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starsbythepocketful12 · 3 years

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headcanons cause i’m in flarrie hours

they are THE couple when it comes to halloween costumes

all their outfits for big events (parties, gigs where dirty candy and/or jatp perform) are coordinated

carrie my femme queen & flynn my nonbinary lesbian darling

go to protests & marches together

flynn lends carrie books by her favorite Black female authors & carrie lends her books by her favorite sapphic poets

they make playlists about each other but the other doesn’t know they do it (julie & kayla are the only ones permitted to know of the existence of these playlists & have been sworn to secrecy, though julie has a strong suspicion carrie also makes playlists about flynn and vice versa)

have a joint pinterest account for their wedding moodboard

carrie adopted a tiger cub and named it flynn for their three month anniversary

they go to the mall together every other weekend and shop, which they both love to do and when they get home they always model the new outfits they bought

flynn squeals every time they see a dog in public and always runs over and asks if they can pet it and carrie always watches her with such a fond look that the owner almost always makes a comment on what a lovely couple they are or asks how long they’ve been together (something that has actually been happening since even before they were dating, and back then you can imagine the flustered ness it caused)

flynn often comes to watch dirty candy rehearsals, cheer them on, make sure they’re staying hydrated/taking snack breaks and that carrie’s not overworking herself

carrie is the first person that flynn tells she wants to DJ professionally and carrie gets her her first gig

eventually flynn gets into producing as well and ends up making a track for carrie, who writes lyrics to it and it becomes dirty candy’s most successful song to date

carrie says i love you first one saturday afternoon while they’re watching a movie on flynn’s computer in her room. flynn laughs at a joke and carrie looks over at her, her beautiful, incredible girlfriend, and simply can’t resist the urge to say it

flynn’s shocked into silence so carrie panics and leaves and doesn’t answer flynn’s messages

that night flynn shows up at the wilson mansion and throws rocks at carrie’s window until she comes out

flynn is upset with carrie for running out and ghosting her and carrie’s trying to defend herself so they argue but then flynn interrupts carrie by kissing her and breathlessly saying, “i love you.” carrie kisses her and not another word on it is said

carrie steals flynn’s hats

they’re not really PDA-y, they just happen to engage in a lot of unconscious, casual affection, like flynn often absentmindedly intertwines their pinkies and carrie doesn’t realize her arm is around flynn’s shoulders until she’s doing it

even after months of dating will still flirt like they’re in their enemies who are secretly very attracted to e/o era

flynn really loves art, particularly murals, so she drags carrie to a lot of gallery openings and museums

at one point when flynn’s going through a hard time carrie enlists all their friends for help making a giant mural full of drawings of things that make her happy

flynn happy cries when she sees it and is pretty much always seen hugging carrie for the rest of that night

only really cuddle when one (or both) of them is sleepy, though flynn does often sit on carrie’s lap

before starting to date, carrie would tease flynn for having stuffed animals during their sleepovers at flynn’s until they started dating and flynn started spending more time at carrie’s and flynn discovers that her girlfriend’s a little hypocrite

flynn has a younger sister and brother (sister is six, brother is four) and they absolutely ADORE carrie and think she’s the coolest and carrie thinks they’re the cutest

flynn’s like no they’re little demons and carrie’s says who says demons can’t be cute? you once called me a demon right, and im cute, aren’t i? and flynn rolls her eyes and fights back a smile

flynn also has a college aged older sister who she looks up to a lot, like that’s her hero and absolute role model, so naturally carrie’s terrified to meet her, and though she tries to appear intimidating at first, she can’t keep up the act for long and starts being friendly with carrie pretty much right away

one day they’re supposed to go on a date but carrie’s sick and forgot to text flynn telling her not to come so flynn shows up at her house but stays anyway to look after her

flynn reads to her and makes her soup

trevor & flynn play video games while carrie naps

flynn makes jewelry in her free time and consults carrie for her thoughts on every piece (in junior year she starts selling them at school & turns out to be quite the entrepreneur)

they have an inside joke about cosmo and wanda

a couple of the dirty candy members sometimes jokingly flirt with flynn and are like “watch out! we’re gonna steal your girl!” and carrie gets possessive and apologizes for it pretty quickly but flynn thinks it’s hot so it works out pretty well

will watch bad rom coms to make fun of straight people and throw popcorn at the screen when they get together

pet/nick names: care, baby, babe, love, (from carrie to flynn who shuts down upon hearing it) honey, (flynn to carrie, who becomes very giddy the first time flynn says it in a text message) sweetheart

if you couldn’t tell before they ofc have an enemies to friends to lovers arc

move in together after graduating, neither planning on going to college (julie goes to berkeley and nick some other place in california where they have lacrosse cause that’s the sport he plays right) and their parents think it’ll be a disaster but it actually goes really well

the first couple of weeks they fight more, all petty arguments mostly out of the stress of moving, but they always talk it out

it doesn’t take long for them to be happy they’re living together and feel really glad they took that step

two years after graduating flynn gives her a promise ring

carrie cries her eyes out and replies “of fucking course, you dumb fuck” when flynn asks if she’ll take it

ten years later carrie’s a successful pop star/choreographer & flynn’s a record breaking producer/DJ and they’re about to buy a house when they realize they never got married

it’s just a moment where they’re relaxing together on the couch and suddenly are like. oh

and proceed to burst out laughing

it’s a small ceremony, thrown together in just three weeks

carrie wears a short, light pink dress with a heart cutout in the back that would probably be more suited for a high school sophomore’s spring fling but no one cares

flynn wears a suit, and is walked down the aisle by her older sister

they both tear up upon seeing each other and sob through the vows (the traditional pre written ones, they wrote vows for each other but they recite them to the other when they’re alone, so it’s something special only they can share)

julie & kayla are the maids of honor, nick and alex are the best men

julie & luke’s five year old hernando is the ring bearer & alex and willie’s three year old umi is the flower child

trevor, flynn’s older sister and parents cry

even flynn’s now teenage younger siblings, who as of late have often been stereotypically cynical and moody shed tears

jatp perform at the reception (they have also become a hit band at this point)

when they get back from the honeymoon the first thing they do is get a dog

they adopt a golden doodle rescue named stella

a couple years later they start talking about kids and look into getting a sperm donor

because they love being competitive they do little games to decide who will be the one to carry the baby

it’s all jokes though, they decided at the start of the process that it would be flynn for the first kid and carrie for the second

but then SURPRISE flynn has twins

a boy and a girl named tyler and ollie (who’s who i won’t tell you cause fuck gender)

they don’t even talk about carrie getting pregnant now cause they’re busy with the babies and trying to manage their careers but one night, when the kids are eight, and flynn has just flopped onto the couch with a dramatic sigh after putting them to bed, carrie puts down her kindle and quietly says that she wants another kid.

