Transgender woman Monica Jones so enraged Arizona religious zealots she was arrested shortly after she was seen on mainstream media protesting SB 1060. Watch the video by
clicking here. She was then given the option,
Jesus or Jail. Choosing to fight religious oppresion she was sentenced to 30 days in jail.
Just weeks after Monica Jones was seen in mainstream media protesting the failed religious discriminatory law in Phoenix, she was offered a ride while walking near her house. The driver turned out to be an undercover police officer who then arrested her for "manifestation of prostitution'.
This law 23-52 Prostitution, soliciting an act of prostitution and related offenses, is a overbroad statue which enables officers to arrest woman for no other reason than asking if they are police. The law is used to feed people to "Project Rose" as the city conducts massive drag nets hauling in dozens of individuals at a time. This profiling of woman by police is contested by the Arizona ACLU which notes that "The difference between 'innocent' and 'criminal' behavior often comes down to how a person looks.
A 2011
study in NYC found that 59% of transgender respondents said that they had been stopped by police. So over half of our sisters in NYC had they lived in Phoenix would have faced the prospect of "Project Rose".
Ms Jones was brought handcuffed, without being charged by police, to a church basement. It was then established that she hadn’t been previously charged with similar ‘crimes’. She was told if she enrolled in “Project Rose” and successfully completed she would have no arrest record.
Project Rose is the work of the Center for Arizona Policy (CAP) which has been dictating their ideology to the legislature effectively forcing their religion, through the police, on the general population.
Jesus or Jail?
The Capstone of Project Rose is religious programing. From their website:
"Catholic Charities DIGNITY Diversion programs offer those arrested for prostitution the opportunity to avoid jail time. Offenders attend intense education to divert them from re-offending.
Run in conjunction with the City of Phoenix Prosecutor’s Office, our program provides 36 hours of self exploration and education to develop self esteem and give hope. Participants also receive rehabilitation services including support, education, and treatment to help them escape prostitution. Job placement assistance is also provided. Those who complete the program have their charges dismissed."
It requires a person, based on how they look, to find their god, assistance in changing jobs and housing, even if they don't need or want this 'help'.
Monica Jones bucked the trend and decided to fight this unjust, unconstitutional law saying
"I believe I was profiled as a sex worker because I am a transgender woman of color, and an activist"
But the court refused to recognize the unconstitutionality of the law and convicted Monica even though two witness testified that the officer was the one who approached Monica, invalidating the key provision of the law leading to her arrest.
I can't help but notice the absence of mainstream media after she was convicted. The onus to bring this injustice once again rests on we the people.