Event description
Resistance to oppression often begins where oppression is most pronounced. Such is the case in Montréal's historic Red Light District, where a sex workers' rights movement took shape in the early 1990s. Known for our militant spirit and creativity, Montréal’s sex workers have had an important impact on public and political life – pushing the envelope and demonstrating resilience in a context of moral hypocrisy and repressive social boundaries.
This exhibit will guide you through 30 years of collective resistance for sex workers' rights. As a social movement led by and for sex workers, our activism is dedicated to building visibility while protecting individual anonymity. The different zones highlight our community’s diversity, our resilience in the face of criminalization, stigma, prejudice, and violence, and our connections with other social movements. At Stella, l’amie de Maimie, we have been documenting and telling the stories of sex worker resistance since we opened our doors in 1995. Throughout our history, we have joined forces with movements of 2SLGBTQ+ people, drug users, communities of people experiencing homelessness, migrant communities, artists, feminists, and other groups across the city.
Produced by sex workers who have passed through the doors at Stella, all items in the exhibit are from our archives and collective community projects. They document the ways that sex workers have occupied Montréal city spaces and resisted oppression.
Stella, l’amie de Maimie
A Movement By and For Sex Workers
Stella is a Montréal community organization led by and for sex workers. Since 1995, we have offered a vital, non-judgmental space and services for sex workers, while working together to transform systems that harm sex workers’ lives and working conditions. Our team offers individual support and outreach to sex workers, delivers education to service providers, policymakers, and the media, and advocates for sex workers’ human rights and social change.
Our name was inspired by two women, Maimie Pinzer and Stella Phillips. Maimie, who worked as a prostitute* among other jobs, opened a community space for sex workers in Montréal in 1915. Stella often visited this space. In letters published in 1977 as The Maimie Papers, Maimie wrote about Stella with great affection.
*The term “sex worker” was coined in the 1970s to emphasize the notion of work and highlight that the exchange of sexual services for money is an income-generating activity. Before this, “prostitution” and “prostitute” were the standard social and legal terms. In this exhibition, we use these different terms to reflect the historical periods and stories presented.