they talk for hours because while flynn wants another kid too, when you’re both celebrities with demanding jobs and people constantly trying to peer into your life, that decision involves even more factors

they decide to have another kid and carrie chooses to take a step back from her career for now-she’ll return to it eventually but for now she wants to be able to just be a parent without worrying about work and not have to deal with the guilt that comes with working when she feels like she should be being a parent

though the kids have always been their main priority and they have done quite well dividing their time between work and being with them, and have done decently shielding them from the public eye (majority of the pictures of ollie & tyler that the public has are blurry candids, and the few high quality ones are from when they were three and they no longer look like that anyway so it’s all good)

it’s a harder process for carrie to get pregnant as she’s almost 40 and flynn was 31 when she had tyler and ollie

but it happens though they’re careful about choosing the sperm donor-even briefly consider asking reggie or nick-because with this kind of thing there’s always the risk that other parent could track down where their kid ended up and want to be a part of that kid’s life later on which is uber complicated for many reasons so they get those scary possibilities out of the way by just finding someone who they know wants to be in the child’s life

preston choi, a thai & korean american mathematics professor ends up being their guy

he’s immensely genuine, sweet, respectful, polite, and gentlemanly

when he came out at fifteen his parents kicked him out of the house

it was a long and difficult journey but they’re in a decent place now

but it’s not the family he wants to have and he’s tried but has yet to find a partner

but doesn’t want to wait to have kids so here he is, more than happy to co parent with flynn and carrie

so that’s what they do! tyler and ollie become big siblings to miles wilson-choi on december 10th, 2044

miles grows up in the most multicultural home ever, being fluent in 4 languages (English, AAVE, Spanish thanks to their tia julie, Korean, and Thai) all their life

tyler & ollie welcome preston and miles into the family with open arms, as well as the addition of korean and thai cuisine to the already amazing dinner tables they had of soul and caribbean food

when miles is seven carrie goes back to work full time, with preston’s assurance that he’s got this when her and flynn are busy and tyler and ollie (who are now fifteen) promising they’ll help out as well

at that point the long awaited julie and the phantoms/carrie and flynn wilson collaboration FINALLY happens

flynn wins her 28th grammy for it, leaving her tied with beyoncé for most grammys won by any woman ever (its julie’s 14th, luke’s 6th, and carrie’s 12th, and the band’s collective 10th cause alex never did any solo projects and reggie released one country album but it didn’t win any grammys rip though it was nominated for 2 CMAs)

#whew this got away from me #im sorry idk why this ended up being so long #like i legitimately apologize #idk what happened #long post #jatp #julie and the phantoms #flynn jatp #carrie wilson #carrie jatp #flarrie #flarrie jatp #headcanons

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anotheronechicagobog · 4 years

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The Heroic Heralds of the Hectic Hermann Horde -2- What Is It With Janitors Making Meth In School Basements?

written by: @anotheronechicagobog

Warnings: swearing, coming out, mention of meth lab, canon compliant action, fire safety

A/N: I hope you guys like it, please comment what you think! :)

A/N 2: Can I coin Matt Casey’s disappointed face as the ‘Disappointed Captain America’ face of One Chicago? Pretty please?

Annabelle has a date. With a boy. Granted, she was twelve, and so was the boy who asked her to go with him to the winter dance which would be taking place during school hours with chaperones, but that did not make Christopher feel better. What made it worse was that she hadn’t even told him or Cindy, they had to find out when Kylie came over to see her instead of Lee. Hell, even Lee knew about this boy apparently, so Christopher and Cindy were sitting in their bedroom, completely bewildered, and a little sad that their daughter felt like she couldn’t talk to them about dating and love and sex. Annabelle had gotten the sex talk from school and her mom, she still shuddered when she thought of either, but now her parents were wondering if they needed to go over things again now that she was going ‘out’ with a boy. Were twelve year olds even having sex? They were only in middle school.

Annabelle and Kylie were in the room she shared with Max, going through her clothes. “Do I need to go shopping? I don’t think I have anything good enough. Oh god, what if I look like-”

“Okay, no. Deep breath, calm down. You are very pretty and have very pretty clothes. We’ll find something. I know that the first anything in a relationship is a little nerve-wracking, so just control your breathing and take everything one step at a time. I know that this feels like the biggest deal in the world right now, but you’re twelve, Belle. There is going to be so much time in life for relationships, good and bad, so you don’t need to worry about pushing as much stereotypical perfection as you can into the year before summer ends, okay? Life will and does extend beyond this dance, it’s okay to feel excited but your existence and reality as you know it don’t hinge on this dance. Okay?”

“Okay.”

“Good, now, dress, skirt, or pants?”

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After settling on a flowy dress adorned with purple flowers and low wedges, Kylie managed to talk Annabelle out of makeup. “Just letting you ladies know that dinner will be ready in half an hour.”

“Great, thanks, dad.”

“So, uh, how are things going up here?”

“... Things have been going well, Kylie was just helping me get some things ready for tomorrow.”

“Right, for the dance. That you’re going to with a date.”

“Yeah...”

“Mr. Hermann, would you mind if we got some privacy? Girl stuff, you know?”

“Uh, yeah, sure, sure, I guess. And you can call me Christopher, if you want, Kylie.”

“Okay, I will.” The awkwardness in the room was palpable, Christopher was changing his weight from foot to foot, clearly looking for a reason to stay. “Dad.”

“Alright, alright, I’m going.” He twisted around and exited the room, his heart fracturing a little. He knew that this would happen eventually, he just hadn’t been prepared for it, and he thought that Cindy would be in the loop. Instead it was Kylie, Severide and Kidd’s foster daughter, and Lee Henry’s crush. “Dad,”

“Yeah, Lee Henry? What’s up?”

“She’ll be fine. I know that you worry, but she knows how to handle herself and I’ve met Alex, nothing bad is gonna happen.”

“How come you knew about all of this before I did?”

“Easy, you don’t understand emojis.”

“Are you saying I’m old?!”

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Annabelle wasn’t out of her room by the time Cindy had to drive Christopher to the station. Something that deeply disappointed them both. “Okay, Belle, they’re gone.”

“Thanks Max.”

“No problem. You look really pretty today.”

“Thanks.”

“Come on, mom made muffins and Lee said we need to get going.”

“Is he going early to meet Kylie in the library again?”

“Yeah. Could he be anymore obvious?”

