Anti Prostitution Activists Commit Violence Against Sex Worker Rights Advocates

Please Forward

http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2007/11/11/18460264.php


Anti Prostitution Group Commits Violence On Sex Worker At UC Berkeley Performance
By Maxine Doogan

11/11/07

An altercation involving Maxine Doogan of the Erotic Service Providers Union, followed a performance sponsored by U C Berkeley Ethic Department at UC Berkeley Worth Ryder Gallery on Nov. 9th 2007 which resulted in the U C Berkeley Police issuing a 7 day stay away order to Ms Doogan, Lisa Roelillg one other companion.

“My Real Name” was a One New Earth Production performance by Students and Artist Fighting to End Human Slavery. Sponsored by the UC Berkeley Ethics Studies and promoted by the SAGE Project violent scene after violent scene was played out against streetbased prostitutes. This play actually turned out to be a propaganda piece conflating incest, rape, domestic violence, economic disparity, homelessness, drug addiction with the occupation of prostitution by depicting graphic sexually violent images and reenactments.

The producer had stated that this performance was meant to be interactive and invited audience members to interact with the people depicting the violence during the performance. It was unclear if the people relating the violence were actors or the actual people who had experienced the violence originally. The producer also said a discussion about trafficking in the sex industry would follow the performance.
Many people walked out before the end as did Doogan, who returned at the conclusion expecting to find a discussion under way but instead found her comrade, Lisa Roellig, a former streetbased worker surrounded by anti prostitution activist, like researcher Melissa Farley, who recently called for the closing of the legal brothels in Nevada.

Roellig, an ex-streetbased worker and Doogan attempted to converse with the producer about her relationship to the issues raised in the performance. The producer responded by yelled and waved her arms saying she didn’t believe in the comodification of women and that no discussion was going to take place. However a loud discussion ensued between all parties with the producer stating that Doogan ‘sucked the dicks of corporate America’ and was ‘a white and privileged’. Another anti prostitutionist, also a former streetbased worker, stated that all prostitutes are dogs, and used physical intimidation to push Doogan out the door while evoking the name of blood of Jesus Christ. Doogan responded by leaving the building and calling the anti prostitution group “poverty pimps”. Annie Fukushima, U C Berkeley Doctorial Candidate, threatened to call the cops and Doogan encouraged her to do so.

Doogan, Roellig and the third person made statements to the police that Doogan had been physically assaulted. UC Berkeley Campus Officer Sanchez only wanted to know if the women who called the police were women of color. All three women were issued 7 day stay away orders.

Said Roellig, “While they were privileged enough to call in the cops because two women show up to question their view of our lives, I was not ever privileged enough to call the cops when I was raped, assaulted or robbed on the street because I was a criminalized worker. These women are outspoken on their abolitionists views and are advocates of the continuation of the States oppressive laws that control our bodies, our economies and most important make us easy targets for police abuse and corruption”


Please call, write or email the Berkeley Police Department and tell them to receive the report of battery on Maxine Doogan. And the UC Berkeley Ethnic Studies Department because it failed in its commitment to be understanding of the deep multiple meanings of racial diversity in the Americas in the area of prostitution when they sponsored the performance and facilitated racial violence against sex industry workers.


Office Of The Chief Of Police





Victoria Harrison, Associate Vice Chancellor/Chief

(510) 642-1133

vlh@berkeley.edu

Mitch Celaya, Assistant Chief

(510) 643-9597

mjc@berkeley.edu

Jennifer Woods, Executive Assistant

(510) 643-7500

jwoods@berkeley.edu

Adan Tejada, Administrative Lt.

(510) 642-3679



Andrew Tucker, Administrative Sgt.

(510) 642-1157

atucker@berkeley.edu

Jennifer Sakai, Training Officer

(510) 642-1135

jvargas@berkeley.edu


Department of Ethnic Studies 506 Barrows Hall #2570, Berkeley, CA 94720-2570. (510) 643-0796 (510) 642-6456 [Fax] Email: ethnicst@berkeley.edu
Beatriz Manz Chair and Professor


Graduate Group Staff

Ethnic Studies Graduate Group Staff

Name
Position
Phone Number
E-mail Address

Francisca Cazares
Student Affairs Officer
(510) 642-6643
fcazares@berkeley.edu



Ethnic Studies Graduate Group Advisors

Ethnic Studies Graduate Group Advisors

Name
Position
Phone Number
E-mail Address

Laura Perez
Graduate Advisor
(510) 643-1584
leperez@berkeley.edu

Sau-ling Wong
Advisor for GSI Affairs
(510) 642-6195
slwong@berkeley.edu

Francisca Cázares
Student Affairs Officer
(510) 642-6643
fcazares@berkeley.edu




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