R.I.P. Margo St. James
January 16, 2021 8:41 AM   Subscribe

On January 13, Margo St. James, founder of the St. James Infirmary and COYOTE (Call Off Your Old Tired Ethics) died. She was a fighter for sex-workers rights and their health and safety. I remember learning about her as a young person and she was one of the influencers of my feminism--she changed how I think about sex work/workers. Rest In Power.
posted by agatha_magatha (36 comments total) 21 users marked this as a favorite
 
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posted by Pirate-Bartender-Zombie-Monkey at 10:08 AM on January 16, 2021


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posted by ivanthenotsoterrible at 10:19 AM on January 16, 2021


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posted by Lawn Beaver at 10:39 AM on January 16, 2021


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posted by Gin and Broadband at 10:45 AM on January 16, 2021


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posted by gt2 at 10:58 AM on January 16, 2021


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posted by supermedusa at 11:13 AM on January 16, 2021


I did a little volunteer work for the Infirmary back in the day (and have several friends who have worked for/with them) a truly important organization that did such necessary work!!
posted by supermedusa at 11:15 AM on January 16, 2021 [4 favorites]


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posted by Silvery Fish at 11:17 AM on January 16, 2021


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posted by Pendragon at 11:18 AM on January 16, 2021


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posted by wicked_sassy at 11:58 AM on January 16, 2021


I was so impressed with your courage to speak out about sex-positive issues when few others did, especially with your advocacy for sex workers (COYOTE). Thanks for everything, dear Margo!
posted by Lynsey at 12:50 PM on January 16, 2021 [4 favorites]


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posted by stellaluna at 1:58 PM on January 16, 2021


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posted by porpoise at 2:22 PM on January 16, 2021


She changed the world. Rest in power, Margo.
posted by parmanparman at 2:29 PM on January 16, 2021


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posted by The Ardship of Cambry at 2:34 PM on January 16, 2021


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posted by Thorzdad at 2:35 PM on January 16, 2021


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posted by Thella at 2:36 PM on January 16, 2021


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posted by daybeforetheday at 2:51 PM on January 16, 2021


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posted by ivan ivanych samovar at 2:55 PM on January 16, 2021


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posted by little mouth at 3:15 PM on January 16, 2021


The interview here is a pretty great read.
My politicization occurred over a three-year period, 1970-73. I was living in Marin County, north of San Francisco, with a carpenter/musician, Roger Somers. I also socialized with the housewives who were participating in consciousness-raising groups. Elsa Gidlow, a lesbian poet, lived next door and used to push feminist literature under my door. The forerunner of COYOTE was WHO: Whores, Housewives, and Others. “Others” meant lesbians but it wasn’t being said out loud yet, even in those liberal bohemian circles. The first meeting of WHO was held in 1972 on Alan Watts’ houseboat (“The Vallejo”) is Sausalito. The name COYOTE came from the author, Tom Robbins, who dubbed me the “COYOTE Trickster” following one of our mushroom-hunting expeditions. Richard Hongisto, a liberal sheriff elected in San Francisco about that time, attended some of Roger’s and my parties. A former cop with a degree in sociology, he was recently divorced and a little afraid to let it all hang out in the City since the cops didn’t have much love for him; he preferred to party in Marin. I cornered him one night in the hot tub and asked what NOW was doing for the rights of prostitutes. Since he seemed to have the support of the women’s movement and gay rights groups. He answered, “Someone from the victim class has to speak out. That’s the only way the issue is going to be heard.”
posted by kaibutsu at 3:42 PM on January 16, 2021 [17 favorites]


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posted by JoeXIII007 at 3:53 PM on January 16, 2021


I have a friend who was a COYOTE activist back in the day. She is now in her late seventies and she is still one of the most uncompromising and sensational badasses I know.

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posted by palmcorder_yajna at 4:17 PM on January 16, 2021 [5 favorites]


What an inspiring person and what a bright light she was in San Francisco history.

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posted by treepour at 4:58 PM on January 16, 2021 [1 favorite]


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posted by acb at 5:10 PM on January 16, 2021


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posted by _paegan_ at 5:37 PM on January 16, 2021


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posted by riverlife at 6:37 PM on January 16, 2021


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posted by Mutant Lobsters from Riverhead at 7:02 PM on January 16, 2021


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posted by frumiousb at 8:33 PM on January 16, 2021


What a hero!
posted by latkes at 10:00 PM on January 16, 2021


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posted by brujita at 12:13 AM on January 17, 2021


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posted by jzb at 3:25 AM on January 17, 2021


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posted by filtergik at 5:05 AM on January 17, 2021


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posted by Bella Donna at 2:05 PM on January 17, 2021


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