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Annabelle was jittery all day. This wasn’t just her first date, this was the first time she was going to publicly acknowledge that she might be a lesbian. She was only twelve, almost thirteen, so she wasn’t going to label herself definitively just yet. Her classmates were relatively progressive, so were her parents, but there were still bad seeds and hidden doubts. Her dress was soft and she was doing everything she could to resist bunching her hands up in the cotton skirt, or run her hands through her styled hair. She chewed her lip, tasting the grape chapstick on her lips. The words of her science teacher fell on deaf ears. When the bell rang she jumped out of her seat, she fumbled, embarrassed, for a moment before she realized that most of the class was acting the same way. The only thing left between her and the dance now, was lunch. Her stomach was so coiled and heavy from nerves that she didn’t think she’d be able to eat. She didn’t feel like just sitting with her friends either, they didn’t know who she was going with and Annabelle knew that they’d know something was wrong with her the second she made eye contact. So she decided to sit by herself at the small old desk in the back corner of the library. The usual smell of musty books, old wood, and 80’s carpet weren’t the only ones to greet her. She was also met by sweat and spices. “Hey Belle.”

“Hey Lee... What are you doing here?”

“I know that you’re nervous, and I know that when you get nervous you feel like you shouldn’t eat, but you only ate half a muffin this morning. So Kylie and I thought we’d bring you your favourite takeout.”

“Curry?”

“Of course.”

“I love you guys.”

“We know. You don’t have to be nervous Belle, I’ve met Alex. She’s sweet and very obviously has a crush on you. Just take a deep breath, okay? Everything is gonna go well. Just take a deep breath and eat your food, we don’t need you fainting while you’re on your first date with ‘the most beautiful girl to have ever existed’ now do we?”

“Hey! I told you that in confidence!”

“Lee stop teasing your sister.”

“But-”

“Ha! You heard Kylie, your girlfriend says you can’t tease me about mine.” Annabelle stuck her tongue out and began to eat, secretly delighted in how red Lee’s face turned.

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Annabelle was still wracked with nerves but she felt better after eating with Lee and Kylie. Partly because her brother was right and she did need to just eat something, and partly because Kylie helped fix her hair and dress before they returned to their high school a block away. Annabelle walked into the darkened gymnasium. The decorations were cliche, a little tacky, and visibly worn, probably used year after year. She waited in the far right corner, where she and Alex had agreed to meet. As cheesy as it sounded, she felt her heart skip a beat when she saw Alex. Alex looked beautiful. Annabelle had thought about this moment, she thought she’d fumble, be awkward and stutter. Instead, she felt confident for the first time that week. When Alex got close enough Annabelle smiled and wrapped her arms around a shy Alex and kissed her on the cheek. “You look amazing.”

“You too, Belle, wanna dance?” Annabelle nodded enthusiastically as High Hopes started blare through the old glitchy speakers. But neither Annabelle or Alex cared, they jumped and danced and twirled, the skirts from their dresses swishing around them, never unclasping their hands. Smiling and panting they broke off to the side after dancing nonstop for forty minutes. They walked over to the water fountain jovially with their pinkies intertwined. The cool water helped control their hot faces as they talked about their mutual love of the Percy Jackson series when- boom. There was a small explosion below them and everyone was knocked off their feet. Alex and Annabelle’s eyes met, horror and fear building inside of them was interrupted by the fire alarms going off. Annabelle jumped up, face heard and eyes calculated. “Go out the fire doors and call the fire department when you get outside.”

“Belle, you can’t stay-”

“Go Alex, and don’t look back or stop for anything!” Annabelle shoved the other girl towards the door before moving back into the gym to direct an evacuation. She gave orders with a commanding voice and firm stance. She began directing her panicked peers, to prevent trampling, outside through the gym’s fire two doors and through the doors outside of the gym on each end of the hall all of which lead outside. Though the doors at the end of the hall each lead into a small alcove/entryway lined with windows that had the doors that actually lead outside. Annabelle darted in and out of the bathrooms quickly, to make sure there weren’t any stragglers. She knew she was smart to do that when she found three boys from her math class huddled together on the floor. “Get up! We need to evacuate the building!” A couple of the boys scrambled to get up but one had to be dragged to his feet by Annabelle and hauled out the door by her as she led the boys to one of the gym’s fire doors because the door to the exit they’d been closest to was really hot which meant the fire was near. Just as she was about to test the temperature of the door with the back of her hand, uncle Matt burst in, with Gallo and auntie Stella behind him. “Stella take Annabelle and the boys straight to 61. I’ll radio Hermann and let him know she’s safe.” He turned to her and levelled her with his ‘Disappointed Captain America’ face, “you are in so much trouble.”

“The- uh- the doors to exit the building near the track, they have a door to the basement in the same alcove as the second doors that actually lead outside. We were gonna leave that way cause it’s closer but the doors were hot, we didn’t stick around to see if there was smoke.” Her voice was quiet and she hung her head in shame for a moment before following Stella and the boys to ambulance 61. Auntie Sylvie met her eyes and opened her mouth to speak, ask how she was feeling no doubt, but was interrupted by her father wrapping her in a bear hug. “Damnit Annabelle Sarah Hermann! What were you thinking?! Why on earth would you stay in the building?! You should have evacuated with the others-” Hermann cut himself off, tensing and slowly turning to level each of the boys she’d rescued with a glare. “Is one of them Alex? Did you stay in a building you knew was dangerous because of a boy?!”

“What? No, dad, okay first of all, I stayed only long enough to make sure no one was hiding in the bathrooms. You’ve told us a thousand times that people think it’s a good idea to hide in there when it’s really not. Second... Alex is a girl. She, uh, I actually can’t see her... I made her leave first, but I don’t see her- what if-”

“Hey, hey, hey, we’ll- uh, we’ll find her.” Hermann helped her find Alex, she was sitting with a bunch of students on the track field and tackled Annabelle when she came into sight. Their hugging on the ground was interrupted by the principal announcing that everyone was being taken to the hospital because the small explosion came from a meth lab in the basement of the school, and everyone needed treatment from exposure to the chemicals, both from the explosion and from vapours that were created during the process and had been around long-term and explained the increase in asthma attacks at the school. While the staff was arranging for the bus to come transport the students and for the parents to meet everyone at Gaffney, Hermann signed Annabelle out and had her ride with Engine 51 to the hospital. “So... You’re gay?”

“I don’t know, I mean I am really young, but I definitely feel some romantic attraction towards girls... Is that okay?”

“Of course! I admittedly don’t know much about discovering sexualities, but I do know that it’s completely normal. I just, I’d like for you to know that your mom and I love you no matter what and that this won’t change anything.”

“Thanks dad. I love you guys too.”

“... So... Alex seemed nice, when are you gonna invite her over for dinner to meet the family?”

“Ugh dad!”

