When I first began working in the anti-trafficking movement, I had a decade of experience working as a rape crisis center responder. I was familiar with trauma-informed care, non-judgmental provision of services, and the ways in which victim-blaming, rape culture, and sex-negative messaging impact both survivors and our efforts to […]
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Christy Croft, a sex-trafficking survivor and activist, was scrolling through social media in July when they came across a debunked conspiracy theory claiming that the furniture company Wayfair was selling kidnapped children. At the time, hundreds of thousands of people on social media were discussing the falsehood. Croft decided to […]
I was interviewed for this New Republic piece by Melissa Gira Grant on the divide in the human trafficking movement between those who see it as a conservative, anti-sex work, criminal justice movement, and those who understand the human rights underpinnings of any effective anti-violence work. This was not a survivor-led movement […]
I love community-based consent and sexuality education and prevention work, and have been engaged in it for years now, in queer, flow arts, and movement communities. Over that time, I’ve also been working in rape crisis centers on hotlines and facilitating support groups, with access to training and professional development […]
Take up space. As the cycle of the seasons moves through mystery and the glow of a new calendar year fills the horizon, know this: you are allowed to take up space. You will have days where you feel broken. Pour tenderness over your missteps and inadequacies. Love them sweetly. […]
This post is an expansion of a post published at the website of the North Carolina Coalition Against Sexual Assault. I was at a recent gathering of crisis workers when the topic of conversation switched to self-care. With enthusiasm, each of the attendees began to tell us their favorite activities. […]
Sitting in front of the computer, I slowly and intentionally insert earbuds, click to start my favorite writing playlist, and open up Microsoft Word. I feel the tips of my fingers resting lightly on the keys, and notice the slight give of each printed square, glossy in the middle from […]
This post is part of a resource for flow arts and movement communities to address issues of consent and boundaries. You can access the full resource here. Gender, Sexual Violence, Power, and Control, Part Two: Gender, patriarchy, and sexual violence The movement to end sexual violence is inherently feminist. I say this […]
This post is part of a resource for flow arts and movement communities to address issues of consent and boundaries. You can access the full resource here. Gender, Sexual Violence, Power, and Control, Part One: Why we need to learn about broader trends in gender, sexual violence, power, and control Dance […]
This post is part of a resource for flow arts and movement communities to address issues of consent and boundaries. You can access the full resource here. Every movement community is different. This seems the most obvious place to start when considering how boundaries, violations, and safety factor into community […]
I was driving back from the mountains late at night, rain pelting the windshield. “Yeah, my friends are always asking me for sex advice. Sometimes I’m not sure what to say.” Like parent like kid, I think, noticing how they look like a new adult and their adorable toddler self […]
There’s this thing that happens to advocates when the world around us burns with injustice and fury and we shift into what we know, the holding-fighting, fierce-eyed, tender-hearted caring that pours out compassion and links lives with survivors, shedding trails of sweetness as it goes. It’s a professional skillset and […]