Ballot Pamphlet Summary- San Francisco 2008

"Enforcement of Laws Related to Prostitution and Sex Workers"

THE WAY IT IS NOW:
State and local laws prohibit prostitutionⁱ. State and federal laws prohibit human trafficking for prostitutionⁱ or forced labor. Criminal laws also prohibit crimes such as battery, extortion and
rape, regardless of the victim's status as a prostitute or sex worker.

In 1994, the Board of Supervisors established a Task Force on Prostitution (Task Force) to examine prostitutionⁱ in the City and to recommend social and legal reforms. In 1996 the Task Force released a report recommending that:
• City departments stop enforcing and prosecuting prostitutionⁱ crimes;
• City departments instead focus on neighborhood complaints about quality of life infractions;
• The City redirect funds from prosecution and incarceration to providing services and alternatives for those involved in prostitutionⁱ.

Proposition K was put on the ballot by the Erotic Service Providers Union, ESPU, in November 2008.

You probably heard that Prop K didn't win, but the groups involved were very proud that with over 25 organizational endorsements, 140,173 people (updated 12/1/08) voted for the Proposition and the groups secured 41% of the votes.

In 2004 Measure Q in Berkeley secured 36% of the vote, so Prop K indicates that support for sex workers is growing.

Proposition K campaign websites:

Dear Allies, friends, SWOP-ees around the world,

We are so proud to announce that we SUCCEEDED in our efforts to secure the endorsement of the Democratic Party! Due to our hard work and lobbying (which was truly a culmination of many years of sex workers working directly with city politicians and politicos) the Democratic party endorsed us! Am I dreaming?

We were very fortunate to have remarkable allies such as Greg Shaw, former president of the Harvey Milk Club, who initiated, explained and helped coordinate the strategy, as well as Slava Osowska, a queer activist and member of Industrial Workers of The World, who did much of the physical work of actually getting the 12,745 signatures needed. Slava has helped write the materials and works tirelessly.

About 40 (or maybe more?) sex workers and supporters showed up and most testified, the majority identifying as sex workers. Long time allies from the HIV prevention/harm reduction movements and from the medical marijuana movement were instrumental in their support.

To view videos as well as the District Attorney and Public Defender arguments, also to appear in the ballot pamphlet visit the BAYSWAN San Francisco Prostitution Ballot Measure Info Page at:

http://www.bayswan.org/SFInitiative08

The language for the San Francisco Prostitution Ballot Measure has been approved and here it is below:

San Francisco Prostitution Ballot Measure 2008:
ENFORCEMENT OF LAWS RELATED TO PROSTITUTION AND SEX WORKERS

Prostitution Ballot Measure as it will appear
in the San Francisco Voters' Pamphlet 2008

THE WAY IT IS NOW:
State and local laws prohibit prostitutionⁱ. State and federal laws prohibit human trafficking for prostitutionⁱ or forced labor. Criminal laws also prohibit crimes such as battery, extortion and rape, regardless of the victim's status as a prostitute or sex worker.
In 1994, the Board of Supervisors established a Task Force on Prostitution (Task Force) to examine prostitutionⁱ in the City and to recommend social and legal reforms. In 1996 the Task Force released a report recommending that:

Contacts