[Ed. Note: Labor Day is not just the cut-off point for wearing white shoes - it's a day to honor the workers who make this country great. In our honor (we're workers too!) we will have a special series of daily posts on working, unions and the labor movement here in the Bay Area.]
San Francisco has long been a tourist destination - and not just for our cityscapes. Many come looking for an entirely different "beautiful view" - the men and women who practice "the world's oldest profession." While sex for pay is strictly illegal, the fact is that thousands throughout the Bay Area are employed as sex workers - be they porn stars, cabaret dancers, 'masseuses' or ladies of the night. And like any worker, they're fighting for their right to a clean, safe living.
The Berkeley City Council is currently considering "Angel's Initiative," organized by the Sex Workers Outreach Project, which would basically decriminalize prostitution by making it the BPD's lowest law-enforcement priority. If the City Council does not ratify the initiative, it will have to be placed on the November ballot as Measure Q. Prostitution Research and Education is sponsoring a discussion this evening at the Julia Morgan theater to discuss this hot-button issue.