Introduction to Shift

What is Shift?

The Shift program works with men, women, and transgendered/sexual individuals who are actively involved in sex work, or who have a history of being involved in sex work. The Shift program works with individuals to help met their individualized goals, and to help people improve the quality of their lives. Shift has based its programming on a philosophy of human rights and harm reduction. Shift uses outreach and case management services to help people meet their goals. We are able to provide assistance with legal issues, financial needs, advocacy, information and referral, health issues, bad dates, safer sex materials, counselling and support. All of our services are free and confidential.

Our Philosophies:

At Shift we believe that sex work is work, we also recognize that people involved with sex work come from a diversity of backgrounds and have a variety of reasons for working in sex work. At Shift we define sex work to include all areas of the adult entertainment industry including; massage parlors, escort agencies, independent escorts, chat and webcam workers, adult film stars, and street level sex workers. We also believe that with any profession there are positive and negative aspects to the work. Every individual involved in sex work will have a different history and story; we believe that there is a spectrum of situations as it relates to sex work. We meet with individuals whom identify sex work as a business and a choice, we also work with people who are sex workers as a means of survival and may not identify this as a choice. The bottom line is that Shift recognizes that individuals will identify their own situations and goals.

What can you expect from our blog?

Shift will be sharing current information on issues, policies, laws, news, and philosophies as it relates to and impacts on sex work and sex workers. Shift understands that 90% of the sex industry involves indoor Sex Workers, many of whom utilize the internet as their main mode of business. This goal of this blog is to join with the already existing on-line community of sex work. If you have an idea for an article that you would like to have included in the blog you can email it to info@shiftcalgary.org. If you would like to have our blog emailed to you or would like to receive out monthly bad date sheet please email us and ask to be added to our distribution list, all of your contact information will remain confidential.