#One Chicago #Chicago Fire #Christopher Herrmann #matt casey #stella kidd #Kelly Severide #kelly severide x stella kidd #stellaride #blake gallo

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thisisjustforschooldontlook-blog · 5 years

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ENG 230 Blog

Blog 1-Rear Window

Rear Window is the perfect example of the male gaze. Jeff finds himself privy to the actions of his neighbors around him as he recovers from an accident. Mulvey talked about in her article how at the core of the male gaze, there is a voyeuristic base. The audience can clearly see this as Jeff watches his neighbors from his window. Lisa even tells Jeff to leave his neighbors alone and that some things must be private. The way Jeff and his friend (forgot his name) talks about the dancer is a very male gaze. Her character exists for this sole purpose. She also only interacts with men throughout the film and has no girlfriends come over. I do not think it is totally far fetched to think that a woman living alone has friends and would like them to visit but I digress. Rear Window is a backhanded compliment to women. Backhanded in the sense that even when it seems like the women in the film are being strong and independent, it is for the sake of a man. For example, Lisa although she was super cool in my opinion, only gets her cool moments because she is trying to prove to Jeff throughout the whole film that she is worth marrying. I mean what is the point of having an empowered and feisty female character if the director or writers make the woman revolve around a male love interest? The audience can also see the male gaze in the way that Lisa interacts with Jeff. She always looks visually appealing but the actress truly had the misfortune of having to memorize and repeat some misogynistic lines. Lines that have Lisa wondering why Jeff does not think he can marry her or if she is good enough for him. Another proof is also the way that Lisa has to drag Jeff away from the window in order to get him to look at her through a romantic lens. Jeff only turns his head after Lisa sits in his lap which gives off a fan service-esque vibe. Ultimately all these proofs show why Mulvey would go and write an article about this film and how it relates to the male gaze. Rather than relate, this film is the poster child for the male gaze. Rear Window utilizes the male gaze in order to help the audience take note of what is important versus unimportant information. This is a detective thriller so the audience has to watching and paying attention to every detail. It seems weird but using the male gaze worked for this film.

Blog 2- Where Are My Children

Where Are My Children? is quite an interesting film. I found myself trying to figure out whether the film was pro-choice or pro-life. I am sure my initial response sounded just as confused as I was. However after a quick glance once more at the article provided for the film, I felt as though the dots were starting to connect. The film is not a pro-life or pro-choice film. This is a film that primarily deals with eugenics. Eugenics, Darwin is giggling in his grave somewhere. How is Where Are My Children a film about eugenics as opposed to a cookie cutter pro-life or pro-choice film? The way the film opens up with the story told as the babies return paints the film to be some sort of pro-life propaganda. However, there are multiple cases within the film that the audience finds themselves hearing cases argued for birth control and family planning. However, the case for eugenics comes into play once the audience realizes that birth control is only supported for people who society deems as not good enough to procreate. The young woman who ends up getting a botched abortion is just a servant or low social standing. The characters do not even hesitate to offer this kind of ‘help’ to the poor or ‘loose.’ However for someone as well off and with the social standing Edith has. The film even makes the argument that women should have a choice in case they do not wish to put their career on hold in order to raise a baby. Edith is one such woman. However, it is only egregious that she aborts her children because she is viewed to be worthy of reproduction. Someone like Lillian, however, does not even get an eye batted in her direction as the audience can see with the reaction of her would-be lover. Lillian’s lover throws her away just as easily as Edith makes the decision to terminate her pregnancies. By seeing something like this play out on the big screen, the audience can see how this film is neither pro-life or pro-choice, rather pro-eugenics. The pro-eugenics is seen in the way the court handles the doctor is standing trial for performing abortions and the way the women treat their abortions most specifically Lillian’s. All things considered, this film does a good job of keeping the audience guessing as to what kind of politics this film is.

Blog 3 Cleo

Is the ending of Cleo a happy ending? During this week’s google hangout, Professor Tolliver had me thinking really hard about this question. I truly believed up until he questioned it that Cleo really did have her happy ending. She found out that although she does have cancer, her cancer is treatable and she should be fine. However, there are many loose threads still hanging. Cleo does indeed have cancer so for all intents and purposes, she is dying. So the entire film when she is going around voicing her worries and concerns and allowing herself to entertain thoughts that she otherwise would not, is actually for a good reason. Regardless of whether or not she was sick, it is ok to be scared of one’s own mortality. The documentary cinematography style harkens back to the French New Wave. With this documentary style, one can experience events just as Cleo experiences them. In essence, rather than watching Cleo in a voyeuristic manner, the audience instead gets to be Cleo’s eyes and ears and be privy to her inner thoughts. Going back to my original point, is the ending a happy or sad one? This ending is a true open ending. Cleo does have cancer and given that the film takes place in the early 60s or late 50s, it is safe to say that medicine is not the most updated aspect of life. So while her cancer may be ‘nothing to worry about so long as she gets treatment’ there are still many ways in which cancer could spread and eventually claim Cleo’s life. Also, what if she gets treatment and gets an infection and dies as a result of that. So while things are looking up for Cleo, perhaps the ending is merely an open one instead of sad or happy. However, one thing that can be agreed upon is the fact that Cleo has most definitely changed. She has changed in regards to her perspective on life and what she cares about. This whole event has served as the ultimate introspective experience. Cleo may be happy at the conclusion of the film, and the conclusion itself may leave room for many questions, but Cleo has Antoine. Antoine goes against the average male love interest which is a direct relation to the French New Wave movement. The French New Wave can be seen throughout the film. Perhaps this stylistic choice is the reasoning behind the conclusion we get.

Blog 4 Watermelon Woman

I always find it rather enjoyable when I see multiple types of gay in a film or show. I find that many media outlets add to the stereotype problem for the LGBTQ+ community. In Watermelon Woman, there are many types of lesbians. Cheryl is the type of lesbian you do not find in excess in media. Most lesbians, back lesbians especially, are hypersexual and sexualized by the male gaze. However, this film does its best to avoid catering to the male gaze. Cheryl is the kind of lesbian that just wants to go about her life furthering her career as opposed to chasing her next tryst. The issue that Tamara has with Cheryl is that Cheryl ends up having a fling with a white woman? Is there an underlying issue when it comes to interracial romantic relationships, particularly the queer ones? Yes, there is. When embarking on in a mixed-race relationship, there is always an inherent worry for fetishization. Cheryl experiences this worry through Tamara. There is also the unease of being outside of one’s culture. The idea of someone betraying their culture just because they date outside of it is absolutely silly, however, it is something Cheryl has to combat throughout the film. This problem leads to the other main problem found in this film. Why are queer women of color so underrepresented? Queer women of color are underrepresented because they are not what society deems are good enough to watch on the big screen. Queer women of color more often than not find themselves subjected to stereotypical roles and find themselves fetishized not only for their sexuality but also for their skin color. This film is a case for why queer women of color should be given a chance on screen. The audience gets to experience a hard working queer woman of color, Cheryl and has the privilege of joining her on the adventure of a lifetime.

