Clarisse Thorn

SWOP – Chicago presents “Happy Endings?”

by Lolita Wolf on 06/10/2024

in leather archives, sexwork

home top bg SWOP Chicago presents Happy Endings?

SEX WORKERS OUTREACH PROJECT-CHICAGO PRESENTS-
An intriguing exploration of the Asian massage parlor industry in Providence, RI

“HAPPY ENDINGS?”
in support of SWOP-Chicago
presented by Clarisse Thorn
and hosted by the Leather Archives & Museum
Film Screening and Post-Screening Discussion

Friday, June 12, 7PM
Leather Archives & Museum
6418 N. Greenview (at Devon)
Chicago, IL 60626
(773) 761-9200
$5-10 suggested donation to SWOP-Chicago

Rhode Island: the only state where prostitution is decriminalized. It had been over 25 years since five prostitutes sued the state of Rhode Island for selective prosecution and prostitution laws were removed from the books, when documentarians Tara Hurley and Nick Marcoux turned their cameras on the underbelly of “The Renaissance City”.

Watch the drama unfold in Asian massage parlors across Providence as Mayor David Ciccilline pushes to close the prostitution “loophole”. Follow Heather, a Korean immigrant, over two years as she manages the
massage parlor. Learn about the women who work in the spas. Hear from the police who arrest them. Watch the fight for and against the legislation. The film includes subtitled interviews with Korean women
who work in the spas, clients who frequent the spas, police, politicians from 1980 and today, local news footage, local radio call-in shows, and “voiced” reviews from internet escort review boards. Read more, watch the trailer, and see clips from the film at http://happyendingsdoc.com.

Just recently — May 2009 — prostitution is in the process of being criminalized again in Rhode Island. Come out, watch the documentary, and talk about it afterwards. What do you think about sex work? Is the change in Rhode Island law fair or unfair? Delicious snacks will be served, and discussion will follow! This is a benefit for the Sex Workers Outreach Project, and we’re requesting a $5-10 donation from attendees.

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MoSex: BDSM For Vanilla Folks, Mar. 6th

by Viviane on 02/19/2024

in Events

Date:  Friday, March 6, 2009 at 7:00pm
Locaton:  Museum of Sex,  233 Fifth Avenue, NYC
Cost:  General admission tickets cost $14.50 / $13.50 for students with ID.

Flagellation. Domination. Humiliation…Oh, My!

We all know, or at least think we know, what a dominatrix is — but many people do not have a realistic idea of what BDSM actually involves. The world of Bondage, Discipline, Domination, Sadism and Masochism (BDSM) can seem intimidating and dangerous to an outsider, but on March 6, 2009, leave your inhibitions and preconceived notions at the door and join Clarisse Thorn for her talk “BDSM for Vanilla Folks.” A Chicago-based, feminist, sex-positive, pro-BDSM educator, Thorn will be giving an introductory overview of BDSM focusing on educating outsiders by exploring the field’s history and current issues.

Throughout the years, BDSM has become increasingly accepted as a sexual identity and activity; yet, it remains shrouded by stigma, scandal and, occasionally, legal action. Despite the emphasis of safety and consent through the use of concepts such as Safe, Sane and Consensual (SSC) and Risk Aware Consensual Kink (RACK) as well as “safe words,” many outsiders still view BDSM as a form of abuse. This lecture will not only serve to enlighten newcomers on the realities of BDSM but will also describe the basic principles. This is not a how-to lecture; you aren’t going to learn how to use a whip, though you’ll learn where to go if you want to find out!

Clarisse Thorn has participated in BDSM community organizing and volunteers as an archivist at the Leather Archives & Museum, a BDSM and fetish museum on Chicago’s North Side. Recently, she has applied her experience in running nonprofits to organize a BDSM Overview Presentation to several audiences; she also curates a sex-positive documentary film series at the Jane Addams Hull-House Museum.

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