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Maggie's Toronto: COVID-19 Black Sex Worker Emergency Survival Fund

If you cannot fill out the application form please contact us at info@maggiesto.org or call us at 416.964.0150 Monday through Friday 9-5pm/est.


 About Maggie's Toronto. 

Maggie's Toronto Sex Workers Action Project is Canada's oldest by and for sex workers' rights organization. We're launching the final phase of our COVID-19 emergency support fund for sex workers in Toronto & the GTA. These are funds dedicated to sex workers facing financial hardship due to COVID-19 and are left out of government supports or emergency aid.


 Why A Black Sex Worker Fund? 

Maggie's has decided that the final phase of our COVID-19 Sex Worker Emergency Support efforts will specifically focus on Black-identifying sex workers as recipients of the fund.

While COVID-19 has impacted all areas of sex work, our final phase of the COVID-19 Emergency Support Fund is being allocated to Black sex workers because they deal both with the financial impact of COVID-19 and a number of barriers in our industries due to anti-Black racism. These include, but are not limited to: hiring discrimination, anti-Black discrimination and violence from peers, clients and management; denial of key shifts and opportunities at work; unfair contracts or higher shift fees compared to white and non-Black sex workers.

The livelhood of Black sex workers has been disportionately impacted due to decreased demand for services, appointment cancellations, sickness, and the closure of workplaces - all in the midst of the rampant racism Black sex workers already face in the sex industry, and the over-surveillance, violence, harassment, and discrimination Black sex workers are routinely subjected to by law enforcement and other government agencies.

We are focusing on Black sex workers because we believe #BlackLivesMatter and there is no movement for sex worker liberation without Black sex workers.


 Why Can Apply to the COVID-19 Black Sex Worker Emergency Support Fund? 

This emergency fund is for Toronto & GTA-based Black-identifying sex workers who have lost income because of COVID-19 and are struggling. We trust you to identify accordingly and discuss your circumstances in as little (or as much) detail as you see fit.


 How much is available to Black sex workers through this fund? 

This is a one-time access fund of $150 disbursements. We want to support as many community members as possible. However, we may be able to provide additional funds to individuals, depending on the number of applications we receive - you can stay up to date with this information via our social media (@MaggiesToronto) or through our website www.maggiesto.org.

We anticipate receiving a high-volume of applications and will work quickly to notify recipients by email regarding the status of their application and when they can expect to receive the funds.


 How long will it take to access funds? 

We wish to distribute funds as soon as possible to recipients, but must also work with some of the limiting policies of our bank which at times causes the process to be slower than we would like. We are limited in how much we can distribute per day and within a 7-day period.


Questions? Email boardchair@maggiesto.org for more info or give us a call at 416.964.0150 on weekdays between 9am and 5pm/est!

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