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S** Work, Art, and Radical Humanity with Miss Mei #48
43 Plays1 month ago
Miss Mei (they/them) — co-founder and executive director of Decrim305 and a 14-year sex worker — joins co-hosts Mattie Bynum and Shawn Aaron to share the origin story of Miami’s most unapologetic sex worker advocacy org. Born out of the George Floyd protests in 2020, Decrim305 launched with a Slut Walk that nobody expected to pop — and it did. Mei traces the through-line from Josephine Baker and Marsha P. Johnson to the streets of Miami, making the case that sex workers have always been at the center of liberation movements. This episode is a love letter to the people who keep showing up, even when the community refuses to show up for them.
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Transcript
Sex Work and Activism: Tokenism and Hypocrisy
00:00:00
Speaker
i've been a sex worker for 14 years i've seen a lot of shit rise and fall i'm tired because everybody uses sex workers as a token oh come here and ah you know we'll utilize your body to promote this because we're fighting for our right we're on the we're you know america's on the last line of defense blah blah blah blah blah i'm tired of the bullshit to be honest with you you're telling me seven million people can show up at the no kings protest but 7 million people can't show up for Trey Reed?
Podcast Introduction: Hosts and Guest
00:00:35
Speaker
Hello and welcome to Power Beyond Pride, a weekly queer change-making podcast, bringing you voices and ideas across our fierce and fabulous spectrum to transform our world.
00:00:47
Speaker
I am Maddie Bynum, the hostess with the mostest and typically the loudest person in the room, whether it's laughing, talking, or just standing still, my presence alone is heard by all. And I am here today with my amazing co-host,
00:01:01
Speaker
Hi, and I am Sean Aaron, he, him, his, and I am a nonprofit leader and also a podcaster. We are your co-hosts on today's Queercast journey, and we are delighted to have Miss May.
00:01:14
Speaker
Welcome, Miss May. Hello, hello. I'm Miss May. I use they, them pronouns, and I am the co-founder and executive director of Decrim 305, servicing the community in more ways than Hello.
00:01:29
Speaker
Well, that wonderful. Thank you so much for having, us for being here. Not having, we have you. So I want to say thank you for allowing us to have you on this show the show today.
The Birth of Decrim 305
00:01:39
Speaker
So you actually brought up the first thing I wanted to talk to you about was Decrim 305. So can you give us more information about the organization? Tell our viewers how that started?
00:01:49
Speaker
Yeah. um So we started in in December of 2020 with our our very first Slut Walk. Myself and my co-founder, Johnny Quest, ah we were...
00:02:02
Speaker
Very active during the George Floyd protests um during the Black Lives Matter um movement. My co-founder is a ah gay black man.
00:02:13
Speaker
and so he was at the forefront of everything in Miami. um If you Google him, the space is everywhere. Him and I were both escorts and um we were chatting and we were kind of like, you know, sex work.
00:02:28
Speaker
Everybody seems to be on this sort of intersection ah conversation. Everybody's talking about, you know, um how how this issue touches so many other things. um Maybe this is the time to talk about sex work and how we can bring it to the
Challenges in Advocating for Sex Work Issues
00:02:44
Speaker
forefront. And so we brought it to the group that we were organizing with at the time.
00:02:48
Speaker
And we kind of got overall apathy um was the sentiment um that we received. It was kind of like, oh, yeah, not the time, not the place, you know, not right now.
00:03:03
Speaker
um And we were sort of like, you know, well, then when is it the time? When is it when is it the place? You know, um because that's what that's what every other marginalized group had to hear. and.
00:03:16
Speaker
so um and you know, Black sex workers are at the forefront of this movement. You know, we you know, like my sisters are pulling cash. My Black trans sisters are pulling cash out of their pockets, bailing people out. And you're telling them it's not the time or the place.
00:03:35
Speaker
Um, but OK, so we were like, fuck it.
Organizing Activism Events Amidst Challenges
00:03:41
Speaker
We're going to have our own slut walk and we're going to push it to the front because everybody's telling us that it's not the time and it's not the place. So we're going to make it the time of the place.
00:03:53
Speaker
um So we did. We we we threw our own slut walk in December of 2020. Nobody had a job. You know, nobody had anywhere to be. There was no art basil. There was nothing going on. So everybody came to the slut walk.
00:04:07
Speaker
It was on and popping the very first one but um to my surprise. um I didn't know how was going to be. i didn't know how the reception was going to be. And we just we kind of like we were like, well, now we got to keep this momentum going. So clearly there's a need in the community in in Miami specifically. You know, this city runs on hoes and drugs. so ah so OK, another Las Vegas. I hear y'all over there.
00:04:39
Speaker
So we were like, you know, we started doing outreach. um After that, we were like, let's, how can we, you know, how can we continue to build? So we started doing outreach. We started, um you know, bringing Narcan and condoms and, know,
00:04:56
Speaker
um you know, ah other resources to the community.
Growth and Outreach of Decrim 305
00:05:01
Speaker
um and it just sort of grew from there. And then other sex workers started coming into the organization. ah Like, how can I help?
00:05:09
Speaker
um You know, and different from different groups, um full service workers, online workers, strippers, like, you know, all kinds of sex workers started finding out about what we were doing. And they were just kind of like, hey, I'm in Miami. I want to do more.
00:05:24
Speaker
um And it just kind of grew from there. And, you know, this year is going to be six years that we've been doing it. but Congratulations. Congratulations. Yeah.
