Sex workers will gather in Surrey for Naked Truth Awards

If you're a supporter of sex workers' rights, you might want to swing by the Byrd Showroom Pub in Surrey's Flamingo Hotel (10768 King George Boulevard) on Saturday evening (July 21) for this year's Naked Truth Adult Entertainment Awards.

The annual event not only celebrates the best escorts, exotic dancers, webcam workers dominatrices, and photographers, but it also offers public recognition to industry advocates and suppliers.

There's a $10 door fee, with a meet and greet from 3 to 7 p.m., followed by presentation of the awards.

Last year's prizes were presented at the Penthouse Night Club on Seymour Street, where sex worker Sue Davis and support worker Sherry Kiselbach shared the honour for best advocate.

Davis, an outspoken and articulate opponent of prostitution laws, also won for best media spokesperson.

The "favourite academic advocate" honour went to SFU researcher Tamara O'Doherty, who described sex workers as "the strongest social justice advocates and feminists" that she has ever met.

The Naked Truth Award for "favourite feminist" went to Joyce Arthur who, along with Esther Shannon, formed the group FIRST that advocates for sex workers' rights.

The Naked Truth Awards are chosen through an online voting system.

The event was created to celebrate the adult-entertainment industry's positive side, give workers something to be proud of, and demonstrate to the mainstream community that there are many skilled people in the sex trade who deserve recognition for their worthwhile contributions to society.

It's also a way to let patrons know who in the industry is worth supporting.

Follow Charlie Smith on Twitter at twitter.com/csmithstraight.