Parade-goers dance before the start of the procession through downtown Minneapolis. Andi Snow, executive director of SWOP MPLS stands in the center with pink hair.
On June 2, Minneapolis sex workers and allies rallied in downtown Minneapolis for the annual “Dancing in the Streets” parade to celebrate, call for the decriminalization of sex work, and reflect on the toll of Operation Metro Surge in Minnesota. Along with dancing and celebrating, organizers also condemned ICE activity, the criminalization of sex workers by police, the rise of AI undermining workers in the industry, and rallied in support of the Minneapolis City Council’s vote on the legalization of public bathhouses.
The rally began in the North Loop neighborhood in Minneapolis, made its way through downtown, crossed the Hennepin Avenue Bridge, and ended with a party at Father Hennepin Park.
“Dancing in the Streets” is celebrated in honor of International Whore’s Day, or International Sex Workers’ Day, which originated in Lyon, France, in 1975, where hundreds occupied a plaza after the killing of two sex workers. Parades and other events took place around the world in honor of sex workers’ contributions and the fight for increased worker protections and safety.
Sex workers reported a drop in business during the peak months of Operation Metro Surge in Minneapolis. The workers’ observations are supported by a recently published report by North Star Policy Action, which found that Minnesota’s leisure and hospitality industries, which includes restaurants, nightlife, hotels, and tourism, have been the most impacted by ICE’s activity—and have been the slowest to recover economically.
According to the report, the state’s leisure and hospitality industries lost approximately 4,600 jobs, 2.6 million hours of work, and $71 million in wages in January, February, and March.
Aaron Rosenthal, a researcher and co-author of the report, specified that the data does not account for workers in cash economies and suggested that those industries are often unaccounted for and likely faced higher economic hardship during the immigration surge in Minnesota.
In an interview with Workday Magazine, Andi Snow, executive director of Sex Worker Outreach Project (SWOP) MPLS, states that sex workers were heavily impacted by the immigration crackdown.“People were afraid to leave their homes, afraid to go out, afraid to go to work themselves, but also dealing with the fact that other people were not coming out to be customers,” she says. “At times of heightened security and safety, fun is often something that goes on the back burner.”
Snow adds that sex workers were also heavily involved with mutual aid networks and community watch networks. “We’re impacted by seeing our neighbors being kidnapped, by being on patrol, by being a part of community like mutual aid networks, and support networks,” she says. Snow shared that the SWOP MPLS office is a few blocks away from where Alex Pretti was shot and killed by an ICE agent on January 24. “We opened our office as a warming space after the murder, it was bitterly cold out,” she adds.
Jazzmyn Bellemont, a SWOP MPLS organizer, sex worker, and dancer, shared her experience of working at the Spearmint Rhino Gentleman’s Club when four plain-clothes ICE officers entered the club in February. “They did not say what they were doing at all and they grabbed me, a very pasty white woman, by my arm, and accused me of not being white,” she says.
Bellemont alleges that the officers continued to aggressively question other dancers about their immigration status and country of origin throughout the night until someone at the club directly asked if they were ICE agents, which they then confirmed. The four officers were then kicked out of the club immediately after, she alleges. “They should have been more screened at the door,” Bellemont added.
Kathrine Bush, a professional dominatrix interviewed by Workday Magazine, reflects on Operation Metro Surge. “It was mentally very challenging to work at that time. So many people, both clients and workers, were trying to step up and do everything they could, whether it was standing out in the street in the middle of winter or sewing umbrellas in a warehouse,” she says. “We all pitched in to try to take this evil out of here.”
She adds that, “Metro Surge isn’t over as much as people want to say that it is.” Reports of ICE detainments continue in Minneapolis. On June 3, Minneapolis City Councilmember Jason Chavez released a statement alleging that someone was detained in the Corcoran neighborhood of south Minneapolis early in the morning. Councilmember Chavez wrote, “The individual had his window broken into, and he was snatched from his car.”
Athena Papagiannopoulos, operations and programs director of SWOP MPLS, agrees that the sex work industry, like other leisure and hospitality industries, is struggling to recover after Operation Metro Surge. “I ask the girls every single day, ‘How’s work going?,’ and everyone is having such a hard time, everyone’s scared, not only because of ICE taking them, or their family, but because they say they’re not making money.”
However, Papagiannopoulos emphasizes that the purpose of “Dancing in the Streets” and International Sex Workers’ Day is “to remember that joy is resistance.” She continues, “ We’re giving back to the community and reminding [sex workers] why we’re here, that you have a community, you have people that love you, and that we just want to celebrate you.”
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Kathrine Bush, a professional dominatrix and member of SWOP MPLS said, “Metro Surge isn’t over as much as people want to say that it is.”
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Jazzmyn Bellemont, a SWOP MPLS harm reduction liaison and sex worker strikes a pose at the International Sex Workers’ Day parade. In an interview, she discusses her experience when four ICE officers entered the club she works at and questioned dancers about their immigration status.
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A marcher holds up a large sign that reads, “Decriminalize sex work” on a cut-out poster resembling a retro boom box.
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Two marchers pose for a photo at the start of the parade.
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A group of friends in masks, dramatic makeup, and elaborate jewelry hold up peace signs for a photo at SWOP MPLS’ annual parade, “Dancing in the Streets”.
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Mila (left), the outreach director for SWOP MPLS and Jae Wesby (right), an organizer with Black Visions, speak to the crowd before the parade.
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A marcher holds up a sign that reads, “Workers over billionaires!” before the start of the parade in downtown Minneapolis.
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A marcher holds up a red umbrella at the “Dancing in the Streets” parade. The red umbrella is a symbol of sex workers rights movements across the country.
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Two marchers hold up peace signs at the rally.
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Two marchers pose for a photo before the parade. One marcher wears a sticker that reads, “Decrim MN,” referring to the demand to decriminalize sex work in Minnesota.
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Two marchers pose for a photo, one holds up a sign that reads, “Fuck AI, support real hoes!”
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Julia Johnson, an organizer with Black Visions, speaks in front of the crowd at the annual SWOP MPLS parade.
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Athena Papagiannopoulos, operations and programs director of SWOP MPLS agrees that the sex work industry, like other leisure and hospitality industries, is struggling to recover after Operation Metro Surge.
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A marcher-goer poses for a photo with her dog.
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A group of four friends pose for a photo before the start of the march.
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Two friends strike a pose before the start of “Dancing in the Streets.”
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Three friends smile for a photo before the march. One holds a sign that reads, “Justice for Josie Tarwai,” a 27 year old woman from Minnesota who was found dead in her apartment in Atlanta last year. Her death is still under investigation.
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Parade-goers dance before the start of the procession through downtown Minneapolis. Andi Snow, executive director of SWOP MPLS stands in the center with pink hair.