00:05:35
Speaker
Thank you. Yeah. Six years is wonderful. That's that's a good that's a good start. Good standing, actually. Six years is a long time. You're almost there to 10. So yeah. Yeah. So almost at
Art's Role in Activism and Sex Work
00:05:47
Speaker
10. So hopefully have a huge celebration for 10.
00:05:50
Speaker
Yeah, that's ah that's the goal. Yeah. So it it has been said that art is an integral part of your impact for Journey, Ms. May. And so your skillfully fused advocacy with creativity, offering a distinct and competitive perspective that deeply resonates.
00:06:06
Speaker
Where do you draw this influence of art and why do you feel that it is such an impact, not just on your journey, but as a tool of activism? um Well, I myself, as a sex worker, have always used art ah on
Historical Activism through Sex Work
00:06:20
Speaker
my journey. And I would argue sex work isn't art.
00:06:22
Speaker
ah but um you have to have You have to be an artist to finesse this money. But also I think art has always been an integral tool for activism, for for spreading a message of of progress. um You know, Josephine Baker, you know one of the most famous sex workers of our of our time, you know she was one of she was an artist and she was using her art to during ah World War II to use invisible ink on her chic music.
00:06:55
Speaker
A of people don't realize, like, when they think of Josephine Baker or they think of sex work in general, they have a misconception. So I just want you to say that to other people in the back.
00:07:07
Speaker
Absolutely. Yeah. Josephine Baker was a sex worker. And a lot of people don't know that. They actually and I think that's actually and i and I think that's actually like something that happens a lot when somebody is a sex worker and then they they exit out of it and they become something else. um or and they become known for something else.
00:07:26
Speaker
A lot of people dismiss that part of their history because we actually do see that with um Marsha P. Johnson. A lot of people dismiss that part of her history, but it was actually, she was a sex worker until the day she died.
00:07:39
Speaker
So, you know, a lot of people go, Marsha P. Johnson was ah a drag queen. She was a drag queen, but she was a sex worker as well. And she used the money from her sex work to help, ah you know, pay for the organization that she started to get trans youth off the street. And I feel like that's so important, you know.
Regulation, Decriminalization, and Their Impacts
00:07:58
Speaker
And Josephine Baker certainly used her skills as a sex worker to finesse um getting information from the Fourth Reich so that she could help the Americans um and the French resistance specifically um to
00:08:18
Speaker
ah to defeat the Nazis. She was in France. She was she was in France. She was ah I think she was exiled, I believe, from ah from um the Americas, I think. ah Don't quote me. She was right.
00:08:32
Speaker
She she was exiled. she was exiled and she was helping, she was living in Paris, and she was helping specifically the French resistance to defeat the Nazis. She was meeting ah at the piano bar where she was working. The Nazis were coming into, German soldiers soldiers were coming into the the the place where she worked.
00:08:57
Speaker
And they were spilling some mad secrets. and she was writing those secrets on her arms, on her legs and on invisible ink in her sheet music. And she and because of that, they was getting secrets. The French resistance was getting secrets.
00:09:14
Speaker
but And that helped the movement. And it was because of a sex worker. and a lot of people don't know that. when you're And that also goes right to speak upon the whole thing of what it takes to get a man to talk. It's very easy. Like, it don't take a lot to get men to spill secrets. But it's amazing how she could use sex work in a way to free so many people like most of us do and most of the the people who are sex workers.
Legal Implications on Sex Workers' Rights and Humanity
00:09:44
Speaker
And it's interesting how we criminalize it. So i guess my question would be to you is to how does that decriminalization start to look in that process?
00:09:58
Speaker
Yeah, I i think um and and I think like New York is a really good example because they're really on their way to full decriminalization.
00:10:09
Speaker
um You know, they're they're really pushing for Cecilia's act to be introduced right now. They have like what's called a Nordic model where they criminalize the Johns. um Which isn't ideal either because it you know, it removes access, ah financial access to the sex workers. You know, you can't, how are the sex workers supposed to make money it you criminalize how they make money?
00:10:34
Speaker
um But they're on their way to full decriminalization. um And I think it's a good question because when we say decriminalization, a lot of people automatically think legalization, right?
00:10:48
Speaker
um They're like, oh, decriminalization means that we want to legalize it, which isn't is is not necessarily the case. um Our community often refers to legalization as backdoor criminalization.
00:11:04
Speaker
so what do I mean by that? so take OnlyFans, for example. um I'm a porn star. but I've also done escorting. i' do multiple forms of sex work. I've done multiple forms of sex work in my life.
00:11:17
Speaker
um ah As a porn star, I have to comply with the multiple forms of of ah age verification laws that exist. Right. So I have to upload my ID. i have to provide um consent paperwork for myself, for my co-stars, um things like that.
00:11:37
Speaker
But that also means that it is a highly regulated industry. So, for example, Only fans can decide what type of content is extreme. What is extreme to me may not be extreme to you.
00:11:52
Speaker
It's highly subjective. So when we're talking about regulating an industry in which we're utilizing services that are from our bodies, that's not an industry that should be regulated. It's not the same as regulating drugs Right. Like oxycodone needs to be regulated.
00:12:15
Speaker
That's a highly that's a that's a highly ah ah um and that's a drug that can kill you but if you take too much of it. Correct. So it needs to be regulated because you need to have a certain amount of it that's safe to take. Now, if you see ah somebody being fisted on ah in in a video, that's not going to hurt you.
