2nd International Day to End Violence Against Sex Workers
Friday, December 17, 2004
Public Square, Cleveland, OH
On Friday, December 17, 2004 vigils were held all around the world to remember
sex workers who have lost their lives due to the nature of their work. The first
annual vigil was organized last year by Robyn Few, director/founder of the Sex
Worker's Outreach Project (SWOP-USA)-
www.swop-usa.org -in response to the prosecution of Gary Leon
Ridgeway, aka the Green River Killer. Over the course of nearly twenty
years, Ridgeway brutally murdered nearly fifty prostitutes.
Ridgeway walked free, hunted hookers, and left them for dead along the Green
River until 2000, when authorities finally took these women's lives seriously.
In his pea bargain statement, Ridgeway stated: "I picked
prostitutes as my victims because I hate most prostitutes and I did not want to
pay them for sex. I also picked prostitutes as victims because they were easy to
pick up without being noticed. I knew they would not be reported missing right
away and might never be reported missing. I picked prostitutes because I thought
I could kill as many of them as I wanted without getting caught." A
few weeks before the vigil I sent out dozens of emails, faxes, and mail to
everyone I knew, radio and local news stations, and newspapers in order to get
the word out about the vigil in Cleveland and to support the 2nd International
Day to End Violence Against Sex Workers. It seemed as though people were
genuinely concerned and wanted to help out. That week I went all over Cleveland
floral shops and was able to get about twenty dozen flowers donated to represent
each woman's name I would be reading off at the vigil. Thankfully, seven flower
shops (listed below) were kind enough to help out. On the day of the vigil, my
mom, Lorie, came over around 5PM and helped me load everything in my car. I made
two posters, too. One with the faces of about 100 prostitutes who have been
murdered and various news clippings/articles about prostitute murders, and the
other poster with resources, names of different organizations, etc.
We got down to Public Square, set up out little oil lanterns, flowers, and the
posters on the southeast corner of the square facing the Ontario and Huron
intersection. The roads were busy, the sidewalks full of families from the
suburbs and Armani-clad business men constantly gabbing on their expensive cell
phones and leather briefcases probably heading to some posh new bar. Most people
only stopped to stare at the posters, ignoring my extending handful of women's
names, chilling statements from the murderers, and a poem entitled "Who Will
Weep for Us?" by my dear friend Norma Jean Almodovar.
Not surprisingly to me, only one of my friends from Cleveland and proclaimed
supporter of sex worker's rights showed up. A trio of Kent State students who
are involved in an anti-racist, human rights organization came all the way up to
Cleveland to show their support, too. It was kind of funny how most people who I
know from Cleveland who are interested in learning more and supporting what I
advocate for, did not come out to support this effort. The vigil did, however,
get a small broadcast on WOIO Channel 19 news. Most people stopped when they saw
the news cameras there, and did not show much interest in what the news was
there for. Typical! But in the end I am positive this important event albeit
sad, somewhat disturbing, has sparked an awareness in the minds of local
northeast Ohioans, and this effort will hopefully continue a dialogue on the
issues of sex worker's rights and every other aspect of this issue.
So, hopefully next year's vigil- the 3rd annual -will bring more people down to
remember those who have lost their lives due to the nature of the work. They
will, indeed, never be forgotten.
- Vanessa Forro
om4padme1@netzero.com
http://www.tediumshift.com/breakingthesilence
Flower Shops:
Hughies 12th Street Florist
1814 East 12th Street
Cleveland, OH 44114
Cottage of Flowers
14519 Madison Avenue
Lakewood, OH 44107
Stanton's Touch Flower Shoppe
17806 Detroit Avenue
Lakewood, OH 44107
Whispering Willow
11618 Madison Avenue
Cleveland, OH 44102
Al Wilhelmy Flowers
412 Superior
Cleveland, OH 44114
A New Leaf Florist
