London Inc. February 2022 - 32

Julie Baumann
Executive Director, SafeSpace London | 00
Co-founder and executive director of SafeSpace London, Julie Baumann has never been one to shy
away from controversy - nor challenge. As the only organization in London collectively operated for,
by and with sex workers, allies, women and gender-nonconforming individuals, she works vigourously
to raise awareness about the impacts of policing, criminalization and stigma on the lives of sex
workers. Working to educate the public about sex work in London, and supporting and promoting the
decriminalization of sex work, SafeSpace provides an environment where people are met with safety
and dignity, and one that strives to raise the basic living conditions of some of our community's most
vulnerable and exploited members.
What would you call your biggest business achievement,
and why? As an executive director of a grassroots
organization, our metrics for measuring success are based
on the extent to which we can answer the calls of our fellow
community members. Driven and inspired by daily encounters
with folks who are denied access to the basic necessities of
life, our collective ability to navigate a pandemic and
s of
grow our services during a time of unprecedented
and widespread suffering is the success I am most
proud of achieving as a collective.
ead suffering is the success I am most
ieving as a collective.
What about your biggest obstacle? The
criminalization of sex work in Canada impacts
all sex workers but naturally, those who are
most visible are impacted disproportionately.
Because London is such a small city with
challenges for anonymity, sex workers
yo
The
ion of sex work in Canada impacts
rs but naturally, those who are
who work on the street are most at
risk of racial and social profiling
and other forms of intersecting
oppressions. Furthermore,
the Government of Ontario
is becoming increasingly
trafficking and who take a
prohibitionist approach to
sex work.
What advice would you
give your younger self?
To quote a wise woman
in my life, " To care, not
carry. "
ul
unger sel
e wom
care, not
invested in funding agencies
who view all sex work as sex
unding agencies
sex work as sex
d who take a
t approach to
and social profiling
ms of intersecting
Furthermore,
ent of Ontario
ncreasingly
are impacted disproportionately.
don is such a small city with
r anonymity, sex workers
the street are most at
ective ability to navigate a pandemic and
vices during a time of unprecedented
You're temporarily stuck on a desert island
- what's the one thing you want with you?
My compound bow.
You'
- wh
My compound bow.
What about the best thing you
watched? Nomadland.
Guil
presen
pl
What about the best thing you've
watched? Nomadland.
Guilty pleasure? Where consentsent
is present, all pleasure
is good pleasure.
asure
a d
Our metrics for measuring success are
based on the extent to which we can
answer the calls of our fellow community
members
member
32|londonincmagazine.ca| FEBRUARY 2022
20 UNDER 40 * CL ASS OF 2021

London Inc. February 2022

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