00:12:39
Speaker
You know what I'm saying? We could argue the mental effects, bob but blah, blah, blah, that there is no data that exists that that that supports the the the addiction to pornography.
Symbolic Use vs. Rights of Sex Workers
00:12:52
Speaker
Pornography addiction does not exist. That's not a thing.
00:12:56
Speaker
um And so it's like these these age verification laws, these regulate these regulatory laws that exist where we're regulate where we're regulating content, regulating how it's made, regulating how it's uploaded, what you know, these things, how we're able to label it. These things are being done under the guise of protecting children.
00:13:19
Speaker
But children aren't even being taught sex, like per like proper sexual education in their own schools. So, you know, so it doesn't even make sense to be regulating the industry in this way. So decriminalization All decriminalization does is say, hey, it's not a crime to be a sex worker.
00:13:44
Speaker
We can't arrest you simply for being a prostitute. you We can't arrest you simply for doing your job. Oh, you have you're a prostitute and there's condoms in your purse.
00:13:56
Speaker
We can't arrest you for that because condoms would normally be used as ah evidence. Right. Really? And then that. Absolutely.
00:14:07
Speaker
And that's how they and that's how they discourage you from using them on the job. And that's how STI spread. Wow. You know, I never looked at it from that perspective, but I mean, I understand exactly what you're saying. I just just I never thought about it because in my mind, I would think it doesn't matter. But, yeah know, I can see that.
00:14:28
Speaker
Hmm. That's interesting. They use it as evidence and to say, oh, you're you're on your way. even if you're Even if they don't catch you in the act of prostitution, they'll say you have condoms on you, so you're about to do it.
00:14:43
Speaker
Well, i guess I must be a prostitute because I carry condoms in my pocketbook all the time. yeah I'm just going... It's just, it's just a part of me, you know? Make sure you got your book, your Bible, your toothbrush, a condom, and a but clean barrier drawers. Like that's just, you know, i assume that I will put Elon Parker book.
00:15:03
Speaker
But we do have to take a quick break real quick to pay the bills and keep the lights on and keep the show running. But please stay tuned, people. Come back and join us on Power Beyond Pride because we're having a very intensive conversation about decriminalization sex work. with Ms. May. And as we go on to the next segment, we're going to break it down even more for you.
00:15:20
Speaker
We'll be right back.
00:15:27
Speaker
Welcome back to Power Beyond Pride. I am your host, Maddie Bynum, here with
Preparations for Slut Walk Miami
00:15:32
Speaker
my beautiful, amazing co-host. As he has been told before, the epitome of late night voices or talk radio or R&B storm after hours. But with his mellow sound, he is helping me today to always i interview beautiful people. So, Sean, the next question I think is yours.
00:15:53
Speaker
Yeah. So, Miss May, I want to ask you. So the the slet you talked about earlier about the Slut Walk. And so the Slut Walk Miami is to be held on December the 13th. And it was found five years ago as an annual educational and awareness event surrounding sex workers' rights.
00:16:10
Speaker
Are you all set for this year's walk? We are. I mean, we're still... um You know, we're still putting the little pieces together and everything, you know, everything always comes together at the last second. You know how it is within it with the event planning.
00:16:26
Speaker
But, um you know, we're we always ah we're going to come we're going to come together. you know, we're ready for you. December 13th is ah is upon us. And I am more than excited. um We have our march. We have our after party. Nothing better than the after party.
00:16:46
Speaker
um So we have our after party at Palace every year. um It's a drag bar, actually. so there's going to be tons of entertainment. This is what I will say is make sure to go to the ATM before you go to the march. You know, get your dollars out Be ready to drop them dollars because ah Slut Walk is not just about raising awareness. But it's also about supporting the community. So we need to make sure that we drop those dollars on the drag queens because as we know, a lot of drag queens, you know, they're in the community, if you know what I mean.
00:17:22
Speaker
um So we need to help them out. Everyone, who told rock people out there in those hills and to be able to perform? Some people, it's the same as your bartenders. Please tip your performers. Exactly. Please your performers. Make it rain.
00:17:38
Speaker
Well, that's a different conversation. But yes, honey, we can always, well, I should not let's talk about it together. We can make it rain on some people. You know what I'm saying? those Yeah. hey Yeah. oh Definitely. It's about spreading the love.
00:17:51
Speaker
And speaking about love. So, you know, we talk a lot about loving and supporting our own community and loving and supporting our communities. And a lot of times we forget that that excludes. Like we have a wildlife that calls conditional love.
00:18:06
Speaker
We'll conditionally love you and support you as long as you are adhering to our guidelines. We will love and support you as long as you are promoting the image we want you to to promote. Why do you feel like in the in that conversation of loving and supporting our community that decriminalization of sex work is always left out? Why do you pe think that people shy away from that conversation?
00:18:28
Speaker
Well, I always go back to
Community Support and Conditional Love in Sex Work
00:18:32
Speaker
something that I heard ah my sister Camille say. She works at the McKenzie Project.
00:18:41
Speaker
She's a wonderful individual. She led an HIV course a few years ago, and something she said to she's something she said in that course really stayed with me, which was ah in order to... In order to help me, you have to first see me as a human being.
00:18:57
Speaker
You have to first diagnose me as a human being. um And I think with sex work, that couldn't be more true because the thing about...
