43. Rate, Review, Subscribe feat. Shawn: "A good service is so subjective"

"I'd say the biggest problem faced by the queer community in this country is homelessness..." -Joni Boyd

On 10^th January 2024, Misty Farquhar from Rainbow Futures WA dropped an opinion piece in The West Australian about state Labor’s commitments to enact change for the local LGBTQIA+ community, which are yet to be fulfilled.

Misty Farquhar's article:  Labor all talk, little action in protecting LGBTIQA+ community

In their article, Farquhar discusses the following issues that need amending. If you're a WA resident, please raise these points with your local Member of Parliament:

• Mental health support for the queer community needs sustainable funding
• Intersex babies are being forced to undergo surgeries that they can’t consent to
• Discrimination is being enabled by WA’s out-of-date Equal Opportunity Act
• Trans folks are facing barriers when getting their ID updated to reflect their gender identity

Follow on Instagram - Rainbow Futures WA @rainbowfutureswa, V @puppygirlfemboy, Joni Boyd @checkout_chick463

Contains explicit descriptions.

Mentions -  Decrim WA and Indymedia
It's So Hard is produced by - Jenn and Tess Louise®
Instagram - @softermedia
Website - itssohard.info

S3:E110

"Today is International Day to End Violence Against Sex Workers..."

This episode was initially released on 16/12/2021.

Mentions:

• Jasmin Raat Ki Raani - @currypawrn on Instagram
• Spotify: "Migrant Sex Workers of Colour: We Are Here To Take Up Space" on Race Matters podcast
• Listen online: "Migrant Sex Workers of Colour: We Are Here To Take Up Space" on Race Matters podcast
• Jordon Steele-John - @jordonsteelejohn on Instagram

Contains explicit descriptions.

It's So Hard is produced by - Jenn and Tess Louise®
Instagram - @softermedia @jennbrownhere
Website - itssohard.info

S3:E109

"I find myself being very cautious when it comes to other people's expectations - especially uncommunicated expectations - of what they want from me as a trans sex worker." -V

Follow on Instagram - V @puppygirlfemboy, Joni Boyd @checkout_chick463

Contains explicit descriptions.

Mentions - Decrim WA and Indymedia
It's So Hard is produced by - Jenn and Tess Louise®
Instagram - @softermedia
Website - itssohard.info

S3:E108

"We're both facing looking for work as out trans women now, and that's something that neither of us have dealt with before." -Joni Boyd

Follow on Instagram - V @puppygirlfemboy, Joni Boyd @checkout_chick463,

Contains explicit descriptions.

Mentions - Decrim WA and Indymedia
It's So Hard is produced by - Jenn and Tess Louise®
Instagram - @softermedia
Website - itssohard.info

S3:E106

"I think, unequivocally, in my opinion, that eugenics, ableism, the whorearchy, and decriminalisation are in an intrinsic ecology. Disabled rights are sex workers' rights. Sex workers' rights are disability rights. It is all interconnected..." -Lua

Follow on Instagram for updates - @littlelua.s @mxtress.mercy @smutclubfilmfest

Contains explicit descriptions.

Mentions - Sex and Disability Zine, Smut Club Film Festival, Touching Base
It's So Hard is produced by - Jenn and Tess Louise®
Instagram - @sohardpod
Website - itssohard.info

S3:E105

Lua and Mercy chat about neurodiversity and late ADHD/autism diagnoses. Lua touches on the grief of wishing they knew sooner and Mercy shares how their relationship with masking shifted over time.

We'll continue this conversation in episode 105 by exploring the intersection between sex work and disability.

Follow on Instagram for updates - @littlelua.s @mxtress.mercy @smutclubfilmfest

Contains explicit descriptions.

Mentions - Smut Club Film Festival
It's So Hard is produced by - Jenn and Tess Louise®
Instagram - @sohardpod
Website - itssohard.info

S3:E104

Before we peel back the layers of Child Sexual Abuse, what exactly is CSA? What did it mean for Jenn? And how does it still impact her life?

