) began advocating in the early 90s as a mouthy homeless transgender woman pushing for positive policy change for trans women in shelters in Washington, DC. Tamika started working with HIPS in June 2017 after being a client of theirs when the organization first opened its doors in 1993. She started by volunteering with mobile services, then moved on to be a peer educator while also working with the secondary syringe exchange program. In 2018, Tamika was promoted to become the Policy and Advocacy Associate, and in 2021 she became the Policy and Community Engagement Manager for the HIPS Advocacy Department. She is dedicated to promoting policies and laws that help those engaging in sex work and drug use.