00:19:08
Speaker
sex workers is that they don't see us as human beings, point blank, period. They don't see us as human beings when we're alive and they don't see us as human beings when we're dead. So there's something called NHI, no human involved, that a lot of people don't know about this. um When a sex worker is involved in a crime where she is killed, um whether or not she was ah murdered, you know, what what have you whatever the case may be,
00:19:38
Speaker
um that sex worker is labeled no human involved. There is no human being involved in this crime. Wow. And I think that that sentiment is reiterated time and time again when the sex worker is alive.
00:19:56
Speaker
So take, for example, um you know, i I was just talking about age verification laws. Those those same age verification laws are affecting how we interact with social media these days. So,
Social Media's Impact on Sex Work Identity
00:20:08
Speaker
for example, social media nowadays is so restrictive.
00:20:13
Speaker
At this point, anything can be mistaken as ah sexual activity, right? Absolutely anything. This year alone, i have lost four social media accounts.
00:20:29
Speaker
And I lost them all in the same day. it was like they came for my Facebook, my personal Facebook account that I've had since I was 16 years old that has nothing to do with sex work. i I don't even use it anymore. It just sits there for memories, you know, for pictures and shit like and they they somehow correlated my phone number, which isn't even my working phone number, okay, to that account.
00:21:00
Speaker
um And they so they accused me of violating their community guidelines on human exploitation. And I can't get it back. They took my Facebook account because facebook because Meta owns Facebook and Instagram and they also own WhatsApp.
00:21:17
Speaker
I lost access to my WhatsApp account. I can no longer access WhatsApp account. Guess what? Decrim 305 has a WhatsApp community. I no longer am the owner of my own community on Decrim 305.
00:21:33
Speaker
Somebody else in my own organization was given the community ownership. Oh, after I lost access, i got access to WhatsApp again because I had to use my husband's phone number.
00:21:46
Speaker
What we've done is created a world in which we dehumanize sex workers over and over and over again because we tell them you shouldn't exist. Anything you do is considered human trafficking or human exploitation. Anything you do is considered this or that, is considered a legal activity. And on top of that,
00:22:09
Speaker
Because we are connecting your activity to your real life phone number and your real life activity. Now you have to rely on people close to you.
00:22:24
Speaker
And because you have to rely on people close to you, now this is creating a world in which we are making it easier and easier for intimate partner violence to happen. Because imagine, you know, if my husband and I didn't have a good relationship,
00:22:38
Speaker
and and i And I had to rely on him and I had no escape. and new Now I don't have my own WhatsApp. I don't have my own Facebook.
00:22:49
Speaker
I don't have my own Instagram. So we have created, because of this to save the children bullshit, okay, which starts at the bottom.
00:23:00
Speaker
And what's crazy is like, I'm just, I'm just at the, I'm i'm just fitting the tip of the iceberg, people. ah it but dot This shit is so interconnected. Like,
00:23:11
Speaker
We have created the the dehumanization is so interconnected at this point that the sex worker cannot escape being a sex worker at any point in her life. Because let's say she leaves um and, you know, sex workers are, you know, of many genders, but I'm using I'm, you know, using this terminology for the purpose of this story. um Let's say this. Let's say she leaves sex work.
00:23:37
Speaker
Now all this information is tied to her. So she becomes a nurse or what have you. That phone number, that Facebook, that da-da-da that's all still tied to her.
00:23:48
Speaker
So at some point in her life, that's going to come back to her. So there's never a point in your life where you become a sex worker and you never not get to be that and like sex worker.
00:24:01
Speaker
You never get to escape it, even if you wanted to.
Bias, Hypocrisy, and Historical Tokenization
00:24:05
Speaker
Yeah. And then that's not just on, and I agree what you're saying, but even with the public opinion, period. like It's like people never let you forget your past, period. Whatever it is that you're doing, past.
00:24:19
Speaker
And I think that's, yeah, that's crazy. It's absolutely insane. Like we have and then we tell and then we tell the sex worker, you shouldn't be a sex worker.
00:24:30
Speaker
Be something else. Pull yourself up by the bootstraps. dada da da da So she'd be so she works. She works her ass off at the club. She and then they find out that she used to be a stripper and then she gets fired. hmm.
00:24:46
Speaker
Like, this is crazy. i always think about, and I know this probably a better reference, always think about Big Daddy with Adam Sandler. No matter what the girl did, his his um best friend's fiancé, she was always going to be the Hooters girl. Like, no matter how many degrees she got, how many things she did, she was always the Hooters girl. And I think that's crazy.
00:25:08
Speaker
I think that the he because the thing about it is, and and I make this a man or a woman thing, but i am going for two seconds. If a man chose to be a st stripper to put himself through law school, do people still go back and refer to him after he becomes an attorney general? You know, he was a stripper.
00:25:23
Speaker
He was a male escort. You know, he put his way through school. No, we don't do that. So why do we do that with women and other marginalized communities? You know what saying? Because if it was a white cisgender man, and like we we got a whole president sitting in the White House who has been not accused but proven to be sexually harassing people, but nobody discusses that.
00:25:46
Speaker
Nobody wants to talk about I would like to go back to my Marsha P. Johnson and Sylvia Rivera, actually, because what bothers me about about their entire situation is the fact that we quote them on a constant basis. You know, every pride, every LGBT holiday, Marsha P. Johnson, Sylvia Rivera, Marsha P. Johnson, Sylvia Rivera, Marsha P. blah, blah, blah.
