SWAP - Sex Workers' Action Program Hamilton Inc.

Advocacy, Education, Outreach; Not An Escort Agency/Brothel.

[phone] [email protected]

Decriminalize Now!

[SWAP - Sex Workers' Action Program Hamilton Inc. @swaphamilton]

Thank you to all our donors over the past 6 years! 🥳 🎉 🎊 🍾

[Ameil J. Joseph Ph.D. (he/him) @ajesusjoseph]

I have been working with community members, leaders to challenge hate in Hamilton over the last 12 years. @HamiltonARRC, came out of that https://t.co/QXaDWeLHaS came out of that, rallies, speeches, gatherings, letters, delegations, petitions, organizing, panels, care.

1 hr is disrespect.

[Lauren Levitt @LaurenLevitt8]

"The Web of Stigmas: A Systematic Literature Review of the Impact of Different Types of Stigma on Occupational Risks in Sex Work" — Read it on @ResearchGate: https://t.co/rQdFkztd0g

[Ameil J. Joseph Ph.D. (he/him) @ajesusjoseph]

Court of Appeal Orders Redo of Hamilton Encampment Charter Challenge Citing “Series of Errors” by Hamilton Judge
https://t.co/m6eAmVusc5

[Scarlett Gillespie AKA Jelena Vermilion @IsisIntrepid]

Hi @EmilyNTayler, why was I not interviewed for this article? Seems like poor journalistic standards / journalism in my honest opinion:

https://t.co/Ne7g1iexiL

[CBC Hamilton @CBCHamilton]

Some mayoral candidates in Hamilton say they're unhappy with the Hamilton Chamber of Commerce and the Hamilton Club for hosting debates where not every candidate was invited to participate. https://t.co/hTUQXDrlRC

[Scarlett Gillespie AKA Jelena Vermilion @IsisIntrepid]

I am honoured to be mentioned in this article.

Daze Jefferies: an overflown chorus https://t.co/nLNbb1jmX6

[Hamilton Police @HamiltonPolice]

Procuring Sexual Services Charge Laid https://t.co/ZnC5r7xRf3 #HamOnt

[Rheo Gauthier @__Average_Joe__]

@PaulsEsther What makes it affordable? The fact that my tax dollars pay for half of it? That makes it unaffordable housing for me

Stop slapping your tax paying constituents in the face by gaslighting us

[Scarlett Gillespie AKA Jelena Vermilion @IsisIntrepid]

@MaritStiles, Leader of the @OntarioNDP and Leader of the Official Opposition, has responded to the concerns I raised on behalf of @SWAPHamilton.

I appreciate Marit taking the time to acknowledge the distinction between workers and the owners of businesses, and to recognize the marginalization, precarity, stigma, and safety risks that many sex workers face. She has now clarified that her concerns were about government accountability, and not about sex workers or the legitimacy of their work.

Most importantly, she reaffirms something I have always believed: solidarity means standing up for the dignity, safety, and protection of all workers, including sex workers. She also recognizes the need for safer workplaces, better working conditions, and stronger labour protections, particularly for the most vulnerable workers.

This is why I have spent over a decade advocating for sex workers' liberation. It has never been about one issue or one community. It is about a fundamental working-class value: every person who works deserves dignity, equality, safety, respect, and the ability to live with economic security.

My advocacy for sex workers is inseparable from my unwavering support for working-class people. Whether you are working in a steel mill, a restaurant, a warehouse, a salon, an office, a construction site - or in the sex industry - you deserve a government that sees you as a person, not a statistic or a political talking point.

That is the kind of mayor I intend to be for the @CityofHamilton.

I believe in listening to people, taking their concerns seriously, and then taking action. I believe in standing with workers when they are being ignored. And I believe Hamilton should be a city where working people, not just the powerful and well-connected, have a voice in the decisions that shape their lives.

Thank you to Marit Stiles for responding, and thank you to everyone who continues to stand with SWAP Hamilton and with sex workers.

My campaign is about working-class Hamilton. And I will never stop standing up for working people. ❤️

#HamOnt #CDNPoli #ONPoli #CityofHamilton #HamiltonOntario @ndpcanada @HamiltonLabour @onfedlab

[Mark Anderson 😷 (He/His/Him) @cycletherapyHam]

August Goal: $200 / $600 CAD

Disabled. Extremely poor. Urgent need for rent, food, hygiene
I am scared about how I get through this month.
Help if you can. Repost if you cannot

💸e-transfer: [email protected]
☕️ko-fi: https://t.co/ySaArPzMLR
#ODSPPoverty #MutualAid #Disabled

[Triple-X Workers @XXXWorkers]

“Advancing Health Equity for Sex Workers,” The Lancet Public Health, July 24, 2026. A four-paper series about advancing health equity for sex workers. Final paper features Vancouver. Open Access links for all four papers here:
https://t.co/kRy6SRSxCp

[Canadian Labour @CanadianLabour]

Awful news out of Hamilton as a worker dies on the job at the Flamboro Speedway.
Work must never hurt, maim, or kill. #CanLab #EnforceWestray
https://t.co/KzGLOLY1IC

[Scarlett Gillespie AKA Jelena Vermilion @IsisIntrepid]

For the past two years, I've called CityHousing Hamilton home.

