Brussels Escorts

The bustling Saturday night at Beursschouwburg arts center in downtown Brussels was a whirlwind of excitement and energy. A captivated crowd packed the theatre, with eager attendees standing in the corridors and perched on the stairs, all eager to witness the main performance at the SNAP! (Sex Worker Narratives and Politics) Festival. Amidst this fervor, a woman adorned in an '80s disco bodysuit and a balaclava danced emotively to poetic recitations, evoking a poignant silence among the audience. As she concluded her performance, the room erupted in thunderous applause and cheers, echoing their appreciation for the emotional journey they had just experienced.

This year, the SNAP! Festival partnered with the Brussels Porn Film Festival, creating an enthralling four-day extravaganza that enraptured Brussels with its compelling storytelling, discussions on sex worker politics, and an unyielding determination to obliterate the stigma surrounding sex work. The celebratory air of the festival was bolstered by Belgium's groundbreaking move in June 2022, becoming the first European country to decriminalize sex work. Many of the festival's organizers and participants had been instrumental in advocating for this pivotal legislative change.

Stepping onto the stage like a medieval court jester in vibrant red attire and oversized curl-toed shoes, the compere effortlessly held the audience's attention with mirrored contact lenses and sharp wit. However, when he announced Marianne Chargois, the founder of SNAP! Festival in 2018, the thunderous applause drowned out his words. Marianne's appearance, tearful yet empowered, resonated deeply with the room, especially among fellow sex workers, acknowledging her significant cultural contributions and relentless advocacy for the sex worker community in Belgium.

Amidst the festival's hubbub, Marianne spared a moment to discuss the arduous journey toward decriminalization and the pivotal role of SNAP! in dispelling enduring stigmas surrounding sex work. Emphasizing the significance of the new law, she highlighted its transformational impact on allowing sex workers to negotiate working conditions, access social assistance, secure pensions, and pursue training rights. However, Marianne also noted that this was merely a step forward in the ongoing fight for the full recognition and respect of sex workers' human rights.

Marianne, a sex worker, activist, and artist known for her feminist and sexual-political performances, plays a multifaceted role in advocating for sex workers' rights. Her involvement with UTSOPI (Union of Sex workers Organised For Independence) underscores the concerted effort made by sex worker-led organizations, allies, and policymakers to challenge societal perceptions and advance the recognition of sex work as legitimate work.

Belgium's historic move to decriminalize sex work in 2022 marked a monumental shift, providing legal recognition and safety nets for sex workers. This legislative reform aimed not only to end stigmatization and exploitation but also to ensure the rights and protections of sex workers, including provisions safeguarding against coercion and enhancing workplace safety.

However, Marianne highlighted the law's imperfections, particularly in addressing the plight of sex workers with precarious immigration statuses and the persistence of societal stigma. It's here that SNAP! assumes a critical role, serving as a platform for sex workers to share their narratives, fostering a community of support and empowerment.

The collaborative effort between SNAP! and the Brussels Porn Film Festival was a testament to their shared mission of challenging societal perceptions surrounding sexuality and advocating for sexual freedom. By forging alliances, organizing events, and creating spaces for open dialogue, both festivals aimed to dismantle age-old stigmas ingrained in society regarding explicit representations of sexuality.

At the heart of this movement lay the acknowledgment that pornography and sex work were intertwined, with sex workers as the bedrock of the industry. Miguel Soll, co-founder of the Brussels Porn Film Festival, underscored the need to blur distinctions between traditional cinema and pornography, highlighting the latter's historical significance in representing diverse sexualities and marginalized communities.

Within the festival's vibrant mix of screenings, workshops, and panel discussions, live performances stood out as potent expressions of both joyous celebration and poignant reflections on the often isolating experiences of sex workers. By amplifying these voices, the festivals sought to not only challenge societal norms but also foster deeper understanding and acceptance.

Nour Beetch, a figure at the intersection of porn, sex work, and activism, emphasized the profound connection between sex work and her ability to pursue cultural and political endeavors. For her, sex work provided the financial stability necessary to engage in unpaid projects that fueled her creative endeavors and activism.

The united front presented by SNAP! and the Brussels Porn Film Festival transcended the boundaries of their respective communities, resonating with a broader audience. Beyond being a celebration, the festivals were a testament to the necessity of cultural exchange and dialogue in reshaping societal perceptions and dismantling stigmas surrounding sexuality and sex work.

In essence, these festivals served as beacons of solidarity, advocating for sex worker rights, sexual freedom, and a collective endeavor to foster a society free from age-old prejudices and stigma. Through their collaborative efforts, they aimed to reshape cultural narratives and carve out spaces that embraced diversity, empowerment, and understanding in all aspects of sexuality.

Brussels is to honour a sex worker with a street named after her. The Nigerian escort Eunice Osayande was murdered after being forced into prostitution to pay back her trafficking fees and rent. She had approaced a sex work charity for help, but failed to contact the police because of her immigration status. She was killed by a 'customer' who stabbed her 17 times.