00:26:10
Speaker
But they both died homeless and they both died as sex workers. And what bothers me is not only do y'all die, y'all.
00:26:24
Speaker
Not y'all. The other y'all. The other y'alls. The other y'alls.
00:26:32
Speaker
the the the the the The community, okay, they love to quote it. They love to quote it. They love to to tokenize it, okay? They love to tokenize it, but they they they don't,
00:26:45
Speaker
They don't fight for what they were fighting for. That's my shit is like, OK, but what was Marsha and Sylvia fighting for, though? Because they were fighting for sex workers.
00:26:58
Speaker
They were fighting for sex workers rights. They were fighting for trans youth not to have to be sex workers in the street. And there's nothing wrong with sex worker sex work. You know what I'm saying? there's not I'm not saying that.
00:27:13
Speaker
But time and time again, what I hear from other Black trans women, right, is i this is my only option as a Black trans woman. That's what I hear.
00:27:24
Speaker
Because the media and um and jobs are denying me every which way to be a Black trans woman, that the only option I have is to go to the street, right?
00:27:39
Speaker
that's Because that's what Marsha P. Johnson had to do. That's what Sylvia Rivera had to do. That's what a lot of Black trans women have to do. That's what a lot of trans women have to do, is go to the street because we have made it. So just like I explained for sex workers, right? We have made it as a society to for in it It is impossible for trans women to have fucking options.
00:28:01
Speaker
Right. And we say protect the dolls, protect the dolls. But the dolls don't got fucking options. And here we are denying again and again Marsha P. Johnson fought for.
00:28:13
Speaker
Mm-hmm. We say, oh, she was a drag queen. Oh, she was, oh, da-da-da. We tokenize and tokenize. Oh, Marsha B. Johnson said this, said that, da-da-da-da-da-da. But again, she died in the streets, homeless, as a sex worker. Mm-hmm. So when are we going to stop quoting her and actually fighting for what she fought for?
00:28:31
Speaker
That's my shit. When are we going to stop quoting her and tokenizing her and actually and actually fight for what she did? Because I'm out there twice a month in the streets,
00:28:43
Speaker
giving out resources and it's not enough it's not enough it's a band-aid and i'm not saying that because i'm like a good person i'm not it's a band-aid it's not enough and the resources that we have are not enough these shelters these that they're not doing shit they're not They're not doing shit like it's performative at this point.
00:29:09
Speaker
You know what I'm saying? And I'm and personally, I've been at this like the organization has existed for six years. I've been an activist for 14. call I've been a sex worker for 14 years. I've seen a lot of shit rise and fall. I'm tired.
00:29:27
Speaker
Because everybody uses sex workers as a token. Oh,
Support Beyond Symbolism in Sex Work Activism
00:29:32
Speaker
come here. Shake ass at this event. Oh, come here. And, you know, we'll utilize your body to promote this because we're fighting for our rights. We're on the where, you know, America's on the last line of defense, blah blah, blah, blah, blah. I'm tired of the bullshit, to be honest with you. You're telling me seven million people can show up at the No Kings protest, but seven million people can't show up for Trey Reed.
00:29:57
Speaker
No, because then they have to actually admit it. They have to admit that people are real. People exist. They have to admit that you are no human. Like there is a human involved. They have to admit, even when you made the comment, I hear a soundbite coming from that. What are we going to stop memorializing these people and actually fighting for these people that will memorialize?
00:30:20
Speaker
wo Yeah. And it goes back to no human involved. If you have to mention these issues, you have to admit that these people are are human beings.
Decriminalization vs. Sex Trafficking
00:30:30
Speaker
Right. And it makes people uncomfortable and people are willing to have uncomfortable conversations.
00:30:35
Speaker
And so and I know you say you tired and you you left some thoughts for people to think about, about when are we going to start stop memorializing and start fighting. And so with that, we're going to take a break.
00:30:52
Speaker
Welcome back to Power Beyond Pride, where we are talking with Miss May. I am Sean Aaron. He, him, his. I am here with my co-host, Maddie.
00:31:03
Speaker
And Maddie, go ahead. Take it away. So I definitely wanted to to make sure that we understand that there is a distinct difference. Can you explain to people why sex trafficking is so much different than sex work?
00:31:18
Speaker
And so people can understand why we're asking to decriminalize sex work, not sex trafficking. Yeah, um so it's very it's it's an important distinction. One is consensual and one is not right. Sex work implies the work being consensual. um Trafficking is not consensual. Now, what I do want to say is that.
00:31:45
Speaker
um I think it's important to know that as sex workers, when we make that distinction, it's not to say not my baby, not my problem, because a lot of times when sex workers are criminalized, um not a lot of times, every time sex workers are criminalized,
00:32:08
Speaker
trafficking victims are criminalized in in the same way. So when we are tackling legislation that affects sex workers, I absolutely, ah or and our communities do believe that trafficking victims and sex workers should be working in tandem together. um so when, so when,
00:32:30
Speaker
For example, there was a sting in Polk County recently. And if you ever hear of a sting in Florida, it's probably in Polk County. Polk County is the worst when it comes to sex workers. um they did ah They did a really huge sting recently and about 45 of those ah those sex workers were migrant sex workers, actually. And a lot of them were I'm actually Asian women.
