One of Ontario's big news stories this week is the Ontario Court of Appeal's decision to amend laws on "keeping a common bawdy house" and "living on the avails of prostitution," reversing the Superior Court's decision to scrap the "communicating" law. (That this coincides with the province's proposed decimation of the public sector is an irony not to be overlooked.)

Vancouver - Today the Ontario Court of Appeal announced its ruling on the constitutionality of Canada's prostitution laws. Pivot is heralding the decision as a partial victory. The Court struck down the "bawdy house" provision of the Criminal Code as a violation of sex workers' right to liberty and security of the person. However, in a split decision, the Court did not strike down the law that prohibits communication for the purpose of prostitution in a public place, which remains a concern for street-based sex workers in the Downtown Eastside and across the country.

It was just a happy coincidence that Buddies in Bad Times Theatre was available for Operation Snatch's production of Les Demimondes on International Sex Worker Rights Day, but that didn't make it any less a fantastic way to celebrate whore culture and whore resistance. Operation Snatch (formerly The Scandelles) treated audiences in Toronto this weekend to a whore-lovin' cabaret, hosted by Prostitution Herself. Les Demimondes has been workshopped occasionally in Toronto since 2005 and will play again at the Edgy Women Festival in Montréal at the end of the month.

Because of the current laws around bawdy houses, many sex workers are forced to walk a stroll (work on the street) rather than work inside. Sex workers can't hire security when they're on the streets, they are constantly on the move to avoid police and are generally at a higher risk of violence.

On December 17, 2003 the first International Day to End Violence Against Sex Workers was observed in Washington. Started by Dr. Annie Sprinkle and the Sex Worker's Outreach Project USA as a vigil in response to the Green River Killer in Seattle. More than 70 women were murdered from 1982 to 1998.