Final Blog Post

Rear Window tackles the issue of the male gaze throughout the course of the film. Mulvey points out that the film itself is rooted in a voyeuristic manner which allows for the audience to see the actions of Jeff’s neighbors. This, through the looking glass bird’s eye view, allows for the audience’s perspective to feel somewhat invasive. Stella Dallas deals with a mother-daughter relationship, but most specifically Kaplan talks about and focuses on the figure of the absent mother. This idea of there being such a high bar for mother’s to reach in order to be looked upon favorably by society. Kaplan especially focuses on the double standard for mothers and fathers. Stella is held to the high standard which she ultimately feels unable to meet, however, her husband is not held to any such standard. This is absolutely ridiculous seeing as Stella’s husband is a part-time father if anything. Where Are My Children deals with the issues of abortion, family planning, among other things? The film paints itself in a pro-choice versus pro-life debate, however, it ends up falling into the argument for eugenics. While reproductive rights are a very feminist quality and topic to speak on for a film, eugenics is such a far fetched and baseless practice that Where Are My Children most definitely loses the running for a genuine feminist film. Dance Girl Dance definitely shows its feminist tendencies a lot more clearly when compared to the other films we have watched through this course. For example, Bubbles plays the system for lack of better words. She finesses the system in order to suit her needs. What is more feminist than a woman using a man’s privilege against him in order to help her gain ground in life, career, and relationships? Cleo is an interesting film to enter into the battle for the most feminist film we have watched in this course. While I agree that Cleo as a character can seem rather feminist, I would argue that the film does not do enough to be considered the most feminist of all the films we watched. If I had to choose a favorite film throughout this course, it would be The Piano. This film really surprised me. All of the symbolism present throughout the film is enough to make an English major’s mouth water at the chance to dissect. While there are many hidden contexts in this film such as power dynamics in relationships and empowering women, which are very feminist, the main character ultimately seems a tad more romanticized than I would like. Fat Girl makes a compelling entry and in my opinion, comes second to the most feminist film we had the pleasure of viewing. Fat Girl tackles some very taboo topics such as teenage sexuality and rape. I find that there are many times where people like to ignore a sexual violence scene in films just because it makes them uncomfortable. The fact of the matter is, the director included it for a reason. You may not need to watch it, but you must at least try to figure out the purpose of such a traumatic scene. Rape scenes do not just get thrown into a story. Keesey likes to unpack all the hidden context behind Anais’s rape, however, despite the empowering look into rape and rape culture as well as rape fantasies, the voyeuristic feel, although intentional, leaves me feeling weird about making this film number one on my list. Which lastly leave Watermelon Woman. Watermelon Woman is a work of art in my opinion. This film needs to be a requirement for everyone going to school for the humanities. This film is ripe (pun intended) with many interdisciplinary topics. The reasoning behind my choice is simple: Inclusivity. Throughout all these films, there has been very little diversity and Watermelon Woman has just that. Not only does the film showcase a woman of color as the lead, but also a lesbian woman. Queer women of color are the most underrepresented diagraphic. On top of the representation and diversity, this film also covers a number of hot feminist issues. Sexuality, hypersexuality, fetishization, and interracial fraternizing are all issues that are covered in this film. Between Cheryl having to navigate the waters of figuring out what kind of lesbian she is versus having a white romantic partner. Is Diana with Cheryl just for her skin color? Tamara would like to think so. Not to mention that Cheryl’s entire purpose for making the film is in order to bring to light the issue of black women being absent from the film. Watermelon Woman may not be an overly flashy film, but it is a film that does justice to the word feminism. Feminism does not always have to be loud and ostentatious. It can also be inside voices but firm. For all these reasons, Watermelon Woman is the most feminist film we watched throughout this course.

I would also like to say that Fat Girl was really close but I just felt as though it would be socially unacceptable to choose a film like Fat Girl and say that it was the most feminist.

Extra Credit 1 400 Blows

I would first like to start off this post by saying that 400 Blows feels very similar to Cleo. As I am sure this was intended, I will talk about the similarities between these French films. First the cinematography. Cleo and 400 Blows both are some long shot sequences. While 400 Blows may have been the only one of the two films with a freeze frame, there are some shots in Cleo that do appear to stand still. However, shifting back to the longshots, when Cleo is walking around the coffee shop while contemplating her mortality, this long continuous shot is reminiscent of when Antoine is running away from the youth center in order to escape captivity and get to the sea. I would argue that you can see aspects of the French New Age in 400 Blows. For example, most movies rely on a happy ending, but much like Cleo, 400 Blows ends with an open ending as opposed to a happy or sad ending. One may feel sad for Antoine’s situation but in actuality, he seems to be surviving just fine. He even gets to see the sea at the end of the film so there are happier layers to the conclusion of this film. There are other similarities between the two films as well. For one Antoine and Cleo, both have experiences that lead to some much-needed introspection. For Cleo, she looks deep inside herself to figure out what is import in life, at least to her. It seems confronting one’s own mortality can be quite the spiritual awakening. As for Antoine, he learns about who he can and cannot trust. Unfortunately for him, he learns that he cannot trust his mother or his stepdad. Aside from his one trustworthy friend, Antoine has no one. A second similarity and a rather obvious one is the fact that both films are filmed in black and white. Throw in another similarity when you notice that both films are French with French spoken dialogue. 400 Blows is not necessarily a cinematic masterpiece, but it is a film that succeeds in getting the audience to think about life. Maybe not of mortality like Cleo, but certainly this notion of what comes next. Both of these films project an air of what comes next? It leaves the audience wanting to know what happens when everything falls back into place. Truly these films exemplify open endings.

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understandingsexwork-blog · 5 years

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Understanding Sex Work and Applying an Intersectional Lens to Provide Resources to Grand Rapids Sex Workers

By Lauren Monahan, Kayla Kaminski, Marissa DeGonia, and Larenz Rivero

Sex work can be defined as a commercial exchange of a sexual service for money or other benefits such as housing, transportation, drugs, or more. This term is used to describe a wide range of transactions, and does not mean that all sex workers are one homogenous group. Some types of sex workers are escorts, exotic dancers, dominatrices, phone sex operators, sensual massage professionals, actors in adult films, or other professions that involve the trade of sex or erotic performances (Avenatti). Most frequently, the definition of sex work is limited to work that explicitly either involves sex or sexual gestures. This neglects the emotional work that takes place in the sex work industry and provides a limited scope to the needs and experiences of sex workers.

