Sex workers remember their slain colleagues

Tonight, sex workers will hold a vigil at Manhattan’s Metropolitan Community Church of New York in memory of prostitutes killed or hurt this year.

Prostitutes take pains to protect themselves, said Audacia Ray, a former sex worker who hosts the Red Umbrella Diaries, where women still in the business share their stories.

At a recent event, five out of six stories involved rape, she said. Sex workers often don’t report assaults, fearing police, but violent stories are common, she added.