Melinda Chateauvert is an activist who has been involved in many grassroots campaigns to change policies and attitudes about sex and sexuality, gender and antiviolence, and race and rights. As a university professor she has taught courses on social justice organizing, the civil rights movement, and gender and sexuality. She is a fellow at the Center for Africana Studies at the University of Pennsylvania.
"Sex Workers Unite does the invaluable work of showing us what a
responsible and effective movement might look like, centering the
voices and strategies of sex workers themselves in order to restore
our best future to the realm of the possible."
--Feministing
"[Chateauvert's] portraits of individual activists and advocacy
groups are well drawn, proving that humanization through story, not
philosophical debates about personhood and privacy, will win this
campaign... Chateauvert makes a strong case that 'engaging in
sexual commerce should not be grounds for disenfranchisement.'"
--Publishers Weekly "The breadth of the material impressively
commemorates the movement's decades long struggle."
--Kirkus Reviews "Sex Workers Unite is path-breaking in its claims
about the expansive legacy of sex worker activism, and one hopes it
will serve as a starting point for an even more expansive
analysis."
--San Francisco Chronicle "[T]he book makes important contributions
to histories of feminism, lgbtq politics, and social movements and
clears a path for further studies of these important topics."
--The Journal of American History "The sheer depth and breadth of
study evident in the book ensures its usefulness as a resource. But
Sex Workers Unite is much more than a collection of facts and
figures, however comprehensive. Chateauvert displays a deft hand
with subtle ideas."
--Tits and Sass
"Readers will learn a great deal about contemporary sex workers
rights organizing in the United States (and a little bit about
Canada) by exploring this book."
--A Kiss for Gabriela "Chateauvert's writing is blunt, honest and
overwhelmingly liberal. Her dry but positive discussion of sex work
and its employees aims to educate the reader. Her mission is to
prove that those in the sex work industry are not deviants, addicts
or victims. They are people making conscious choices who deserve
equal civil rights and legal representation. She wants their
stories told, their histories documented, and their allies
counted."
--Edge "This is an important book--not only for understanding the
history of the movement but also for debunking myths about sex
workers."
--Dr. Joycelyn Elders, former US surgeon general "From the
movement's beginning with street-walking cop-fighting trans women
at Stonewall at Compton's Cafeteria through feminist betrayal and
the AIDs crisis all the way to today's sex work activists and
artists who make this labor visible, Sex Workers Unite is a
fact-driven, street-smart history. This book is crucial."
--Michelle Tea, author of Valencia "In this definitive history,
Chateauvert recounts the many challenges and successes of the sex
workers' rights movement, and shows us how much farther we have to
go to guarantee everyone's fundamental rights to sexual privacy and
self-determination."
--Anthony D. Romero, executive director, American Civil Liberties
Union "With a historian's eye for the illuminating detail and the
street fighter's passion for her cause, Melinda Chateauvert offers
a sassy journey through the worlds of 'Working Girls and Boys, '
black, brown, and white, trans, gay, and straight. Against rescuers
and abolitionists, Sex Workers Unite recovers the collective action
and labor organizing of sex workers for better conditions, living
wages, cultural freedom, and social justice."
--Eileen Boris, Hull Professor of Feminist Studies, University of
California Santa Barbara and co-editor of Intimate Labors:
Cultures, Technologies, and the Politics of Care
"Sex Workers Unite"does the invaluable work of showing us what a
responsible and effective movement might look like, centering the
voices and strategies of sex workers themselves in order to restore
our best future to the realm of the possible.
"Feministing
"
[Chateauvert's] portraits of individual activists and advocacy
groups are well drawn, proving that humanization through story, not
philosophical debates about personhood and privacy, will win this
campaign Chateauvert makes a strong case that 'engaging in sexual
commerce should not be grounds for disenfranchisement.'
"Publishers Weekly"
The breadth of the material impressively commemorates the movement
s decades long struggle.
"Kirkus Reviews"
""Sex Workers Unite" is path-breaking in its claims about the
expansive legacy of sex worker activism, and one hopes it will
serve as a starting point for an even more expansiveanalysis."
"San Francisco Chronicle"
[T]he book makes important contributions to histories of feminism,
lgbtq politics, and social movements and clears a path for further
studies of these important topics.
"The Journal of American History"
The sheer depth and breadth of study evident in the book ensures
its usefulness as a resource. But "Sex Workers Unite" is much more
than a collection of facts and figures, however comprehensive.
Chateauvert displays a deft hand with subtle ideas.
"Tits and Sass
"
Readers will learn a great deal about contemporary sex workers
rights organizing in the United States (and a little bit about
Canada) by exploring this book.
"A Kiss for Gabriela"
Chateauvert s writing is blunt, honest and overwhelmingly liberal.
Her dry but positive discussion of sex work and its employees aims
to educate the reader. Her mission is to prove that those in the
sex work industry are not deviants, addicts or victims. They are
people making conscious choices who deserve equal civil rights and
legal representation. She wants their stories told, their histories
documented, and their allies counted.
"Edge"
"This is an important book not only for understanding the history
of the movement but also for debunking myths about sex
workers."
Dr. Joycelyn Elders, former US surgeon general
From the movement's beginning with street-walking cop-fighting
trans women at Stonewall at Compton's Cafeteria through feminist
betrayal and the AIDs crisis all the way to today's sex work
activists and artists who make this labor visible," Sex Workers
Unite" is a fact-driven, street-smart history. This book is
crucial.