The language we use when speaking about sex work is important. The way we talk about sex work is not neutral as it influences the way people think about sex work and the way policy is created (Stella 2013). The language used to describe sex work and sex workers varies depending upon the type of sex work, the region, and the historical context. The language we use explains the differences in the histories of different kinds of sex workers, and the language used is often times framed in a very stereotypical and simplistic way. This erases the complexity of the lived realities of sex workers, whether they be good or bad (Stella 2013). Because the words that sex workers use to describe their experiences and their identities can be used to discredit them and enact violence, the words they themselves use may differ depending on who they are communicating with. While within their respective communities they may respect everyone’s choice of language to identify themselves, they may not use the same language when talking to people outside of that community. In this light, it is important to remember that language is culturally and linguistically specific and means different things depending on its translation and cultural context. The difference in language used is complicated and has many layers, but when an intersectional lens is employed we can begin to see how word choice intersects with intention and meaning.

For example, when speaking about consensual and forced sex work, there is a tendency to rush towards distinguishing between the two terms. It may be easy to draw a strict line in saying that consensual sex work is done by choice and forced sex work is not work, but rather abuse or assault. While it is important to acknowledge the difference between the two, there can be unintended consequences of doing so. By having a public opinion that sees sex work within this binary, the perspective that some sex workers should be blamed and criminalized while others should be victimized and saved becomes prominent. This can lead to a black-and-white public thought around the issue that can silence the voices of actual sex workers within the profession. Another unintended consequence is that it obscures the difference between good and bad working conditions (Stella 2013). Although workers may consent to the act, they may not consent to the working conditions they experience. A person may consent to a certain act but feel forced to do so in an area or setting by outside forces. This is why it is important that sex work is looked at through an evidence based, human rights advocacy lens. If we start raising the voices of sex workers over those that seek to simply criminalize or victimize them, we can start to move towards improving the conditions that all sex workers operate within so that each worker has the opportunity to decide what, where, and how they should perform in their profession.

Another complicated and racialized aspect of language present in sex work discourse is that around the word ‘pimp’. This word indicates a gendered, racialized, and classist image of who third party managers are in the industry (Stella 2013). This erases the diversity present amongst third party roles and creates a damaging narrative against poor men of color. By using the word ‘pimp,’ porn directors and producers, massage parlor managers, and escort service managers--as well as their potentially empowering or exploitative techniques are ignored.

Sex Work and LGBTQ Experiences

In an interview with the three New York City based activists Amber Hollibaugh, Ignacio Rivera, and Felix Gardon, sex work in relation to queer politics is explained. Sex work has always had a place amongst queer and trans communities. It has been both a source of income and livelihood as well as an issue that has shaped “the space between social and political margins and the centralities of queer and trans communities” (Shah 2012) It is impossible to speak about sex work without acknowledging its deep interweaving history with trans and queer communities, as well as how it intersects with race. The intersection between the marginalized identities of queer and trans people with the marginalization of sex workers cannot be ignored. It is the social factors around sex work, HIV transmission, poverty, and incarceration that connect to form a more complete picture of how sex work is neither victimless nor fully suppressive.

Sex work for many is seen as a problem, with sex workers being the victims. Amber Hollibaugh explain how the relationship between victimization and self empowerment through sex work is complicated. For Amber and many sex workers she knew, sex work was a privilege compared to the other options available. There were many reasons as to why people consensually choose to engage in sex work. People choose to do sex work during times of unemployment, as a way to do community organizing, or because their marginalized identities left them with few other choices.. For others, like activist and sex worker Ignacio Rivera, sex work was a way out of poverty while also being an avenue to pursue activism they felt other lesbian and gay organizations were ignoring. Others became sex workers to pay for school. Regardless of the reason, there are many workers who engage in sex work while also holding legal jobs to support their financial needs.

Historically, the lens that non-normative sex has been perceived through has conflated LGBTQ identities and sex work. To the police in New York, during the 1960’s-1980’s, being visibly LGBTQ was indicative of being a sex worker and LGBTQ people were incarcerated at high rates. At the time, people could be arrested for prostitution for merely carrying a condom on them. Hallibaugh reports that about half of the sex workers she worked with in New York City were “endlessly incarcerated” (Shah 2012). By understanding the way that LGBTQ narratives are intertwined with the negative narratives of sex work, we can better see that sex work is not inherently problematic, just as LGBTQ identities are not. Rather, society’s notion of normative sex and bodies creates problematic situations for sex workers.

The successful attempt to marginalize and stratify sex work is a function of a greater cause to regulate bodies. Bodies “have been regulated by the state, starting with slavery and forced sterilizations, to the scare tactics around HIV and STDs and sex work” (Shah 2012). This is all to dictate the way that people should use their bodies, and when those people do not use their bodies in that way they are ostracized, marginalized, and discriminated against. This leads to violence against sex workers and marginalized groups that is validated by the underlying ideologies set forth by the state. By looking at the ways that bodies have been controlled throughout history, we can see that bodies are and have been controlled by race and sexuality, where black people are the most controlled and sex outside reproduction being considered immoral or vagrant. This, allows us to see the multiple societal forces that stigmatize sex work.

In order to create safer environments and long lasting ideologies that destigmatize sex workers, sexual liberation must be considered. By seeing sex work as a path to sexual liberation, we get closer to seeing sex work as legitimate work. It is important to validate this profession because it leads to more open discussions that focus on harm reduction and prevention for the sex work industry. By removing the negative stigma from sex work and legitimizing it as a form of work, LGBTQ people and other marginalized groups who have been ostracized from other forms of normative work because of their identities have a legitimate avenue to make their living and to create community.

Overall, this change to destigmatizing and decriminalizing sex work allows individuals to express their own bodily autonomy, reduces the power of the state in regulating bodies, and works towards expanding the narrow category of what normative bodies must be and how they must act. The activists interviewed assert that we need to see race, class, gender, and sexuality as intersecting and to see the way that power constitutes them.

Decriminalization vs. Legalization of Sex Work

There has been debate over whether decriminalization is better than legalization of sex work. Distinguishing the difference is vital in terms of legislation regarding sex work. Although both legalization and decriminalization sound appealing for the rights of sex workers, the former carries with it many unintended consequences.

University of Rhode Island professor Donna Hughes explains the two terms as follows: “Legalization would mean the regulation of prostitution with laws regarding where, when, and how prostitution could take place. Decriminalization eliminates all laws and prohibits the state and law-enforcement officials from intervening in any prostitution-related activities or transactions, unless other laws apply.” Even though legalizing prostitution is often seen as a tolerant, practical solution, the legalized model “disproportionately excludes sex workers who are already marginalized, like people who use drugs or who are undocumented”, Smith argues. One key fact to remember is that those who resort to sex work as an occupation are often doing so as means of support for their children and/or living expenses. Research has shown that criminalizing the acts of sex workers “creates conditions of impunity and enhances sex workers’ vulnerabilities to violence and exploitation, including trafficking.” Therefore, those that make a living doing sex work in a society that criminalizes it are forced to work in more vulnerable situations, increasing the risk of abuse, violence, and sex trafficking. Another reason sex workers may not prefer legalization is that it provides a new system for controlling bodies, which is exactly the opposite of what sex workers want from legalization (Lutnick 2009). The process it takes to legally work in the sex industry is extensive and requires getting permits and subjecting oneself to medical exams. By placing standards of who can do sex work under a legalized system, bodies are controlled and deemed acceptable or not for sex work.

