Annie Oakley

Annie Oakley is the founder, director, emcee, road manager, and den mother of the Sex Workers Art Show, a touring performance troupe made up of current and former sex workers. She has shepherded the show from a fledgling project in Olympia, Washington, to a nationally acclaimed touring extravaganza. Annie Oakley founded the Sex Workers Art Show, in 1997 to help fight negative stereotypes about sex work. “The main goal is to present sex workers as multifaceted people,” she said, “so they can begin to be taken seriously as people who deserve labor rights, social access, safety and dignity.” Oakley has lectured, performed, given workshops, and exhibited her artwork at venues and colleges all over the country. She was co-producer in 2004 of Olympia’s semi-annual queer cultural festival, Homo-A-Gogo. She likes reading, eating, arguing, and shoes. Her website is: http://www.sexworkersartshow.com.