 

Protests were triggered from the migrant workers. Nigerians on social media are hailing the latest decision of Brussels, noting that sex workers are humans with equal rights.

Brussels’ Common Community Commission (COCOM), which manages the Region’s vaccination policy, launched a campaign focused on the vaccination of sex workers, since they will be allowed to resume their work from 9 June.

People in Brussels who want to be vaccinated are asked to register at one of the Region’s ten vaccination centres. “However, if a person requests it, we also offer them the opportunity to be vaccinated at the premises of one of the associations on the ground,” the COCOM said.

In this case, the shots will be administered by a mobile vaccination team, consisting of a nurse and a coordinating doctor. “It is important that the vaccination takes place in a place where no judgement is passed and no intrusive questions are asked.”

Several sex workers from the Brussels North Quarter in Saint-Josse-ten-Node are filing a complaint against their landlords for the high rent prices during the coronavirus crisis, sex worker union UTSOPI announced on Thursday.

The sex workers themselves had been summoned to court earlier, for not paying their rent. However, the workers are now stating that the landlords are taking advantage of their difficult financial situation.

“Since the beginning of the health crisis, sex work has not been allowed nine out of twelve months,” a spokesperson for UTSOPI told The Brussels Times. “Many sex workers ran out of income and were therefore unable to pay their rent.”

The food tickets that the French Community Commission (COCOF) is financing for sex workers in Brussels will “definitely not be enough” to survive the Covid-19 crisis, according to sex worker organisation UTSOPI.

In response to a demand for financial support from sex workers following Brussels latest ban on sex work in the Region, the COCOF released a budget to offer food tickets for those who found themselves without an income overnight, announced COCOF Minister-President Barbara Trachte.

Belgian sex worker union UTSOPI is asking for concrete financial support measures for the sex workers in Brussels who can no longer work due to the prostitution ban across the Region.

As bars and restaurants have been closed and contacts have to be kept to a minimum, UTSOPI understands the rule that sex work is no longer allowed until 19 November, but is asking for financial support for those who are now banned from working.

The Council of State has overturned a ban on street prostitution introduced in Brussels-City at the end of September by mayor Philippe Close (PS).

The Council ruled that a municipality does not have the authority to order such a ban, which can only be done by a regional or federal authority.

Brussels’ sex workers are angry that they were not consulted before the City of Brussels sprung a prostitution ban on them on Monday evening, in an effort to halt the spread of the coronavirus in the city.

“The biggest issue is not even the ban, the issue is that it was sprung on us out of the blue,” Maes said. “What makes us upset most of all is that we were not contacted or informed in advance.”

Many of the sex workers in the City of Brussels, especially those working the streets in the Alhambra district, are already in precarious situations, and the ban only makes it harder on them, according to him.

Belgium’s capital has banned prostitution in certain districts in an effort to curb the spread of the coronavirus. For sex-workers, however, the prohibition is a threat to their livelihoods.

Sex workers had to stop their activities on March 13, just a few days before a national lockdown because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“They were all left with nothing,” said Marie, who works at the organization Utsopi, which represents sex workers in Belgium.

Utsopi helped provide food and shelter during the three-month lockdown but poverty and hardship rose among the community.

The mandatory closure of sex work businesses in the Brussels’ commune of Saint-Josse-ten-Noode will be lifted immediately, it announced.

As in most other places in the country, sex workers will be able to resume their activities, provided they respect their back-to-work protocols and health regulations.

The Brussels’ municipality of Saint-Josse-ten-Noode has decided on a series of conditions under which sex workers will be allowed to start working again from July.

Even though the municipality had previously stated it would prohibit sex work until at least 1 July, it remained unclear when and under what conditions Saint-Josse would allow sex workers to resume their activities.

A sex worker who usually works on the Rue de Linné, in the Brussels’ municipality of Saint-Josse, has lodged an appeal with the Council of State to immediately suspend the ban on sex work currently in force.

Sex workers can resume working again, but they and their clients will have to comply with certain strict hygiene measures, that sex worker collective UTSOPI published on its website.

Mattress covers need to be changed systematically and washed at 60 degrees, or made of polyurethane, which can be disinfected after a client.

Mouth-to-mouth contact is forbidden, which is why a disposable of cloth face mask should be worn by both the sex worker and the client. However, an exception for oral sex is allowed, but the use of a condom or dental dam is recommended.

“Any saliva or face-to-face contact during sexual acts must be avoided. Genital secretions do not present a risk of Covid-19 infection, but sexual organs that have been touched by the hand may carry the virus,” the collective says in its proposal.

These measures are proposed as an addition to the basic hygiene rules, and the systematic disinfection of hands. As much as possible, it is also recommended for both the sex worker and the client to take a shower before the intercourse.

A hotel where many sex workers receive their clients briefly opened its doors last week, despite the coronavirus regulations forbidding it, because the rules were not clear.

Despite hotels being allowed to stay open during the coronavirus crisis, the ones in the Alhambra district in Brussels had to close their doors as they are mainly used by sex workers. However, as they are not allowed to work during the coronavirus crisis, the municipal regulations ordered the hotels closed.