'I want to thank the sex worker community': Oscar winners from 'Anora' — about a stripper turned hooker — speak in lockstep



The big winner from Sunday night's Academy Awards ceremony was independent movie "Anora."

It's about "a young sex worker from Brooklyn," who "gets her chance at a Cinderella story when she meets and impulsively marries the son of an oligarch. Once the news reaches Russia, her fairytale is threatened as the parents set out for New York to get the marriage annulled," the Internet Movie Database says.

'Most of Hollywood is trite and banal, but this is wicked.'

The Washington Post noted that “Anora” is "in no way a celebration of the title character’s line of work — Ani (Madison) is a stripper at a Manhattan men’s club who negotiates a week of 'companionship' with the spoiled son (Mark Eydelshteyn) of a Russian oligarch — but in no way does it condemn her, either."

On Sunday night, "Anora" took home five golden statues out of six nominations.

The movie's creator, Sean Baker, won four Oscars for Film Editing, Original Screenplay, Directing, and Best Picture (as one of the movie's producers). Its star Mikey Madison — a first-time nominee — got the surprise nod for Best Actress.

But arguably what stands out most were the acceptance speeches from Baker and Madison, both of whom gave big shout-outs to the "sex worker community."

“I want to thank the sex worker community," Baker told the Academy Awards audience during his speech for his Original Screenplay win. "They have shared their stories. They have shared life experience with me over the years. My deepest respect. Thank you. I share this with you."

Madison during her Oscars speech gave the crowd a near mirror-image of Baker's address: "I also just want to again recognize and honor the sex worker community. I will continue to support and be an ally. All of the incredible people, the women that I’ve had the privilege of meeting from that community has been one of the highlights of this ... entire incredible experience.”

Variety added that during Madison's acceptance speech at the earlier British Academy of Film and Television Arts Awards, she offered similar words: "I do want to just take a moment to recognize the sex worker community. I just want to say that I see you. You deserve respect and human decency. I will always be a friend and ally.”

What's more, the Associated Press said after Baker collected his fourth Oscar, he declared backstage that sex work “has an incredible, unfair stigma applied to it” and offered that it should be decriminalized.

Pushback

As you might guess, not everyone is on board with lionizing the "sex worker community." Here's a smattering of pushback under an ABC News X post about Madison's speech:

  • "There's no honor in being a sex worker," one commenter wrote. "Hope that helps!"
  • "The porn and pimp industries are celebrating, surely," another user said.
  • "Most of Hollywood is trite and banal, but this is wicked," another commenter stated.
  • "Hollywood loves degeneracy," another user wrote. "Who would have guessed?"
  • "Being pro-human trafficking and modern-day slavery is quite the flex," another commenter said.
  • "Don't know who she is. Don't know the movie," another user observed. "But what I do know is that prostitution harms women. It doesn't matter if you give it a PC name so people don't get their feelings hurt. The dehumanization of women through the use of their bodies is nothing to support or celebrate."

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Illinois Democrat Bill Would Legalize Women Selling Their Bodies For Money

The bill ignores the intimacy and vulnerability intrinsic in sex, and the emotional damage sex can wield outside the bounds of love

Convicted rapist previously impersonated his dead police chief father to commit sexual assault; now he's charged with murder



A convicted rapist has been charged with the murder of a Maine woman. The murder suspect is the son of a former police chief and was previously arrested for sexual assault while impersonating a police officer.

On the evening of Sept. 5, the body of 52-year-old Danielle Goodwin was found on an embankment near the sidewalk in close proximity to the Home Depot in South Portland, according to a statement from the South Portland Police Department.

The Office of Chief Medical Examiner in Augusta did not reveal Goodwin's cause of death but determined her death to be a homicide.

The Maine State Police said troopers had arrested 65-year-old Gary Mariner on Nov. 2 in connection with Goodwin's death. The Maine State Police noted that troopers had executed search warrants that fingered Mariner as the suspect in Goodwin's murder.

Mariner's now-deceased father is Herbert Mariner — a former police chief of Cape Elizabeth.

This is not the first time that Gary Mariner has been arrested. In 1978, Mariner was arrested for assault by the Cape Elizabeth Police Department. In 2015, Mariner was charged with gross sexual assault while impersonating a police officer.

According to state criminal records obtained by the Portland Press Herald, Mariner used his dead father’s police badge to pressure a sex worker into having sex with him for free. Mariner reportedly told the sex worker that he was part of a special prostitution unit of the Maine State Police.

The outlet reported in 2015, "He then drove her to the parking lot of Concord bus station at Thompson’s Point, where he pulled a pistol from the door pocket of his Toyota Corolla, rested it on his leg and demanded she perform a sex act on him."