Living in public housing hasn't just shaped my understanding of Hamilton's housing crisis - it has transformed it.

I've experienced firsthand what it feels like to navigate systems that too often leave tenants feeling unheard. I've advocated for repairs, accessibility improvements, building security, and safer living conditions because every person deserves a home that is safe, well-maintained, and treated with dignity.

Those efforts helped bring real improvements to my building - from enhanced security measures and accessibility upgrades to long-overdue repairs that benefit every resident.

My experiences have also shown me something much bigger: there is often a profound gap between the people making decisions and the people living with their consequences.

Too often, low-income residents are expected to accept conditions that many others never would. We cannot build a stronger Hamilton if we believe that someone's income determines the quality of housing, safety, or respect they deserve.

Thank you to @NatalieBenci (Bencivenga) for taking the time to hear my story. Journalists who create space for honest conversations about inequality, housing, and accountability help strengthen our democracy and remind us that every voice matters.

Part of the reason I'm running for Mayor is because I believe lived experience belongs at the decision-making table. Hamilton deserves leadership that listens - not only to experts and institutions - but also to the people living these realities every single day.

A city is judged not by how it treats its most powerful residents, but by how it treats those with the least power.

That's the Hamilton I'm fighting for. ❤️🏙️

#HamOnt #CDNPoli #ONPoli #YHMVote #YHMCC @cityofhamilton @andreahorwath

[Scarlett Gillespie AKA Jelena Vermilion @IsisIntrepid]

Dear @AviLewis, @MaritStiles still has not replied to this letter.

The @OFLabour @chandralipaul @waltonmom told me I would hear from Marit's chief of staff.

@CheriDinovo told me I would hear from Marit's cheif of staff.

I have not heard from anyone.

You met me in Hamilton, Avi. I asked you about the @NDP's stance on sex work. I voted for you.

Does the NDP not have solidarity with sex workers? Can you please make this right?

Thank you for your consideration.

CC: @SWAPHamilton @KWEToday @OntarioNDP #CDNPoli #ONPoli #HamOnt

[Scarlett Gillespie AKA Jelena Vermilion @IsisIntrepid]

We are proud to stand with the principled and courageous Dr. @Anjali_Menezes.

Here is a statement I was asked to deliver from a student W.J. to Dr. Menezes after her resignation from the @HamiltonPolice Services board:

"Dr.Menezes, when I had a mental breakdown at school, the police dragged me away in a cruiser. Because I’m white, I insisted on not getting handcuffed, and I wasn't. That’s a privilege Black, Indigenous, and racialized students don't get, and it’s messed up.

When you found out, you immediately showed up to support me. After I shared what happened, you told me straight up, and asked how this could happen, saying: 'No child should go through this, no matter their race. Period.'

You actually respected us as students. You saw that we aren't too young to recognize racial bias, you excited our voices with the board chamber. While the system showed zero commitment to change, you never backed down.

You stood with racialized groups and all Hamilton communities, and you fought the board over these broken police intervention policies. Thank you for listening to youth and always standing for justice."

-W.J.

#HamOnt #ONPoli #CDNPoli #YHM

[Scarlett Gillespie AKA Jelena Vermilion @IsisIntrepid]

@anjali_menezes @EquityNetworkD @Mivasair @DesmondCole @TheBreachMedia @HamiltonARRC @ajesusjoseph So grateful for your principled heart 🙏

[SWAP - Sex Workers' Action Program Hamilton Inc. @swaphamilton]

@LaurenLevitt8 Wow we are cited and we have our own chapter in the sae Palgrave textbook! 😲 ❤️ 😍

[Scarlett Gillespie AKA Jelena Vermilion @IsisIntrepid]

Please consider buying tickets to my debut play which I wrote and directed!

https://t.co/nCo76VHEXn

@HamFringeHFTco @GLBTHistory #HamOntFringe

[Scarlett Gillespie AKA Jelena Vermilion @IsisIntrepid]

Hi @KeaninLoomis @voteLoomis, what is your stance on AI data centres?

#HamOnt #CDNPoli #ONPoli #YHMVote

[SWAP - Sex Workers' Action Program Hamilton Inc. @swaphamilton]

@redumbrellaclub @XXXWorkers