Failing to comply with the legal rules of sex work would make a sex worker a criminal. The consequences of having sexual crimes on one’s record range far and wide, further marginalizing sex workers. Having a charge for prostitution, for example, can affect housing, employment, and the opportunity to receive social benefits. This further limits the chances of getting out of the sex work industry if one wishes to do so.

Many sex workers have opted for decriminalization instead of legalization (Lutnick 2009). It provides freedom, safety, and support while allowing people control over their own bodies. Decriminalization would essentially make sex work operate as any other business would. This would enable workers to seek out legal help and support to deal with exploitive and unsafe working conditions. It also allows sex workers to be able to employ the police for their protection, which would reduce the amount of immobility experienced by sex workers who may be trapped in bad situations. By decriminalizing sex work, the process of de-stigmatizing sex work is furthered and open negotiations create consent and safer conditions.

An article in the AMA Journal of Ethics by Erin Albright and Kate D'Adamo argues four reasons to oppose criminalizing sex work:

increased violence

erosion of trust

increased vulnerability

stigma

When sex workers are pushed into more vulnerable communities, not only does their risk of violence increase but they are more prone to never report that violence. Fear of judgment, discrimination, and a lower quality of service erodes trust between healthcare professionals and sex workers. As previously mentioned, having a record with prostitution increases one’s vulnerability in terms of limited employment opportunities, housing options, and chance to receive any social benefits. Lastly, criminalization fuels stigma. “Research supports the fact that sex workers are some of the most marginalized people in the world,” says Albright and D’Adamo. “Too often, sex workers are spoken for instead of given a platform for speaking themselves, and a result is a lack of recognition and enforcement of their basic human rights.”

Criminalizing sex work ultimately creates the cycle of the discrimination and marginalization of sex workers. Decriminalizing sex work would counter the stigma against sex work and be a large step into reducing the harm and violence sex workers often encounter.

Sex Work in Michigan

A study was conducted in 2004 by the State of Michigan called “HIV/AIDS and Health Related Needs Among Commercial Sex Workers in Michigan” in search of statistics and research from commercial sex workers on their health related needs, expectations and resources for sexually transmitted diseases and HIV/AIDS. 59 subjects participated from Benton Harbor, Grand Rapids, Detroit, Flint, and Ypsilanti which were given structured self-reported interviews on their experience for exchanging sex for drugs and money (Lapinski-LaFaive 2004). Data from the study showed that the majority of participants were from Detroit and that their number one fear of contributing to sex work was contracting HIV/AIDS despite 90% of the participants reporting that they had been tested for HIV/AIDS in the past.

Data from the study showed:

Detroit had the highest percentage of interviews conducted.

22% of the participants expressed their main concern was contracting HIV/AIDS.

13.6% responded to getting killed or injured was their primary concern.

66% of participants reported to having only one primary partner.

One of Michigan’s recommendations is to implement prevention interventions to encourage risk reduction strategies. There is limited research done on the Grand Rapids area in specific, but the Nokomis Foundation, an organization which provides help to women and girls involved in street prostitution, states that from the information known, there is estimated to be hundreds of people involved in prostitution in the city. However, there is limited awareness, knowledge, and understanding about those involved. An article by The Nokomis Foundation focused on the sex work and prostitution rates within Grand Rapids and stated that within Grand Rapids, the crack/cocaine influx was proportional to the prostitution rates in the areas of Fulton and 28th Street. Popular areas of the city of Grand Rapids are known to be Fulton, 28th Street, Division Ave, Grandville Ave, and Madison Ave. The article references that women often partake in prostitution in Grand Rapids because of the winter weather. Some people offer their sexual services in exchange for someone taking them home at night to avoid the dangerously cold temperatures. Research on sex work and resources for sex workers within the Grand Rapids community is lacking and more research needs to be focused on this portion of Michigan’s population.

Resources

Importance of Access to Resources

Due to criminalization of sex work within the United States, sex workers are often left without access to the same resources that other members of their community can access. Criminalization escalates risks and vulnerabilities of sex workers and often prevents them from receiving reliable sexual information, harm reduction services, medical services, legal help, and mental health services. Below, we aim to give resources to Grand Valley students, Grand Rapid residents, and local service providers to better help the community who participate in the sex work industry.

Education for Local Service Providers

In order to have accessible resources within our community, we must push service providers to be sex work competent. We can do this by providing them information on what sex work is, important terminology, information on how criminalization adversely affects sex workers’ health, the needs and risk for people in the sex work industry, and how to effectively communicate with sex workers in our communities.

Cassandra Avenatti, an executive board member of Sex Workers Outreach Project-Chicago (SWOP), created an online training presentation titled “Understanding Sex Work & Supporting Individuals Involved in the Sex Trade” (Avenatti). This training includes an introductory lesson on the sex work industry and the criminalization of sex work, as well as guidelines that service providers should utilize when working with sex workers.

“Understanding Sex Work & Supporting Individuals Involved in the Sex Trade”

The National Healthcare for the Homeless Council also provides some competency training on sex work and some of its intersections with other social issues. These trainings come in many different formats, but some of interest for Grand Rapids businesses are the remote webinars and online courses.

Training from the National Healthcare for the Homeless Council

Resources for Sex Workers in the Grand Rapids Area

Harm Reduction Services

Harm reduction services focus on reducing the harm caused by drug usage or other practices that can be detrimental to people’s health. The Grand Rapid’s sex worker community may find the following services useful in providing sexual healthcare and education, reducing STD/HIV transmission, reducing opioid overdoses, LGBTQ-specific healthcare needs, and more.

The Red Project is a 501c3 non-profit organization that aims to reduce risk, provide healthcare related services, and prevent HIV transmission. A list of their many services offered can be found at redproject.org/services/, and a few are outlined below. All services are offered for free and anonymously.

Rapid HIV and Hepatitis C testing from five walk-in locations in Grand Rapids. Locations and times found by calling the number below or located on their website. Website Phone: (616) 456-9063

Needle exchange, sexual health products, and personal hygiene products. Locations and times can be located on their website. Website

Opioid overdose reversal training and Nalaxone/Narcan dispersal. Locations and times can be located on their website. Website

Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) assistance and early intervention programs. Assistance can be found by calling the number below and asking for Nathan Bentley, the Red Project’s Early Intervention Specialist and PrEP Coordinator. Website Phone: (616) 456-9063

San Francisco Sex Information provides free and non-judgemental information on sex practices and sexual health by phone or email. They also provide information via their website. Website Phone: (415) 989-7374 Email: [email protected] Planned Parenthood is a 501c3 nonprofit organization that provides healthcare for millions of people worldwide for free or reduced cost.

