Cultural Humility

• What is cultural humility?
Cultural humility is a process of understanding multiculturalism and collaborating among diverse group to work together in a culturally competent way. It involves having the flexibility, openness, and acceptance toward other cultures, and committing to improving one’s knowledge about different cultural values and practices with respect.
• How does cultural humility relate to working with sex workers?
Our society has different attitude toward sex workers and they are marginalized and denied access to housing or basic health services. Some sex workers of color also are marginalized and have disadvantage over white sex workers. Sex workers of colors are often questioned and denied access to places of their work. Sex workers are often taken negatively and they are blamed for the mistakes whether or not they might be at fault. Marion Pellegrini

Transgender people are at risk for harassment, sexual assault, and physical violence even at street, home and school environment. Marion Pellegrini said that transgender women are generally profiled as sex workers even if they are not. Marion Pellegrini also mentioned that transgender people of color face higher rates of unemployment, discrimination, and violence. They have lack of support from society, friends and family. According to Marion Pellegrini, the rate of HIV in San Francisco for transgender women is 42 %. These people are scared to seek help or have reduced access to primary care, and basic health services. So it is important for us understand transgender people, help them with their needs and not to assume people’s gender identity and gender role based on their look. It is important to ask them how they prefer to be addressed and rather than trying to correct them, we can encourage them to express their ideas and needs