00:32:59
Speaker
um We have a really low Asian population in Florida, but the the Asian migrants that are here are highly targeted. um As a Chinese Cuban myself, I have I have experienced this.
00:33:12
Speaker
but yeah um And so Asians are really highly targeted down here because there are so few of us. They're very easy to spot. So the it the spas are very are they're targeted specifically.
00:33:27
Speaker
So in Polk County, they did this thing. And what happens is they'll will they'll do a sting and say, we're going we're arresting the Johns.
00:33:39
Speaker
We're just here to arrest the Johns, the people who did the trafficking, the harm, you know, whatever. But they what happens is they arrest the Johns and the sex workers or a or the victims.
Benefits of Decriminalization for All
00:33:55
Speaker
And those victims that they that they think are you know being forced into prostitution um are arrested.
00:34:06
Speaker
and a lot of times because victims are forced into, the victims who are forced into prostitution, right victims who are forced into into this type of labor don't want to go against their abuser for obvious reasons.
00:34:23
Speaker
they will get slapped with a prostitution charge. So there's a TikTok that I made ah not too long ago where this woman was giving testimony about how she was arrested in the sting and she was given ah a felony charge. She has a two-year felony charge on her record and she was never able to get it expunged.
00:34:50
Speaker
um And she was and she was arrested during the sting and she was never given resources. And um to this day, she's still trying to get away from her trafficker.
00:35:05
Speaker
And even somebody on my board, it was formerly trafficked. and is a current sex worker and um has a felony charge.
00:35:16
Speaker
So like the fact of the matter is the law does not care to protect victims and it never has. um And this applies to people who are raped, that you know, sexually assaulted. Like we, you know, our fucking president is a rapist. Yes, Lord.
00:35:36
Speaker
You know what i mean? Like we ah we as a society, we have the law is meant to reinforce predators. It's meant to protect and reinforce predators. It's not meant to protect and reinforce victims. And that's the fact. so um decriminalization.
00:35:54
Speaker
would make it so that not only sex workers wouldn't be arrested, but if crimes happen to them, let's say a John um ah assaults them on the job, they could report that crime.
00:36:09
Speaker
Like i was I was assaulted in 2021. I have never been able to seek justice or re recourse because if I go to the police and I tell them a John raped me, they're going to be like, you're a prostitute. We're arresting you.
00:36:23
Speaker
And decriminalization would allow me to report that crime. And then if, let's say, I was a trafficking victim, i could actually go to the police and say, hey, I'm being trafficked.
00:36:37
Speaker
one
Encouraging Action Against Criminalization
00:36:38
Speaker
You know what I mean And then also the resources, the resources that are being used to criminalize prostitutes currently or sex workers would be diverted to actually stopping trafficking because we are no longer using resources, taxpayer dollars, your tax, your taxpayer dollars to arrest people who are just trying to pay their bills.
00:37:03
Speaker
Mm hmm. we can use that money to actually go after the quote unquote bad guys that you that the politicians are interested in, that they say, oh, I write these bills because I'm just interested in getting the bad guys. OK, well, let's that all let's put those resources is where it matters.
00:37:22
Speaker
But basically what we're saying, baby, is just start calling it out. Like, if you see it, call it out. Point and claim period that we have to bring awareness to this topic because it's not so much as about whether it's criminal or not criminal. It's about the safety of our community.
00:37:37
Speaker
It's about to be able to have the choice to do whatever you choose and not just be considered. ah What was the the um acronym again? No human. No human involved. NHI. No human involved.
00:37:50
Speaker
like That's not who we are. Come on, people. That's not us.
Miss May's Personal Insights and Future Vision
00:37:54
Speaker
All right. So, Ms. May, we are headed into our speed round types of questions. Are you ready to get jiggy with it, girl?
00:38:01
Speaker
I'm ready. All right. Well, these questions, don't think too hard. Just say the first. Well, I typically tell people to say the first thing that comes off the top of your head. But if you like me... Oh, we're not doing it yet. You know your penis.
00:38:18
Speaker
All right, it's going to be fun. So Sean, it's the first beeper. don't question. And I think you just answered it without even knowing the question. So the first question is, ah so the first question is, are you spontaneous or are are you a planner?
00:38:34
Speaker
I'm definitely a planner. Okay. Really? I'd love to plan. i love to plan. um Unless I'm having like a little mentee bee, then, you know, were then we're spontaneous.
00:38:47
Speaker
good bye So what's a funny or embarrassing moment you don't mind sharing? Oof. An embarrassing moment? Funny or embarrassing? Hmm. but Which one? That's the problem.
00:39:01
Speaker
I'm too many to choose from. You sound about like my life, honey. Which is the funniest. Let's do it that way. Too many to choose from.
00:39:15
Speaker
um Let's see. Okay, recently, recently i was on i was on a i was on a on a call with a with a young with senator Southern gentleman. Okay? was on an escort call with a Southern gentleman.
00:39:31
Speaker
And I was trying to act, you know, like I knew things because I wasn't used to, i'm you know, I'm a i'm not a high-end escort, you know. i but I work, i'm ah I'm a working girl. i
00:39:47
Speaker
And the yeah, I was trying to act like I knew what, you know, I've heard of things, but I don't, you know, I thought i i use Afterpay, you know what i mean? I use Klarna. Yeah.