The Grand Rapid’s Planned Parenthood branch provides general healthcare, birth control, pregnancy testing, sexual education, abortion services, HIV services, STD testing and vaccines, LGBTQ-specific services such as hormone therapy, and more. A full list of services and how to access them can be found at their website. Website

Planned Parenthood provides an online chat or text messaging service that connect you with educators that can give answers to sexual education, birth control, pregnancy, abortion, and STD questions. Text Messaging Number: Text “PPNOW” to 774636

Sex Worker Allied Mental Health Services

Some mental healthcare providers identify themselves as sex worker allied. Below are a few that are providing services to Grand Rapids or surrounding areas that identified online as being sex worker allied.

Brenda Benjamin, Licensed Professional Counselor Located: Grandville, Michigan Phone: (616) 952-2525

Sharon Depcinski, Clinical Social Work/Therapist Located: Grand Rapids, Michigan Phone: (616) 236-2992

Victoria Fisher, Clinical Social Work/Therapist Located: Grand Rapids, Michigan Phone: (616) 710-4378

Transitional Housing & Residential Assistance

Some sex workers may choose at some point to leave the industry. Regardless of the reason, leaving the industry can be a difficult and vulnerable time. Some organizations aim to help make that transition easier by offering discreet counseling, a supportive community, and residential assistance. One such organization is Eve’s Angels, a faith-based nonprofit led by former sex workers that offers counseling, transitional housing, reintegration programs, and a supportive and understanding community.

To contact Eve’s Angels in Grand Rapids, go to their website or write to them at PO Box 150923 Grand Rapids, MI 49515 USA.

Human Trafficking Assistance

While sex work is not synonymous with sex trafficking or human trafficking, some members of the sex work industry can be at a higher risk of being human trafficked. The National Human Trafficking Hotline provides a way to report human trafficking or get safely out of human trafficking.

National Human Trafficking Resource Center Website SMS: 233733 (Text “HELP” or “INFO”) Hotline: 1 (888) 373-7888 (24 hours, 7 days a week) Languages: English, Spanish and 200 more languages

Michigan Laws Regarding Prostitution and Local Legal Assistance

Knowing Michigan law is important for sex workers who have to navigate within its constraints. Though prostitution is only one kind of sex work, it tends to be the one that is criminalized most often within states. The act of prostitution and soliciting prostitution are considered misdemeanors under Michigan laws, while pimping/pandering is considered a felony.

If you are stopped by law enforcement officers for prostitution or suspected prostitution, SWOP-MI recommends staying calm and polite with the officer, remain silent if possible, refuse consent to be searched, try to remember all details of the encounter, and ask for an attorney. It is also recommended to not attempt to run away from, resist, or lie to the officer (“What To Do”).

Michigan laws of interest for sex workers that trade sex include:

750.448-750.462 of the Michigan Penal Code, (“Michigan Penal Code,” 2009) which deals with the laws regarding prostitution.

750.451a of the Michigan Penal Code (2009), which states that prostitution laws in Michigan do not pertain to officers while they are performing their duties. While its purpose is to allow officers to go undercover without being found out, it allows room for potential abuse in that law enforcement officers can coerce vulnerable individuals into performing act of prostitution.

There are various criminal defense lawyers that serve the Grand Rapids population and specialize in prostitution or sexual crimes, including those outlined below.

The Criminal Defense Law Center West Michigan Website Phone: (616) 438-6719

The Bar One Defense Firm Website Phone: (248) 826-2565

References

Albright, E., & D'Adamo, K. (2017, January 01). Decreasing Human Trafficking through Sex Work Decriminalization. Retrieved February 24, 2019, from https://journalofethics.ama-assn.org/article/decreasing-human-trafficking-through-sex-work-decriminalization/2017-01

Avenatti, C. (n.d.). Understanding Sex Work & Supporting Individuals Involved in the Sex Trade.

Retrieved from https://www.nhchc.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/cultural-competence-w-persons-involved-with-the-sex-trade_avenatti1.pdf.

Bruckert, C., Caouette, A., Clamen, J., Gillies, K. Kiselbach, S., Laliberte, E.,... Symons, E.

(2013, April). Language Matters: Talking About Sex Work. Retrieved from https://www.nswp.org/sites/nswp.org/files/StellaInfoSheetLanguageMatters.pdf.

Chapter 750. Michigan Penal Code. (2009, February). [PDF Document]. Retrieved from

http://legislature.mi.gov/documents/mcl/pdf/mcl-chap750.pdf.

Clune, D., & Hosey, J. (n.d.). How We Can Do Better: Helping Prostituted Women and Girls in Grand Rapids Make Healthy Choices. Retrieved from

http://www.nokomisfoundation.org/documents/WeCanDoBetter.pdf.

Eve’s Angels Inc. NFP. (n.d.) In Guidestar. Retrieved from

https://www.guidestar.org/profile/26-3823877.

Lapinski-LaFaive, M. K., & Simpson, H. L. (2004). HIV/AIDS and Health Related Needs

Among Commercial Sex Workers in Michigan. Retrieved from https://www.michigan.gov/documents/mdch/HIV_Needs_Commercial_Sex_Workers_2004_389436_7.pdf.

Lutnick, A., & Cohan, D. (2009). Criminalization, legalization or decriminalization of sex work: What female sex workers say in San Francisco, USA. Reproductive Health Matters, 17(34), 38-46. doi:10.1016/s0968-8080(09)34469-9.

National Human Trafficking Hotline. (n.d.) Retrieved from https://humantraffickinghotline.org/.

Paglia, A. (2017, November 16). Sex Trafficking vs. Sex Work: What You Need to Know

Human Trafficking Search. Retrieved from http://humantraffickingsearch.org/2017725sex-trafficking-vs-sex-work-what-you-need-to-know/.

San Francisco Sex Information. (n.d.) Retrieved from http://sfsi.org/.

Services. (n.d.) In The Red Project. Retrieved from http://redproject.org/services/.

Shah, S.P. (2012). Sex Work and Queer Politics in Three Acts. The Scholarly & Feminist Online, 10.1-10.2. Retrieved from http://sfonline.barnard.edu/a-new-queer-agenda/sex-work-and-queer-politics-in-three-acts.

Training and Technical Assistance. (n.d.) In National Health Care for the Homeless Council. Retrieved from https://www.nhchc.org/training-technical-assistance/.

What To Do If You Are Stopped By Law Enforcement. (n.d.) Retrieved from

http://www.swop-mi.org/swop.law.htm.

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