Gets Real: Group offers sex workers safety, security and help leaving the trade

SEATTLE — Every night in Seattle, thousands of people — mostly women — are solicited for sex.

“You’re just trying to think about tonight. Where am I going to sleep? For tomorrow — how am I going to pay my bills?” explains Dominque Allen, a community outreach coordinator.

For Allen, that life was once hers.

“I got turned down for a lot of jobs and ended up working at a strip club,” said Allen.

She was a dancer for three years before she was finally able to leave the sex industry behind.

“I was pregnant with my second son and I just kind of woke up one day and I was like, ‘If I don’t leave now, I’ll be one of these women that are like 50 and still dancing,’” said Allen.

She says getting out of the sex trade is no easy task, especially with children and bills. Which is why she now helps with outreach at the organization REST (About REST — REST (iwantrest.com) ), which stands for Real Escape from the Sex Trade.

“When we started, we went to the streets, went to bikini barista stands, we went to strip clubs,” recalls Audrey Baedke. She co-founded REST more than a decade ago with a small group of volunteers that’s since grown.

She tells KIRO 7 that their work isn’t about shame; it’s about safety for one of the city’s most vulnerable groups.

“The problem is that buyers of sex are the same thing as consumers anywhere. People want to get the most that they can for the least amount of money. And so what that means in the sex trade is that it’s common to get raped, it’s common to get robbed,” said Baedke.

There’s often an emotional toll as well.

“It’s hard to keep your safety and your sanity when you’re having to undress, put yourself in a vulnerable position, and hope that you’re going to end up with what you negotiated for at the beginning,” said Baedke.

She says REST offers just that. Services meant to provide safety and security. And for those who want to leave the sex trade, a way to do so.

“As we talked with women involved, we found the number one thing that people needed was housing. The second thing that they needed was basic needs. And then the thing that we found that no one named until they experienced it was relationships.”

Just a few of the services REST offers are emergency housing, meals, counseling, substance recovery, and employment help.

She says the exploitation in the sex trade is vast.

“When we’re talking about sex trafficking, we are talking about a gender issue, and we are talking about a racial issue. So we know that people of all genders are exploited. But the majority of individuals we work with are girls and women.”

She says a disproportionate number of transgender individuals are often exploited.

“There is a disproportionate amount of harm,” said Baedke. “Buyers don’t see them as valuable, or as human, which is already a problem with anyone of any gender in the sex trade, but even more so in our trans communities.”

She also says it’s important to highlight the disproportionate harm done to members of the Black community.

“When we look at racial issues in King County, 44% of individuals exploited for sex are African American, but in our (Seattle) community, only 7% of our community is African American,” said Baedke.

“Every girl has a different story and a different issue and a different reason why they’re doing what they’re doing,” added Allen. “People that come from good homes, to people that are living on the streets. I haven’t seen any lifestyle that has been untapped.”

She shares this message to anyone in the sex trade.

“If you want to get out, we’re here to help. If you don’t want to get out and you just want a supportive environment, we’re here to be of assistance also. We want to walk alongside you,” said Allen.

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