Tuesday, November 25, 2014

Let's be thankful we're not homeless and not in as dire straits as these:

The movie Johns came up in conversation at the gym yesterday morning, We were discussing the problems of homelessness and  basically trying to stay physically clean on the streets.  I was reminded of  David Arquette's character's obsession with having a weeks worth of clean clothes lined up ahead of you at all times and how much planning it took.


In searching for information on Johns to send to the guys I was talking to, I came across the film below:

THE STORY
On Christmas Day of 2003, a man was found shot on the campus of Johnson & Wales. Propped up against a chain link fence, it was clear his murder was a message to others. But he wasn’t a student; this man was a hustler, one of the many men who sell themselves on the streets of Providence everyday. Despite the gruesome nature of his death, Roy Weber’s murder has never been solved.




THE STORY
On Christmas Day of 2003, a man was found shot on the campus of Johnson & Wales. Propped up against a chain link fence, it was clear his murder was a message to others. But he wasn’t a student; this man was a hustler, one of the many men who sell themselves on the streets of Providence everyday. Despite the gruesome nature of his death, Roy Weber’s murder has never been solved.

THE PROJECT
There are many men who roam the streets of Providence, Rhode Island who remain unseen – unless you are looking. Invisible delves into the world of male prostitution through interviews with the men who live the life. These men live in two worlds: one at home, where they are fathers and husbands, and one in the adult bookstores, where they are addicts and hustlers. Many find themselves trapped in a cycle of addiction and incarceration that leaves little room for escape. What drives a man toward this lifestyle, and why is this phenomenon so overlooked? Invisible explores these questions by looking at masculinity, sex, poverty, drug abuse, and the city where it all happens: Providence, RI.
Wrapped up in it all is Richard Holcomb, founder of the outreach program Project Weber. A former hustler himself, Rich now finds himself on the same street corners he used to live on, reaching out to those who still sell themselves. Though a town like Providence is known for its progressive social attitude, Rich has found that advocating for health and human services for sex workers is more often met with disgust rather than compassion. Despite this, Rich soldiers on with his outreach bag and the memory of those who were lost to the streets.

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