One of the most powerful messages delivered at Guelph's Take Back The Night march and rally Thursday came from someone with a past that many in society view as powerless.
"Sex workers are some of the most resilient, empathetic, strong badasses we have in this world," she Alex, a former sex trade worker, who delivered a poignant, articulate and powerful message at the 30th annual Guelph Take Back The Night march and rally against violence against women.
She said they are also particularly vulnerable to violence and others need to stand up for them by recognizing and understanding them.
"There's a pervasive idea that the women who do sex work are incapable of understanding, conceptualizing or changing their own decisions and situations," she said.
"There's persistent image of the sex worker as a poor, victimized woman trafficked into an industry that she can neither understand nor escape and she needs us to speak for her, and she doesn't," Alex said.
"They don't need us to decide what's best for them. We can understand that sex work is selling a service, an emotional labour, and understand the problematic implications within the concept of 'selling your body.'"
Speaking to roughly 200 women of all ages and another 20 or so men who gathered at Marianne's Park on Gordon Street, Alex (speakers at the rally only use first names) said sex workers aren't inherently powerless.
"Nobody understands strength, empathy, sisterhood and support better than the sex workers I have met. They give each other support and keep each other safe in a world that has all but written them off."
Following a drum circle, Alex was one of four guest speakers addressed the crowd.
They included Akio, who spoke of how black women have long been seen as sexually disposable in society, opening them up to all sorts of abuse based on the colour of their skin.
University of Guelph student Ray gave a spoken word performance detailing the devastating effect of a date rape.
"I am fearless, flawless, fiery and fierce. At least I used to be," Ray said. "Then a man named Mark took that away from me. He took my strength and made me weak. He took my bravery and made me a coward."
A wall that has been broken down, she went on, cannot be rebuilt the same way.
"Who am I supposed to be? I liked the girl I used to be. Can you help me find her? because she's very lost. She needs to come home."