00:39:59
Speaker
You know what I mean? So he goes, he's like, hey, are you hungry? i'm going to order Uber Eats. I'm like, sure, I could eat. Yeah. And he's like, what are you what are you in the mood for? I'm like, I don't know. you know, i like whatever you like, baby.
00:40:17
Speaker
so and he's like, he's like, you know, i yeah, I'm thinking about ordering Nobu. but And I'm like, oh, yeah, sure.
00:40:29
Speaker
Yeah. No, poo no big deal. Yeah. So then he or he puts it on his phone and then he gives me the phone and he's like, order whatever you want. So then i pull up my yeah i or I start scrolling through the phone. I'm like, hmm. Uh huh. Hmm. Yeah, this looks great. Hmm. Have you eaten?
00:40:47
Speaker
And he he's like, yeah, I've been here before. Are looking for some recommendations? I'm like, boom yeah, and the yeah, I could use some recommendations. I like whatever you like.
00:41:00
Speaker
He's like, OK, yeah, I'm going to order the Wagyu. I'm going order this. I'm going order that. I'm like, yeah, baby, that sounds great. Whatever.
00:41:10
Speaker
I don't know what the fuck. Because I grew up in Jaiaria. We eat, more you know, fucking arroz con frijoles. I don't know what that is i got you know ah You know what I had this morning? I had ramen and so and a fried egg. Like, what are you talking about, Nobu? but but I was like, what are you saying to me, sir? And passing me the phone, like, I know what this is. Like, I know what a hamachi is. Like, bitch.
00:41:41
Speaker
Well, was it good? it was like and It was delicious, but I was sitting there like, I was like, ah.
00:41:48
Speaker
I don't know what the fuck this is. but i but Just trying to like, everybody was like, you played that off well. so i don't know if that was embarrassing, but i was embarrassed.
00:42:04
Speaker
I was embarrassed. I was like sitting here trying not to look like a dumb hoe. was like, you know, like, just like, I've done that before. yes i yeah nobook before but ah but but but but but but Just be careful what you confirm and what you agree to because though I've been in a position where I'm wait a minute, that's not what I thought it was.
00:42:27
Speaker
and but You know, like having the, vote like, you know, like and I was, dead it was funny because I was texting, i're not texting, I was in New Orleans um with one of my activist homegirls and and we were like in an Uber driving off and we're like, yeah, one of these days, you know, we're going eat at Nobu. You know, we're just going to, we're going to be able to afford it. Like, you know, and then I texted her and I said, bitch, I Uber eats Nobu last night.
00:42:57
Speaker
Well, now next time if somebody asks you if you had you can say yeah and be telling the truth. I've had it on Uber Eats. On Uber Eats. So the next question is, what is one thing you would like to achieve in the next five years?
00:43:12
Speaker
Money, riches, um ah this um another, you know, actually eating at Nobu inside. going in your restaurant.
00:43:24
Speaker
No. Now you're really into it. Yeah, no, I said, now yeah, I'll go inside this time. No, what I really want, this is what I really want. What I really, really, really want is to have, um for Decrem to have its own ah rec center. Like, I want to have my own, like, community center.
00:43:49
Speaker
And um don't nobody steal my idea now. but already on say here It's either I'm either putting this out to the universe that it's going to happen or someone's going to steal my idea. Let's take a risk. um ah So, yeah, no, I want to have my own community center. Um,
00:44:11
Speaker
My goal is hopefully there's a big funder on here. um Some other sugar daddy who's listening and is like, yeah, Miss May, I want to invest in that. um I want to be able to have a space where sex workers can be housed, where they can have um job resources, where they can have exit services. So if they're like, um you know, I'm tired of being a hoe, I don't want to do this shit no more.
00:44:40
Speaker
um But I don't know what I can do. i want to be able to have options for them to be able to have like, you know, we would have um like it in the premises, we would have like job resources. So it's like you can be a learn how to be a barista. You can learn how to bartend. You can um build your resume. You can learn how to be a social media manager if that's what you want to do. Like, you know, we have options. Yeah.
00:45:07
Speaker
I want to be able to like have um child care on the premises and like, you know, I just wanted to be like fully equipped for sex workers needs so that they can come there um and just get on their feet.
00:45:24
Speaker
Because it's so hard to get on their feet. And then I also don't want it to be this thing where it's like, you know, everybody has to have like, you know, certain rules or whatever stipulations because things have to be a certain way. But I also don't want it to be this this thing where it's so um confining confining to sex workers because one of the things. That's so important. The number one thing that's important to a sex worker is flexibility.
00:45:50
Speaker
You know, flexibility in your schedule is like king to a sex worker. So I just, you know, I really that's like my goal. It would be a king qualification. Yeah, because that's like the hardest thing for a sex worker acclimating to a normal job is the fact that these normal jobs can't accommodate flexibility.
00:46:13
Speaker
Yeah. <unk> You know? All right. Well, that is a beautiful goal. So any backers, any sugar daddy, anybody out there that wants that? Sugar if you want to. That's a beautiful thing.
00:46:24
Speaker
So two more questions. Do you have a spot to watch the sunrise and sunset? Or a favorite spot? oh Well, I'm not up that early or or I don't stay up that late. I'm kind of an old lady inside. um Always have been. 85 years old inside. um well yeah i go to bed.
00:46:48
Speaker
by 11 o'clock at night, you know, i you know, I got very, I've been very lucky in, in, in my youth where, you know, everybody wants to see me at like 7 a.m., 8 a.m. So like the earliest I get up is six.
