As 2023 comes to a close, we at New Moon are reflecting on our first full year of work. An annul report on our efforts and impact will be issued in Q1 of 2024, but in the meantime we have some exciting accomplishments to share!

The past week has been a bit of a haze for many of us fighting for sex workers’ rights. Our networks have been rocked by the sudden passing of icon Cecilia Gentili. Cecilia Gentili was a constant figure and trailblazing leader in the sex worker, migrant, and transgender rights movements. Cecilia demonstrated constantly through her life and advocacy that we don’t live single issue lives, and that our struggles for human rights are interconnected.

As 2023 comes to a close, we at New Moon are reflecting on our first full year of work. An annul report on our efforts and impact will be issued in Q1 of 2024, but in the meantime we have some exciting accomplishments to share!

This report illustrates the impact of Open Society’s closure of global offices on sex working communities, globally. Readers will learn about key geographic regions effected by the withdrawal, and how sex worker led groups have responded. This report is intended to serve as a case study for funders working deeply with movements, as well as tool for advocating for increased funding to effected sex worker rights groups.

The Open Society Foundations (OSF) have been at the forefront of supporting marginalized communities, and until recently were the largest donor to sex worker rights organizations globally. In this briefing, we will hear from researchers, funder allies, and the global sex worker rights movement about how OSF’s closure of global offices been felt on the ground in impacted organizations and communities. We will learn how sex worker rights movements, and other movements affected by such funding decisions, can creatively respond, and how allied funders can collaborate to take action.

Registration is now open for the training, “Exercising Discretion: Navigating the Possibilities and Impacts of Non-Prosecution Policies in the Context of Sex Work Criminalization”. We will hold two live training sessions in August; the registration links are below. We will also record the training and make it available online.

On June 28th New Moon Network teamed up with Ishtar Collective in Vermont to host an info session on the relevance and status of sex worker welfare in Vermont. The session included definitions of key terms, audience engagement exercises, and a slide presentation (which you can view here).

There are few people whose lives directly reflect their value system. Tracy Ryan was one of those rare breeds of citizen/politician/advocate who was uncompromising and actually lived out her principles in a way that garnered little fanfare. She was direct. She was passionate. Tracy fought for transgender people like her. She fought for sex workers, for survivors, for people to live with dignity, respect, and support.

On June 2, 2023, New Moon Network Co-Director, Melodie Garcia moderated the panel titled, “Creating Multifaceted Policy to Address Stigma Against Sex Work and Institutional Challenges Facing Workers” as part of the Law and Society Association’s annual conference.

This years’ Freedom Network USA Human Trafficking Conference brought advocates from all over the country together for two days of learning, sharing, and collaboration in pursuit of “Centering Survivors and Impacted Communities.”

Up to five $1,000 grants to be distributed each month from the New Moon Fund.

Advocates with lived experience in the sex trade complete peer learning program.