Lifeline 13 11 14
13YARN (for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander folks) 13 92 76
1800 RESPECT 1800 737 732
Kids Helpline 1800 55 1800

Bravehearts
1800 627 393
@braveheartsprotectkids

Blue Knot Foundation
1300 657 380
@blueknotfoundation

SAMSN
1800 472 676
@samsn_aus

The National Centre for Action on Child Sexual Abuse
@NCACSA

Loud Fence Inc.
@loudfence

The Grace Tame Foundation
@gracetamefoundation

The Survivor Hub
@thesurvivorhub

What Were You Wearing
@whatwereyouwearing_

Contains explicit violent descriptions.

It's So Hard is produced by - Jenn and Tess Louise®
Instagram - @sohardpod
Website - itssohard.info

S3:E103

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ariela Moscowitz and Isidoro Rodriguez discuss the definition of sex work, who enters the industry, and the power of stigmas. Ariela unpacks the 4 legal models that govern sex workers all over the world: criminalisation, legalisation, the Nordic model, and decriminalisation.

Ariela is the Director of Communications for Decriminalize Sex Work, an organisation pursuing a state-by-state strategy to end the prohibition of consensual sex work in the United States.

Isidoro Rodriguez is a criminal justice journalist and former deputy editor for The Crime Report. In 2020, he wrote an in-depth article called Predators Behind the Badge: Confronting Police Sexual Misconduct. Izzy also discussed police sexual misconduct with Tess on episode 90 and he continues to research and report on this topic.

The Crime Report initially platformed this recording on 23rd September 2022. The Crime Report is a nonprofit outlet dedicated to providing an independent, non-partisan marketplace of news and ideas.

Many thanks to Ariela, Izzy, and The Crime Report for allowing us to also share this conversation in the interest of raising awareness.

"Decriminalisation is the only legal model that centres power around the worker." -Ariela Moscowitz

Follow on Instagram for updates - @decrimsexwork @isidoro_c_rodriguez @thecrimereportmedia 

Contains explicit violent descriptions.

It's So Hard is produced by - Jenn and Tess Louise®
Instagram - @sohardpod
Website - itssohard.info

S3:E102

Tess gives an overview of Shirley Finn’s story. We discuss Shirley’s pressures and motivations, including but not limited to sex work.

It was beyond the scope of this episode to track Shirley’s interactions with individual detectives and politicians. However, it is worth exploring. See links below.

Contains explicit violent descriptions.

Mentions - Decrim QLD
Hosts - Jenn and Tess Louise®
Website - itssohard.info

S3:E101

00:04:20 – 00:07:57: Perth society, especially in late 1800’s and early 1900’s. See  The Petticoat Parade by Leigh Straw, Fremantle Press.

00:07:57 – 00:08:34: Police containment. See Scarlet Alliance.

00:10:22 – 00:14:30: Shirley’s life. See documentary Getting Away With Murder by Australian Story.

00:14:30 – 0015:55: A later police commissioner discussing police containment. See documentary about Dorrie Flatman by Whicker’s World.

00:15:55 – 00:22:34: Shirley’s life. See documentary Getting Away With Murder by Australian Story.

00:22:34 - 00:25:15: Former police officer Mr Colynn Rowe, lost evidence, suspects. Article.

00:26:08 – 00:27:05: Suspects. Article.

00:27:18 – 00:29:26: Coroner Barry King’s report. Article.

Also see Juliet Wills's book, Dirty Girl. It was written with help from Shirley’s daughter, Bridget Shewring, and the witnesses who had come forward at the time of writing.

As season 2 comes to a close, we explore the essential - but fragile - relationships between sex work representation, confidentiality, and intersectionality. We also discuss the future of It's So Hard.

Contains explicit sexual descriptions.

Mentions - Progressive Therapeutic Collective, Isidoro Rodriguez, Joni Boyd, and Decrim WA
Hosts - Jenn and Tess Louise®
Website - itssohard.info
Music - "No Justice", The Empress 2021 by Lil Hoe

S2:E100