00:47:07
Speaker
ah but's So I don't, I haven't seen a sunrise in years. I'm being perfectly honest. What's that like? the
00:47:19
Speaker
Well, it is honestly one the most, um I would say for me, it's one of the most common things. But you never know. ah Hey. so like Maybe I'll find out one of these days. let's stop i've I've never seen one either because I'm a late riser. I get up at 10 a.m. So I'll never see a sunrise. So that's I'm with you with that.
00:47:40
Speaker
um i want to I want to ask you, like the the last question is, what does power beyond pride mean to you? o I think it means for me actually seeing the needle move.
00:47:56
Speaker
Like one thing i don't like to I don't like to hear what I want to hear. I like to see what I want to see. You know, like I don't I don't like pandering, you know, i don't like I don't just want a seat at the table.
00:48:12
Speaker
i don't even want a mic either. i want to see the action. i like movement like I'm not a bullshit kind of person. i can tell like somebody's bullshitting me right away. I'm a very vibes person.
00:48:28
Speaker
Like, don't know if y'all believe in magic and none of that, I do. You know, like I, you know, I believe in my ancestors are are whispering to me all the time. And, you know, i when I meet somebody right off the bat, I can tell if if they're just saying what I want to hear or if they're actually going to help me or if they're actually going to move the needle. You know what i mean? And so that's what it means to me is like power beyond pride means we're actually are we doing this or what? You know, when someone's like, I'm in my 30s, I don't have time to be hooking up.
00:49:02
Speaker
Are we doing this or what? that's That's how I feel about activism. I'm like, are we doing I'm i'm not getting any the younger. OK, are we doing this or what? I'm not doing this or what? Because I know that like somebody I'm in community with, um her name is Terry. She's in her 60s and she has a trans child and she doesn't fuck around. I love Terry.
00:49:25
Speaker
She's like, I'm not fucking around. I'm in my 60s. I have a trans child. I'm not getting any younger. I'm fighting for them. there' She's like, I'm fighting for them. i'm not fucking around. And that's that's where I'm at.
00:49:37
Speaker
but think And I'm not even in my 60s. OK, well, think that probably would be an action statement. It's all like how you look at that is more about you see the action in it. Not so much as the words, but can your Walt Mantra talk is what you're saying. Yes. so Sounds good. it Sounds good.
00:49:54
Speaker
Well, Ms. Vane, I want to thank you. I do apologize. We're out of time today. So that means you got to come back so we can keep having these wonderful conversations because I think there's so much more for us to talk about and to relate. I'm just going to have to come back. Oh,
Connecting with Decrim 305 and Closing Thoughts
00:50:06
Speaker
no. You have an open conversation anytime to come sit with us and join us. But um real quick, as we are... um Finishing up the conversation, where can people find your socials at? Where can people support you in the movement? Yes. um Well, you can support, you can find and support Decrim 305 on any platform, Decrim 305. That's D-E-C-R-I-M 305, like Decriminalize, but for short, 305. We're on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, all that good stuff.
00:50:42
Speaker
um You know, we take we take Cash App, EBT, Snap, ah yeah all that. All the forms are done on A's. All the forms are payment, you know. um And then you can find me, um Multiverse of May, everywhere. um That's like you've seen ah the ah the ah Marvel stuff. I'm very into Marvel. Yeah. So that's ah the multiverse ah of MEI.
00:51:12
Speaker
ah so multiverse of May, MEI, everywhere on, ah except Facebook. I don't do Facebook, obviously. they They took my shit. us sensible um But I'm on Instagram, X, all that stuff. um and you know And, you know, I'm on Pornhub and and all that stuff, if you feel like...
00:51:32
Speaker
Take a look. I do get royalties. So you are supporting me for free, but I do make a dime off those ad revenues.
00:51:44
Speaker
All right. Well, that's wonderful. That's wonderful. Well, I am your host for this afternoon, Maddie Bynum. am a comedian, actress, and always like the loudest. I say before, the loudest one in the room, and you can follow me at Instagram. My socials are going to be Maddie Simone 737. And then on Facebook is Maddie Bynum.
00:52:04
Speaker
And I did mention on one of the episodes that I have a TikTok. I don't typically use it, but if you want to go look at the five videos that are posted, by means, go look at the five videos that are posted on my TikTok.
00:52:15
Speaker
Yeah, as Sean. And I'm your co-host, Sean Aaron, he, him, his. And you can find me on ah most socials as Them Boys, Inc. And also my personal page, SeanAaron81.
00:52:28
Speaker
And remember to subscribe and get all your friends and family to subscribe to Power be Beyond Pride on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. And check out our site, Power Beyond Pride.
00:52:40
Speaker
Power Beyond Pride is a project from A Great Idea, queer-owned design and content agency. Learn more about them at agreatidea.com. And this episode was produced by our wonderful Shane Lucas and I, Maddie Byam, and the project developer. Our editor is the amazing Jared Redding, and he is always supported by the utmost wonderful person that you'll ever meet, which is Ian Wilson.
00:53:06
Speaker
Yes, and we are both part of this podcast awesome host team, and we invite you to send in your questions and comments at powerbeyondpride.com. Check out our new episodes each week, and we look forward to queer changemaking with you next time. Thank you once again from all of us here Power Beyond Pride. Have a great day.