In 2017, Mariner was sentenced to 12 years in prison with all but four years suspended, according to state criminal records.

Mariner was required to register as a sexual offender for life.

Arrest made in South Portland homicide www.youtube.com

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Video: Prostitutes solicit sex right outside Catholic elementary school, police handcuffed after California Democrats passed law to protect transgender sex workers



Parents of children are up in arms that prostitutes are soliciting sex work right outside a California elementary school. Some are saying that a law passed by California Democrats has handcuffed law enforcement in cracking down on sex workers selling their bodies in broad daylight.

KGO-TV conducted an investigation about prostitutes working outside St. Anthony's elementary school in East Oakland. The San Francisco-based news station captured video of sex workers dressed in minimal clothes and stiletto heels walking the streets near the Catholic school to sell their bodies in the middle of the day with students nearby.

KGO-TV reported, "The I-Team captured videos along E. 15th Street outside the school gate on four different dates over the past couple weeks showing young women wearing barely any clothing walking along the school sidewalk, the street corners, or directly across from the school. All of the videos were captured as children were being dropped off or walked into school."

Concerned parent Rosa Vargas told KGO-TV said she sees prostitutes near the Catholic school "every day, during all periods of the day."

Vargas said the sex workers solicit sex so close to the elementary school that they recently "were blocking the entrance of the parking structure" of the school.

"My daughter asked if I liked what the girl was wearing," Vargas said. "I told her don't turn around, don't look. It's not OK."

Speaking about pimps near the school, Vargas said, "They've followed me a couple times."

Oakland City Councilman Noel Gallo noted that he is receiving complaints about prostitutes every week.

Gallo stated, "I get the call saying, 'Mr. Gallo I can't get into my home because the pimp is blocking my driveway.' It's constant."

Gallo said he has seen up to 20 scantily-clad women walking up and down the street, appearing to engage in prostitution. He revealed that some of the girls are as young as 15 years old.

City officials believe some of the women are victims of human trafficking.

Some believe that recent construction along a busy highway caused the sex workers to migrate to residential neighborhoods.

St. Anthony's has requested more police patrols in the area.

However, St. Anthony's pastor Ghebriel Woldai said, "It's not enough. They promised us they will do more presence here."

Woldai said the parish had requested more patrols from the Oakland Police Department for years, but to no avail.

Rodney Pierre-Antoine – who oversees seven Catholic elementary schools, including St. Anthony's – said the hands of the police "are somewhat handcuffed."

Pierre-Antoine is referencing Senate Bill 357, known as the Safer Streets for All Act.

SB 357 states:

Existing law prohibits soliciting or engaging in an act of prostitution, as specified. Existing law also prohibits loitering in a public place with the intent to commit prostitution, as defined, or directing, supervising, recruiting, or aiding a person who is loitering with the intent to commit prostitution, or collecting or receiving all or part of the proceeds of an act of prostitution. Under existing law, a violation of any of these provisions is a misdemeanor. This bill would repeal those provisions related to loitering with the intent to commit prostitution and would make other conforming changes.

Fatima Shabazz of DecrimSexWork CA Coalition – a "coalition of current and former sex workers, organizers, and allies" – said of the bill, "SB 357 repeals a Jim Crow law that criminalized black and trans people in public spaces."

California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) signed SB 357 into law in July, and it went into effect on Jan. 1.

Police officers told KGO-TV that the new law is prohibiting them from rescuing women who they believe are victims of human trafficking.

California State Sen. Scott Wiener – a Democrat who introduced SB 357 – defends the bill.

Wiener argued, "It allowed police officers to arrest a person, not based on what they did, but based solely on how a person looks. So an officer could arrest someone because they were wearing tight clothing, high heels, and extra lipstick."

Wiener's office said, "This criminal provision — arrests for which are based on an officer’s subjective perception of whether a person is 'acting like' or 'looks like' they intend to engage in sex work — results in the disproportionate criminalization of trans, black and brown women, and perpetuates violence toward sex workers."

Wiener conceded, "That footage is very troubling. We don't want sex work and solicitation happening by schools, it's not acceptable for the children and the neighbors."

Wiener said police officers who said they were handcuffed by the new law were "dead wrong," and utilizing a "copout." He alleged that the issue has been around longer than the new law.

He advised police to arrest the pimps and johns.

Oakland officials promise to increase police patrols and install new cameras after the eye-opening report was published.

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Video showing alleged sex workers soliciting outside CA school sparks call for action www.youtube.com

Chippendales hires lobbyists to help secure COVID-19 relief



Chippendales — the company that promotes exotic male dance troupes — is hiring political lobbyists as it seeks financial relief from a potential new round of federal pandemic aid.

