What you can do for least of our sisters (and, a few brothers)

I’m afraid I kind of cyber-lost it the other day when one of those instant epidemiologists (some guy who had spent a whole five months in Mexico, making him an expert on social life and politics and everything else here) was yakking on (er… typing on) suggesting AMLO was “corrupt”… specifically for not closing all the hotels in Mexico (by dictatorial decree, apparently).  That I know people who live in hotels for one reason or another (generally, older adults with no immediate family, or those who have families, but some “issues” that don’t require institutionalization, but would make it difficult to live with reluctant relatives), and others…

Photo shows recipient at an ATM. Photo by José Antonio López and Fernando Camacho

Well, whether by local decree or not, the hotels are tossing people out, and there is a whole group — one I admit I hadn’t thought about — who not only are losing their homes, but their workplaces, and their livelihood.  Street walkers.

We can argue about the ethics or “fitness” of their profession all we want (as if we couldn’t do that about other less socially acceptable trades — hedge fund managers, for example), but these are people in need, and if we’re serious about helping out the exploited workers and keeping people off the streets and in shelter, we need to talk about the needs of street-walkers.

The Alianza Mexicana de Trabajadoras Sexuales and the Centro de Apoyo a las Identidades Trans have put together funds to assist out of work prostitutes, passing out debit cards they can use to find what housing is available.  It’s not much, and several are living in the streets, or in rooming house without cooking facilities.  Non-perishable food, and ready to eat food… as well as money… are desperately needed.

Given the sensitivity surrounding the workers, and those that might be charitably inclined, donors need to call a phone number for information on where, and how to donate:

55-8439-4070  or 55-6039-6518