On a recent weekend drive out of town, I was on the highway, listening to a newscast on my favorite public radio station. They were interviewing a woman who recently wrote a book about the modern history of teenage girls and the teen stars they love. One of the questions asked of the author pertained to the way young girls dress and within the question, the phrase "like a hooker" fell into one of the sentences. Now, this might not seem like something very important, but if the female host had used another negative term for women, people might have thought it a bit tacky or out of place. Speaking ill of sex workers, though, still seems to naturally roll of the tongue - even for progressive individuals, such as the host of this show. And while it might seem like a small thing, if someone were to candidly speak ill of a group of people you were allied, it might not seem so small. Yet because we value the rights of sex workers so little, it's just another everyday thing to put sex workers down.I think of moments like this especially on days like today, since today, March 3rd is International Sex Worker Rights Day. And while there are amazing projects going on all over the world to bring some sex workers together and unite some for the collective cause of gaining worker's rights for sex workers, I worry less about what sex workers say to each other and more about what's being said about them. I would love to see people rallying themselves for the causes of sex workers as allies - mothers, fathers, siblings, friends, coworkers, and partners -� and just being supportive of the people around them who engage in sex work, whether it's convenient to do or not (as I imagine, it's may not always be). That's why I love the ad campaign by Canadian non-profit organization Stepping Stone, which presents sex workers through the lens of just those people (in the case of the above photo, a sex worker's mother). No one can fight for their rights alone, they need the support and respect of surrounding communities in order to realize a goal like decriminalization, on any level. It is my belief that the more we can normalize sex work on some level, treat it like another profession (though it may never be unsalacious enough to just be "any other profession"), the greater chance sex workers have of being treated with dignity and respect - not "like a hooker."Despite the recent setback of $pread Magazine, the sex worker advocacy magazine, closing up shop, there are still ways to pay it forward and get involved in making the voices of sex workers (as well as your own voice, in support of their rights) heard. You can donate to the Speak Up! Media Training, which is a weekend-long media training for sex workers (from around the continent!) on how to effectively speak to the media. You can also create a piece for the Sex Worker Zine Project, which is accepting submissions from both sex workers and allies. In the meantime, if you are interested in finding out more about the lives of sex workers and those who love them, here's a link to a podcast from the Red Umbrella Diaries, a monthly storytelling series that highlights the experiences of those in the sex industry. This particular piece is called "Growing Up Loving a Working Mother" and is by Sydney Seifert, a writer and photographer from New York City.ing-up-loving-a-working-mother-sydney-seifert-podcast-episode-25/">"Growing Up Loving a Working Mother" and is by Sydney Seifert, a writer and photographer from New York City.