Individuals with lived experience engaging in transactional sex for socioeconomic reasons have driven the event planning for this conference. During the event, they will join other experts and practitioners in four moderated panel discussions: health and violence, supports and services, policy, and special populations. Through these discussions, panelists will identify unaddressed needs, provide an overview of relevant and cutting-edge research on the factors driving individuals’ involvement in transactional sex, and share innovative policies and practices aimed at providing effective and appropriate responses for individuals engaged in transactional sex for socioeconomic reasons.

Funding for this conference is generously provided by the Simmons Foundation. As a result, we are able to waive the registration fee for all attendees. In addition, all individuals with lived experience who attend the event will be provided a gift-card to thank you for sharing your time and expertise.
Location
Houston, TX

Day 1 10/07 @ Cooley Center
(7440 Cambridge St)

Day 2 @ Omni Houston Hotel
(4 Riverway)
Date & Time
October 7, 2019,
8:30 AM - 5:00 PM

October 8, 2019 -
8:30 AM- 12:15 PM
Welcome
Welcome to We Move Forward: Diverse Perspectives on Sex Work. The idea for this conference originated from work the conference team has done with individuals who have experiences with transactional sex. In this work, we saw that the common narratives around these individuals failed to capture the breadth of experiences of those who engaged in transactional sex.  We were concerned that this gap impeded the production of knowledge about how service organizations could best address the varied needs of individuals engaged in transactional sex, and led to a lack of policies that reduced barriers to services. This gap also excluded certain subpopulations, such as individuals engaging in transactional sex out of necessity, neither coerced nor empowered by sex work, and created divisions among researchers, service providers, and community leaders that then further limited the production of knowledge and services.

We felt therefore, that there was a critical need to bring together these diverse perspectives and resources, across alliances and tensions within the field, to identify best practices for addressing this population’s needs and for reducing systemic barriers to services. We very intentionally centered the conference on the lives, experiences and voices of those with lived experience. We formed a Community Advisory Board at the earliest stages of conference planning and they were instrumental in every aspect of developing this conference – from the name “We Move Forward” to the speaker selection to the topics we chose to focus on. We have also ensured that their voices were front and center by having each panel have at least one speaker with lived experience.

But because each person’s experience is unique, it is very likely that you will hear perspectives that are different from yours and hear opinions that you disagree with. But that is the whole point of this conference – to challenge us, educate us and broaden our understanding of the issues by listening to a diverse group of individuals – all of whom are here because they care about what happens to this community. And we would be remiss if we did not address the pain this community has historically felt and still feels today – pain that has come in many forms and from many sources. For some in the community, this pain has come from trauma related to their experiences of engaging in transactional sex. For others, this pain came not from sex work itself but from the punitive response they faced. And for others, the pain has come from having their own experiences ignored or not believed. Still, for others, the pain will come from experiences not directly related to sex work but through socioeconomic need. But whatever the source, I hope we can agree pain is pain and everyone’s story has value and deserves being listened to regardless of whether it is a story of pain or resilience and strength.

So in the spirit of this idea, on day one, we will be listening and learning - hearing our panels of experts talk about health and violence, support and services, policy and intersecting identities. We will finish with a panel exclusively of individuals with lived experience as they describe how they envision an ideal world for this community. The next day we will be focusing on action and next steps. We will have concurrent breakout sessions focusing on creating a harm reduction packet, formulating inclusive and thoughtful policies, and imagining the services needed for an ideal program to serve this population.

We are so glad you have decided to join us.
Schedule
10/07
Day 1 @ Cooley Center
8:30-9:15
Breakfast and Registration
9:15-9:30
Opening Remarks by the Community Advisory Board
9:30-10:00
Framing the Conversation
10:00-11:00
Panel: Health & Violence 
11:15-12:45
Panel: Supports & Services
12:45-1:15
Lunch
1:15-2:15
Panel: Policy
2:30-3:30
Panel: Intersectional Identities and Experiences
3:45-5:00
Panel: Visioning
10/08
Day 2 @ Omni 
8:30-9:15
Breakfast 
9:15-9:45
Review Day 1
10:00-11:30
Breakout Sessions:

1. Policy
2. Supports & Services
3. Harm Reduction Kit
11:45-12:15
Next Steps
Introduction
9:15-10:15
Health & Violence
10:15-11:15
Gabrielle Hansen, PhD
executive director
David Duffield, LCDCI AASHS CHW
president
Joselyn Fisher, MD MPH
associate professor
Shareese Mone
development associate
Riki Wilchins
executive director
Supports & Services
11:30 AM - 12:30 PM
Allison Franklin
peer policy fellow
Christine Breland Lobre, MHS, MPH,LPC
prgram director
Cyndee Clay
CEO
Tracy Dudley
executive director
Lakeesha Harris
Director of Reproductive Health and Justice
Natasha Paradeshi
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Sandra Smith, PhD
peer leadership manager
Mark Goldberg
ASSISTANT DISTRICT ATTORNEY
Policy
1:00 - 2:30 PM
Andrea Greer (Moderator)
Alex Corona
board of directors
Allison Franklin
peer policy fellow
Krishnaveni Gundu
CO-FOUNDER
Jenna Torres
director of creative growth and organization
Intersectional Experiences 
2:45-3:45
Kaleb Elijah 
board member
Alex Corona
board of directors
Juniper Fitzgerald
Author
Anandrea Molina
executive director
Shareese Mone
development associate
Visioning
4:00 - 5:00
TBD
TBD
TBD
Alex Corona
board of directors
Allison Franklin
peer policy fellow
Shareese Mone
development associate
Jenna Torres
DIRECTOR OF CREATIVE GROWTH AND ORGANIZATION
Travel
Location: Day 1
Houston, TX
Day 1 10/07 @ Cooley Center (7440 Cambridge St)
Parking vouchers will be available at the Cooley Center to support those who would be burdened by the costs associated with parking. A limited number of metro passes are also available on first-come, first-serve basis. 
Day 2: Omni 
4 Riverway, Houston TX 77056
A voucher for a discount for parking at the hotel will be provided to all. A limited number of metro passes may be available to those who need them.
Contact Us
Community Advisory Board
funding
This conversation was made possible through the generous contribution provided by: 
Join us on October 07
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