The Seattle chapter of the Sex Worker Outreach Project is hosting a three-day symposium this week to educate the public about consensual sex work, advocate for sex-worker rights and build community among a diverse group of practitioners.

Changing the narrative about sex work and battling stigma associated with the adult industry are among the primary goals behind a series of events that started Friday and culminate Wednesday with a march to Westlake Park to mark the annual International Day to End Violence Against Sex Workers.

Armed only with a shoestring budget and the verve of a core group of volunteers, the Seattle chapter of the Sex Worker Outreach Project — known as SWOP — is holding a three-day sex-work symposium to educate the public about consensual sex work, advocate for sex-worker rights and build community among a diverse group of practitioners.

“I hope people who have heard that all sex workers are victims and all sex work is exploitative will see there are other experiences that are drastically different from what they’ve known,” said Savannah Sly, a 30-year-old retired dominatrix and a lead organizer of the symposium. “I hope people will see the adult industry is vast, complex, diverse and not inherently exploitative.”

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