Chippendales has retained the services of the white-show law and lobbying firm Greenberg Traurig to lobby for them on a pandemic-era program that was designed to provide relief for concert halls, movie theaters, and other ventures in the live events industry, Politico reported.

Lobbying records indicate that this is the first time Chippendales has retained federal level lobbyists.

The company’s move to hire lobbyists to help them secure pandemic relief shows how business of all shapes and sizes have been significantly impacted by COVID-19.

During the country’s 2020 economic shutdowns, closures hit the entertainment industry, especially live entertainment, hard. Like many other companies across the nation, Chippendales had to adapt to the “new normal” and even had to cancel its “Get Naughty” tour and live performances in Las Vegas, Nevada.

The company’s performers, adorned in their signature bow ties, cuffs, and short-shorts, posted at-home workout tutorials to keep the brand alive since they couldn’t perform. And instead of gyrating for bachelorettes in person, the company had its dancers host half-hour virtual strip teases through video conferencing services like Zoom, FaceTime, and Google Hangouts.

Now, Chippendales’ dancers have returned to the stage and are even joined by Vinny Guadagnino of “Jersey Shore” fame.

Chippendales has hired lobbyists as lawmakers on Capitol Hill are considering one final round of Covid relief that would provide assistance for small businesses including entertainment venues.

Prior to departing for its Easter recess, the US House of Representatives passed a bill containing Covid relief, but this bill faces strong opposition in the Senate where it needs support from at least ten Republicans who, as a party, have appeared hesitant to spend more on federal covid relief amidst of soaring inflation.

That said, Chippendales is not alone in the pursuit of more federal assistance. Trade groups that put on trade shows, convention hosts, and even escape rooms are joining Chippendales to lobby for federal relief.

Previously, concert venues and theaters had been included in federal relief programs that offered them an equivalent to 45% of their gross earned revenue in relief, and the venues were eligible for even more relief from President Joe Biden’s American Rescue Plan initiative.

Despite this being the first time Chippendales has hired lobbyists, the company has previously worked with the government to trademark its signature collar and cuffs outfits.

OnlyFans says it will ban sexually explicit material and social media erupts with outrage



OnlyFans said on Thursday that the company would ban sexually explicit material on its platform and supporters of sex work are condemning the website they accuse of betraying them.

The service had been used by sex workers to provided explicit content to subscribers who paid them in return. That practice will end in October according to a statement from the company.

"Effective 1 October, 2021, OnlyFans will prohibit the posting of any content containing sexually-explicit conduct," the statement read.

"Creators will continue to be allowed to post content containing nudity as long as it is consistent with our Acceptable Use Policy," they added. "These changes are to comply with the requests of our banking partners and payout providers."

The statement went on to say that 2 million creators had earned over $5 billion from 130 million users on their platform.

OnlyFans sex workers and their supporters took to social media to excoriate the service.

"Yes, the onlyfans change is f***ing terrifying, but at least the new rules are intentionally vague in a way that will leave sex workers constantly terrified that they're about to lose a huge chunk of income for doing something they didn't know wasn't allowed!!!" responded comedian Avery Edison.

"Sex Workers are constantly helping build up sites and then getting shafted, and It's f***ing disgusting," said another critic.

OnlyFans creator Darshelle Stevens said that sex workers would find other platforms.

It’s okay, even if OnlyFans eventually folds and/or doesn’t support SW anymore, there will always be new platforms.… https://t.co/BIEH03xCdi

— Darshelle Stevens (@Darshelle) 1629406623.0

Many accused the company of using sex workers to build the company only to stab them in the back.

"I can only imagine how many sex workers are feeling blindsided and terrified for their incomes right now. This is a slap in the face to those who made OnlyFans what it is today," replied Huffington Post reporter Jesselyn Cook.

"OnlyFans would be nothing without the sex workers whose labor built it up into a major platform. Now it's tossing them aside, and removing a vital source of income from a population of workers who are disproportionately marginalized and have no protections under U.S. labor law," responded Teen Vogue reporter Kim Kelly.

"Only fans banning porn is like McDonald's banning hamburgers," said one critic.

Law enforcement has warned that criminals are using platforms like OnlyFans to launder money and worse. In one case in June, a Florida man was accused of allegedly trying to force a woman onto OnlyFans in order to earn money for him.

Here's more about crime on OnlyFans:

The children selling explicit videos on OnlyFans - BBC Newswww.youtube.com

ABC News Runs Shamefully Unbalanced Special On OnlyFans Porn Platform
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ABC News Runs Shamefully Unbalanced Special On OnlyFans Porn Platform

Not only is the ABC News report a shameless breach of journalistic neutrality, it's an unqualified endorsement of DIY pornography.