In the wake of FOSTA/SESTA, sex workers and allied activists are building new safety networks and lobbying support.

by | Jun 1, 2018

In the wake of FOSTA/SESTA, sex workers and allied activists are building new safety networks and lobbying support.

by | Jun 1, 2018

Earlier this month, sex workers and allies walked 14 blocks down Michigan Avenue in Chicago in what they called a “Funeral for the Death of Sex Work.” The New Orleans-style funeral procession, complete with a brass band and women sporting mourning hats, veils, and stilettos, was organized by a sex worker and activist named Harpy Anna. Her goal, she said in an interview, was to draw attention to the loss of safe working conditions after the president signed controversial legislation that effectively limits the online tools sex workers use.
The effects of FOSTA/SESTA, which intends to combat sex trafficking by holding online platforms liable for their users’ potentially illegal activity but also makes no distinction for consensual sex work, were almost immediate, spurring the closure of several popular online spaces frequented by sex workers. Advocates say without these spaces, sex workers won’t be able to vet their clients and in some cases will be forced to return to street-based work, putting their safety and livelihoods at risk.
One sex worker told Broadly that the closure of Backpage has forced them to become less discerning when it comes to clients. “I find myself responding to inquiries I might have ignored before,” said Anlina Sheng. “I feel if I say no to an unpleasant client now, I might have to say yes to a dangerous or pushy client in the near future.”

Read the rest at Broadly.Vice.com.

Our Books

thisone

Related Articles

Related

Record Bank Failures, And What They Mean

Record Bank Failures, And What They Mean

The failure of Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) on March 10 was the second largest bank failure in U.S. history. Just two days following SVB’s collapse, Signature Bank joined the record books as the third largest bank failure in U.S. history. First Republic Bank also seemed...

read more

These Iraq War Supporters Are Still in Congress

On March 19, 2003 the United States began its military invasion of Iraq. The Authorization for Use of Military Force Against Iraq passed Congress in October 2002, with 296 congressmen and 77 senators voting in favor of giving President George W. Bush carte blanche...

read more

Pin It on Pinterest

Share This