The Stigma Around Sex Workers: Is it Oppressive, or Should it be Decriminalized?

If it is normalized in law, would the culture follow?

In the World Health Organization, the word, “Sex Worker” is defined as women, men and transgendered people who receive money or goods in exchange for sexual services, and who consciously define those activities as income generating, even if they do not consider sex work as their main occupation. This may include prostitutes, escorts, sugar babies, and many other things that fall into this category. Though many associate strippers, pornstars, and cam girls with the aforementioned occupations, in this article we are mainly focusing on prostitution and the legal aspect of it.

Before getting right into whether it should be legalized, or not, let us look into the history of sex workers. Dating back to Renaissance Italy, sex workers were held in high regard. They were considered educated and cultured women, and often had a way of affecting politics by sharing their own political views among their clients, many of whom were politicians, or men with high standing with government figures, and had a sort of influence. In Edo- Period, Japan, Oiran, or “Play Women” were sex workers. They were held in high regard, and were able to maintain their own power and influence, without a patriarchal force that condemned married women of that time to be more subservient. In Ancient Greece, they were not held as much of a high regard as the others, but they were skilled in dancing and singing, and were hired for private parties of the higher ups, which could earn them up to thousands in one night of work.

Now currently in America, sex work on designated locations is only legal in Nevada. The most famous known brothel known as the Moonlite Bunnyranch has been deemed a fair place for sex workers to earn a living.

Getting into whether it should be decriminalized, we must consider a range. Maggie de Vries talked about a spectrum in a TedTalk entitled “The Red Umbrella- sex work, stigma, & the law”. She states that there is a spectrum ranging from limited choice, to full choice, with no choice at all off the spectrum, and into the realm of slavery and trafficking. By this it means that women can choose to partake in sex work for a myriad of reasons, whether is is financial, which dips into limited, or impulse, dipping into full choice. In her speech, de Vries also talked about her sister, who was a sex worker, but became a victim of murder, which is something many sex workers are at a high risk of.

With prostituting being technically illegal, it leaves a wide window for abuse to happen. Many sex workers have been assaulted, raped, and harassed but are reluctant to report it, given that the eyes of the law may not take kindly to them, considering their situation. The argument to decriminalize it is often defended by many saying that if there were laws set in place and restricted areas for sex workers, the number of the acts of violence against them would be significantly lowered. For example, say there is a brothel that one could go to to acquire a sex worker for the night, with restrictions on where they go, security guards on hand, and a set price from the start. An institution like this may lower the risk of murders and rape among sex workers. On the other hand, sex workers are at a higher risk of drug addictions, and overdosing. Also, many fear that legalizing it may encourage younger generations to aspire to be a sex worker, rather than a standard job, however there is no backed proof and evidence among that claim.

Whether a sex worker, or not, you deserve no shame in what you do for an occupation. With that said, let us know what you think! Should it, or should it not, be decriminalized, and why?

-“Gloria E.”