SWOP Behind Bars Advocacy from the Margins

December 17 SWOP Behind Bars 2

December 17 is International Day to End Violence Against Sex Workers

December 17 SWOP Behind Bars 1

December 17 is the International Day to End Violence Against Sex Workers, a global day of remembrance and action. At SWOP Behind Bars, we honor those lost to violence and fight for the safety and dignity of those still with us through our national hotline, reentry programs, and peer-led support networks.

Weekend Hot Takes: The Hunger Games

When the government shuts down, it’s not just offices that close - it’s the safety nets. Millions of people are sitting in their kitchens, staring at empty cabinets and “temporarily unavailable” messages on benefit portals. SNAP, the program that keeps children fed and families barely afloat, has been frozen in bureaucratic limbo once again - no warning, no contingency plan, just silence and shame. When the government stops, hunger doesn’t. It gets meaner. While systems glitch and offices go dark, families find less in their cabinets than yesterday. School lunch programs tighten rules. Food pantries run out before the line moves. And somewhere, someone still insists the “economy is doing fine.”

Bad Girls of the Bible: The Samaritan Woman at the Well – The Outsider Who Spoke Truth

If you grew up in church, you probably remember the Samaritan woman from John 4—the one who meets Jesus at a well, has “five husbands,” and is living with a man who isn’t her husband. Cue the Sunday School whisper: immoral… loose… fallen.
For centuries, she’s been branded the small-town scandal, the woman with a past. The sermons practically write themselves: Don’t be like her, girls.
But here’s the kicker: the text itself never calls her sinful. Not once.

Bad Girls of the Bible: Mary Magdalene – The Woman Who Wasn’t What They Said She Was

When people hear the name Mary Magdalene, the mental Rolodex usually lands on one of three words: prostitute, fallen, sinner. For nearly two thousand years, her reputation has been dragged through the mud by pulpits, paintings, and pop culture.
Here’s the kicker: the Bible never calls her a prostitute. Not once.

A Season of Solidarity - What if Your Giving Ended Violence?

What if the power to end violence wasn’t locked inside a politician’s office or a police budget - but sitting right in your hands?
Giving Tuesday is here again, and everywhere you look, nonprofits are asking for support. But this year, we’re asking you to look deeper. To ask what kind of giving truly ends harm. Because not all “help” helps - and not all funding heals.

Change on Paper - Chains in Practice: A Practical Review of the November Fall Elections

The morning after the 2025 election feels a little like waking up after a storm - the sky’s clearer, but the debris is still everywhere. Democrats swept major races across the country last night, with Zohran Mamdani’s historic win in New York City and strong showings in Virginia and New Jersey signaling that voters wanted a shift in tone.
But make no mistake - this wasn’t the change, just a change. The same systems that criminalize poverty, overpolice survival economies, and leave marginalized workers behind are still very much intact.

The Weaponization of Food

A government shutdown happens when Congress fails to pass a spending bill to fund federal operations. When that money freezes, so do the programs it supports - including SNAP and WIC.
This shutdown began on October 1, 2025, after Congress couldn’t agree on a budget.
For people like me, that means one thing:No benefits. No safety net. No food.
America loves to call itself the “land of opportunity,” but when you’re a disabled Black parent trying to keep three kids fed on one income, you learn quick: this country could not care less about its most vulnerable people.