Craigslist-Inspired Cabaret Will Be Presented To Protest Passing Of Senate Bill

In response to the recent passing of U.S. Senate Bill S.1693, the C*nt Collective presents Missed Connections: A Craigslist Cabaret, in support of the Sex Workers Project. The evening will feature devised works by sex workers and their allies, memorializing the now-defunct Missed Connections section of Craigslist. Hosted at the Museum of Sex, the event will take place on April 30 from 7-11 p.m.

The cabaret will honor its fallen namesake, the iconic personals section, through performance, party and protest. The event will also include raffles for artwork, luxury sex toys and other prizes, as well as a libation bar hosted by the Museum of Sex and free swag and discount vouchers donated by the museum and other sponsors of the event. All allies are welcome. Information will be distributed throughout the evening on the cause as well as on the Collective.

In 2010, Craigslist closed their "Erotic Services" section after increased pressure from conservative groups. This section, which was created in 2002, was responsible for a 17.4% reduction in female sex worker homicide rates according to studies by Baylor and West Virginia Universities.

"Any tool or service can be misused. We can't take such risk without jeopardizing all our other services, so we are regretfully taking craigslist personals offline. Hopefully we can bring them back some day." (Craigslist FAQ)

S. 1693, titled the Stop Enabling Sex Traffickers Act of 2017, passed through bipartisan effort. The FOSTA (Fight Online Sex Trafficking Act)-SESTA (Stop Enabling Sex Traffickers Act) package legalizes the practice of sex censorship, holding websites that advertise and discuss sex work legally liable for all exchanges. The act estranges sex workers everywhere, pushing them out of safety and onto the street, thus increasing the risk of sexual assault and murder.

"Not only are sex work and sex trafficking now implicitly synonymous, but the safe advertising--and even discussion--of such services, is now considered criminal," explains Leigh Honigman, a producer on the project. "This new and unconstitutional wave of censorship has increased the difficulty of client screening and finding safe environments for exchange of services, inducing huge dangers to the sex worker community, especially to the LGBTQ+ communities and people of color."

The C*nt Collective is comprised of multidisciplinary artists and producers dedicated to promoting body autonomy and the voices of the marginalized.

Pre-sale tickets are $15 and include entry, 10% off an in-store purchase at the MoSex retail store and a surprise gift. They can be purchased on Eventbrite. Walk up tickets will be sold at the door of the Museum of Sex for $20. Cash, credit/debit and venmo are all accepted. Raffle tickets will be sold the night of; one ticket for $2, or three for $5.

For more information, visit the Eventbrite page, or check out C*ntCollective on Facebook and Instagram.

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