Do you actually work with people, or do you give them morals?

May 10, 2016 6:28 AM

Emily Bazelon writes for the New York Times about sex worker rights and decriminalization in the US and abroad (featuring photography of sex workers across the US).
posted by divabat (3 comments total)

I would like to shout out to all the 3rd wave baddasses here at metafilter that brought me "to the light" on sex work.

For real, sex decrim is so so obvious and needed IMO.
posted by Annika Cicada at 8:16 AM on May 10, 2016 [10 favorites]

Even leaving all other moral and ethical arguments to the side, the simple fact that in the USA arrests for prostitution disproportionately affect women of color and trans women ought to be sufficient reason to favor decriminalization.

Regardless of the intent of the law, it is clear that the actual outcome is that laws banning sex work are simply one more tool used to oppress women of color and trans women.
posted by sotonohito at 8:47 AM on May 10, 2016 [5 favorites]

I've been a fan of Margot St. James' social work for a long time. I've just assumed people that can hire labor hate hooking because it could put a higher floor under wages. Outlawing it has been such a bullshit means of reducing it, all it does is put poor people even more at risk and denies them access to ways to reduce the risks.
posted by ridgerunner at 9:25 AM on May 10, 2016 [4 favorites]