Michelle Tea, author of "Valencia"
In this definitive history, Chateauvert recounts the many
challenges and successes of thesex workers rights movement,
andshows us how much farther we have to go to guarantee everyone s
fundamental rights to sexual privacy and self-determination.
Anthony D. Romero, executive director, American Civil Liberties
Union
With a historian s eye for the illuminating detail and the street
fighter s passion for her cause, Melinda Chateauvert offers a sassy
journey through the worlds of 'Working Girls and Boys, ' black,
brown, and white, trans, gay, and straight. Against rescuers and
abolitionists, "Sex Workers Unite "recovers the collective action
and labor organizing of sex workers for better conditions, living
wages, cultural freedom, and social justice.
Eileen Boris, Hull Professor of Feminist Studies, University of
California Santa Barbara and co-editor of "Intimate Labors:
Cultures, Technologies, and the Politics of Care""
""Sex Workers Unite "does the invaluable work of showing us what a
responsible and effective movement might look like, centering the
voices and strategies of sex workers themselves in order to restore
our best future to the realm of the possible."
--"Feministing
"
"[Chateauvert's] portraits of individual activists and advocacy
groups are well drawn, proving that humanization through story, not
philosophical debates about personhood and privacy, will win this
campaign... Chateauvert makes a strong case that 'engaging in
sexual commerce should not be grounds for disenfranchisement.'"
--"Publishers Weekly"
"The breadth of the material impressively commemorates the
movement's decades long struggle."
--"Kirkus Reviews"
""Sex Workers Unite" is path-breaking in its claims about the
expansive legacy of sex worker activism, and one hopes it will
serve as a starting point for an even more expansive analysis."
--"San Francisco Chronicle
"
"The sheer depth and breadth of study evident in the book ensures
its usefulness as a resource. But "Sex Workers Unite" is much more
than a collection of facts and figures, however comprehensive.
Chateauvert displays a deft hand with subtle ideas."
--"Tits and Sass
"
"Readers will learn a great deal about contemporary sex workers
rights organizing in the United States (and a little bit about
Canada) by exploring this book."
--"A Kiss for Gabriela"
"Chateauvert's writing is blunt, honest and overwhelmingly liberal.
Her dry but positive discussion of sex work and its employees aims
to educate the reader. Her mission is to prove that those in the
sex work industry are not deviants, addicts or victims. They are
people making conscious choices who deserve equal civil rights and
legal representation. She wants their stories told, their histories
documented, and their allies counted."
--"Edge"
"This is an important book--not only for understanding the history
of the movement but also
"[Chateauvert's] portraits of individual activists and advocacy
groups are well drawn, proving that humanization through story, not
philosophical debates about personhood and privacy, will win this
campaign... Chateauvert makes a strong case that 'engaging in
sexual commerce should not be grounds for disenfranchisement.'"
--"Publishers Weekly"
"The breadth of the material impressively commemorates the
movement's decades long struggle."
--"Kirkus Reviews"
""Sex Workers Unite" is path-breaking in its claims about the
expansive legacy of sex worker activism, and one hopes it will
serve as a starting point for an even more expansive analysis."
--"San Francisco Chronicle
"
"Chateauvert's writing is blunt, honest and overwhelmingly liberal.
Her dry but positive discussion of sex work and its employees aims
to educate the reader. Her mission is to prove that those in the
sex work industry are not deviants, addicts or victims. They are
people making conscious choices who deserve equal civil rights and
legal representation. She wants their stories told, their histories
documented, and their allies counted."
--"Edge"
"This is an important book--not only for understanding the history
of the movement but also for debunking myths about sex
workers."
--Dr. Joycelyn Elders, former US surgeon general
"From the movement's beginning with street-walking cop-fighting
trans women at Stonewall at Compton's Cafeteria through feminist
betrayal and the AIDs crisis all the way to today's sex work
activists and artists who make this labor visible," Sex Workers
Unite" is a fact-driven, street-smart history. This book is
crucial."
--Michelle Tea, author of "Valencia"
"In this definitive history, Chateauvert recounts the many
challenges and successes of the sex workers' rights movement, and
shows us how much farther we have to go to guarantee everyone's
fundamental rights to sexual privacy and self-determination."
--Anthony D. Romero,
"This is an important book--not only for understanding the history
of the movement but also for debunking myths about sex workers."
--Dr. Joycelyn Elders, former US surgeon general
"From the movement's beginning with street-walking cop-fighting
trans women at Stonewall at Compton's Cafeteria through feminist
betrayal and the AIDs crisis all the way to today's sex work
activists and artists who make this labor visible", Sex Workers
Unite" is a fact-driven, street-smart history. This book is
crucial." --Michelle Tea, author of "Valencia"
"In this definitive history, Chateauvert recounts the many
challenges and successes of the sex workers' rights movement, and
shows us how much farther we have to go to guarantee everyone's
fundamental rights to sexual privacy and self-determination."
--Anthony D. Romero, executive director, American Civil Liberties
Union
"With a historian's eye for the illuminating detail and the street
fighter's passion for her cause, Melinda Chateauvert offers a sassy
journey through the worlds of 'Working Girls and Boys, ' black,
brown, and white, trans, gay, and straight. Against rescuers and
abolitionists, "Sex Workers Unite "recovers the collective action
and labor organizing of sex workers for better conditions, living
wages, cultural freedom, and social justice." --Eileen Boris, Hull
Professor of Feminist Studies, University of California Santa
Barbara and co-editor of "Intimate Labors: Cultures, Technologies,
and the Politics of Care"
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