FSC Statement on Atlanta Murders

We were horrified to learn this morning of the murder of eight massage parlor workers in the Atlanta area. We offer our condolences to the families of those killed, and stand in solidarity with the sex workers, the Asian and Pacific Islander community, and Atlantans during this devastating time. 

A lone gunman may have confessed— allegedly outraged over his own sexual desire — but we can not ignore the racism, sexism, xenophobia, and whorephobia that fueled his rampage. 

Despite its viciousness and cruelty, this was not an isolated incident, nor a surprising one. In the past year, we’ve seen a dizzying rise in anti-Asian discrimination, harassment and violence. Across the country, at least 54 sex workers were murdered — the unreported violence against them, incalculable.

When politicians, pundits, and law enforcement push immigrants, people of color, and sex workers to the margins, it fosters a culture of exploitation, harassment, and violence. When these communities are treated as threats to our culture, it enables and encourages violence against them. When sexuality is treated as shameful and dangerous, it gives permission to those who use their desire to justify brutality.

This was a hate crime, no matter how the media reports it, and no matter how it is eventually prosecuted. The grief is overwhelming today, as we mourn for those we lost, but tomorrow we must rise again to fight the systemic racism, intolerance, and injustice that bred last night’s hatred and violence.