Decriminalizing sex work would remove the fear of arrest that too often prevents sex workers from seeking justice. Listen Now. On Trans Day of Remembrance, we should honor those who have been killed and dismantle the structures that cause anti-trans violence.
Decriminalization would allow sex workers to maintain their livelihood without fear of violence or arrest, and access health care to protect themselves. Two new rules from the Trump Administration will leave transgender people vulnerable to violence, discrimination, and even death. In addition to decriminalization, there are other steps that lawmakers, advocates, prosecutors, and researchers can take to protect the rights of sex workers. Support sex workers and listen to the recommendations of community organizers who lead sex work decriminalization groups and grassroots organizations.
Sign up to be the first to hear about how to take action. Skip navigation. Federal advocacy Our work with law and policy makers to ensure necessary statutes exist to protect our civil rights. Know your rights Do you know your rights? It's Time to Decriminalize Sex Work. Last updated on June 8, Share This Page. Share This Page. What does decriminalization mean? Why decriminalize? Reduce police violence Police abuse against sex workers is common, but police rarely face consequences for it.
Featured Stories. Decriminalize all consensual sex work, including prostitution, among adults. Remove adverse immigration consequences, including deportation, for immigrants participating in sex work. Reduce police funding and invest in resources that support the community. Demand Abolition is eradicating the illegal commercial sex industry in the US—and, by extension, the world—by combating the demand for purchased sex. The most efficient approach to ending sexual exploitation is targeting sex buyers: when they stop buying, the entire system of degradation collapses.
The idea that legalizing or decriminalizing commercial sex would reduce its harms is a persistent myth. Many claim if the sex trade were legal, regulated, and treated like any other profession, it would be safer. But research suggests otherwise. Countries that have legalized or decriminalized commercial sex often experience a surge in human trafficking, pimping, and other related crimes.
Sex trafficking in the U. When we decriminalize sex work, communities can still have laws against lewd activity in public. Since New Zealand decriminalized sex work in , there has been less street based prostitution.
Legalization of sex work would create a set of laws, codes, and regulations specific to the sex industry. People who buy or sell sex outside of these rules would be breaking the law and subject to arrest, conviction, and punishment. Decriminalizing sex work means that consenting adults who buy or sell sex are not committing a crime.
There would, of course, still be laws against trafficking, rape, violence, and sex work involving minors. For more information read our briefing paper What About Legalization? Decriminalization Is the Only Solution. A lot of police support decriminalization. In addition, they find websites and legal operations very helpful in criminal investigations. They are among the voices that cried out against the closure of sex work advertising sites such as Backpage and Craigslist, both American companies that were helpful to them in critical investigations.
For more information on why the decriminalization of sex work improves policing, read our briefing paper Decriminalize Sex Work for Better Policing. There is zero evidence that prostitution causes trafficking, domestic violence, or any other crimes against women and ample evidence that decriminalizing sex work increases the health and safety of sex workers, many of whom are women.
In fact, indoor prostitution was inadvertently decriminalized in Rhode Island for many years, during which the rate of violence against women dramatically decreased. First, it is the term sex workers all over the globe have said they prefer. Second, the term sex worker helps us see that sex work is a job, not an identity. Ninety-six percent of victims of child abuse were abused at home by somebody they knew.
This is an important and critical issue that has nothing to do with sex workers. Decriminalization, in which criminal and civil penalties have been eliminated for both the consumer and the provider, regardless of whether the sexual services are provided by solo entrepreneurs in hotel rooms or private residences, or in licensed businesses known as brothels is optimal for the health and safety of all.
Decriminalization supports the health, safety, and rights of all. This ideal policy would remove penalties for independent contractors solo practitioners who are akin to housekeepers, caregivers for elderly or disabled people, or home-based hair stylists as well as businesses which have owners, waged employees, and discrete locations.
Unequivocal evidence from around the world demonstrates that the decriminalization of sex work increases public health and safety and decreases exploitation and trafficking.
Read more resources on this evidence here. Criminalization promotes exploitation. Except for the regulated brothels in rural parts of Nevada, prostitution and related acts are criminalized everywhere in the U. The Entrapment Model is harmful. The result is that customers continue paying for sex in the criminal arena, jeopardizing the liberty of both parties and the safety of the community.
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