Our strip club vaccine clinics call for industry wide pandemic relief for sex workers.
We're thrilled to partner with the University Health Network to offer a low-barrier clinic at Filmore's Gentlemen's club (212 Dundas Street East) on Saturday, July 17th from 10:00am through 4:00pm/est.
Our low-barrier COVID-19 vaccine clinics have helped more than 1,500 people access their first and second doses of the vaccine without requiring an appointment, proof of status, address or OHIP coverage. We aim to reach those who struggle to access the vaccine in other settings due to surveillance, ID and address requirements, and are looking to prioritize sex workers in our series of public/private vaccine clinics. Please note that we do not require you to disclose your status as a worker and will not ask for any proof of your background, work experience, identification, address or any other key identifiers. We are not the police and it is not our role to police our community. We know that sex workers come from many different walks of life and our concern is ensuring that all sex workers have access to the vaccine. We're thrilled to partner with Filmore's in our series of strip club clinics to highlight the discriminatory targeting of strip clubs and sex workers - both by the City of Toronto's Public Health division and key public figures such as Mayor John Tory and Premier Doug Ford, who have each attempted to blame sex workers for the spread of COVID-19 while failing to support frontline workers or take action against outbreaks in local bars, restaurants and large social gatherings through the pandemic. We believe that sex workers are key allies in public health and that strip clubs and exotic dancers are not scapegoats for a poor pandemic response plan both from the City and the Province. In the absence of their leadership, we hope to show up for community members with mutual aid funds, emergency food programs, free therapy and legal support, as well as vaccine clinics. We call on Mayor Tory and the City of Toronto's Municipal Licensing and Standards Division to reimburse exotic dancers for all licensing fees paid through the pandemic as they were unable to work, forgiving those who have had their licenses lapse and retroactively reimbursing those who have had to pay hefty renewal fees despite strip clubs being ordered closed for nearly a year. Low barrier clinics are particularly vital for sex workers in our communities because many of our community members have been excluded from government aid and emergency benefits through the entire pandemic- requiring us to continue working through the pandemic despite workplace closures, reduced business and other limitations. We're excited to work with University Health Network to ensure that our community members have unfettered access to the vaccine! Connect with us directly with any questions at info@maggiesto.org or 416.964.0150 during regular business hours (Monday through Friday, 9am - 5pm.)