News & Updates
Stay up-to-date on the latest news, events and resources by
signing up for our newsletter:
STATEMENT: International Sex Workers’ Day
As we mark International Sex Workers’ Day, which celebrates a legacy of activism, SWAN Vancouver is also reflecting on the return of the first Red Umbrella March, an event that calls for safety, human rights and decriminalization. The last Red Umbrella March was in...
Vancouver City Council Decision
Make no mistake, ABC Councillors voted against sex worker safety. At the May 20 Standing Committee Meeting on Finance and Services, Vancouver City Council read a motion about prioritizing sex worker safety policies and resources following the City of Vancouver’s...
STATEMENT: Community organizations alarmed after City of Vancouver cuts essential Sex Work Social Planner position
“Due to the a loss of the missing and murdered women in the Downtown Eastside of Vancouver, and the continued violence and stigma against sex workers (consistently reported by sex worker-serving organizations through local bad date lists and outreach programs), we are...
Open Letter: Adopt more effective anti-trafficking approaches
April 8, 2026 To: Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General, Nina Krieger Cc: RCMP ‘E’ Division Subject: Open Letter: Adopt more effective anti-trafficking approaches We, the undersigned, are individuals and organizations deeply committed to the health, safety,...
Access, on Whose Terms?
On Feb. 10, 2026, the Vancouver Community Sex Work Alliance hosted a screening of the 1984 film Hookers on Davie to provide the public with insight into sex workers’ lives, the barriers they face, and what has—and has not—changed. The following is a speech from SWAN...
Moral panic and the sex trafficking media frenzy
Marketing shapes the biggest trafficking awareness campaigns, leading journalists to ditch experts and fall for slogans. Journalists are rushing to the most sensational spokespeople while covering human trafficking, and they all say variations of the same thing…