Thank you. That's very kind. I was in a bit of a rush when I got here.
One thing I want to say is that my research shows there's a climate of stigmatization in Winnipeg. There's also a history of hostility in this regard to sex workers' perspectives in a way that falsely opposes sex their rights to the necessary protection of the victims of sexual exploitation and human trafficking.
Erasure and silencing of sex workers does not help sex workers. It does not keep them safe. It does not keep the victims of sexual exploitation safe. Criminalization of sex work does not protect sex workers or victims of exploitation. It is possible to support sex workers and to fight against trafficking and exploitation, and it's possible to do all of this at the same time.
I think the focus needs to be on safety. It needs to be based on evidence. There is a mountain of evidence in public health that points towards decriminalization of sex work, both nationally and internationally. There is also a mountain of evidence that comes from sex workers locally that I would urge everyone to look at.