New York State passes new sex work legalization and decriminalization laws. // Photo courtesy of Ronald Harry Lodge.

As of February 2022, the New York state legislature is considering two bills in the fight to decriminalize sex work, though the bills vary in their approaches. The Stop Violence in the Sex Trades Act would fully legalize sex work in New York State, while The Survivors Justice and Equality Act would decriminalize sex work while upholding existing laws penalizing involved members. 

On Wednesday, March 16, the Office of Intercultural Engagement & Inclusion (IEI) hosted The Secret Life of Sex Workers, a panel of sex workers, experts and advocates seeking to lead a conversation about sex work and the existing legislation that targets workers and their clients.

To begin, defining sex work is challenging. For many, being an escort, having an OnlyFans account or dancing for money comes to mind. But, according to Alexia Lazaro, an activist, business owner and consultant, the question in and of itself is one-dimensional and, therefore, not the best approach to understanding the experiences of those who work in the industry. There is a personal definition of sex work, a cultural or societal definition and a legal definition, all of which differ from place to place and person to person. From a legal standpoint, many sex workers advocate for decriminalization rather than legalization, a key talking point throughout the panel.

“When we consider how society considers sex work, that is the most criminalized form,” said Jared Trujillo, policy counselor for the New York Civil Liberties Union and steering committee member for Decrim, NY, an organization that works to decriminalize, decarcerate and destigmatize sex work. “The problem with legalization is it removes legal penalties for some people – but that also means you need to meet whatever barriers the state establishes in that legalization. For example, [for] non-citizens, LGBTQ+ and trans folk, it’s very hard to meet those legal thresholds. There are barriers to entry that preclude those who are facing the most marginalization.”

“I’ve heard of Decrim before and have been fascinated by how the narrative around sex work is changing,” said Rebecca Fulman, a sophomore psychology major. “From OnlyFans to ‘cam girls,’ more people are joining the community to destigmatize the profession, which is awesome considering many sex workers are from marginalized groups, as one of the panelists mentioned.”

Opponents of sex work often argue that legislation regulating the industry is designed to protect victims of and prevent human trafficking, a claim that seasoned workers and survivors widely dispute. 

“The way the media covers it makes it seem like it’s a two-sides issue, which it’s not,” Trujillo said. “People create a false equivalency where one side is on the side of workers and one is on the side of trafficking survivors. This model criminalizes workers who live and work together, and any third party involved, making an already bad situation worse.”

“There isn’t a freaking debate; it’s a bunch of dog-whistling,” said Sawyer Eason, a social worker, organizer and Bluestockings Cooperative consultant. “If you want to care about people who are being [trafficked], then why is the entire movement focusing on sex trafficking when the large portion of the trafficking in the U.S. is labor trafficking? The reason we are able to eat [and] the services we are allowed to have are enabled by the slave trade in this country. It’s all a front against compassion and kindness [found in sex worker communities].”

“Trafficking laws are written very poorly and always have been,” Trujillo added. “They are often levied against sex workers rather than protecting survivors. We have this moral panic around it but don’t actually understand it, and then these laws are passed that harm workers.”

According to Jill McCracken, co-director and co-founder of Sex Worker Outreach Project Behind Bars, it’s vital to have those who are most impacted lead the narrative when having these conversations. That was the exact reasoning behind the planning that brought this panel to Hofstra, according to sophomore Margo Latty, head IEI peer educator and disability specialist and one of the co-organizers of the event. 

“I grew up hearing misinformation and wanted to break the stigma,” they said, adding that many college students turn to sex work to pay their tuition. Latty hopes to continue this panel series with IEI next year to educate the student body on the issue. 

For Haley Kugler, political science senior and IEI head peer educator, this event connected the student body with resources and experts to combat misinformation about the sex work industry. “No one knows the experience better than those who are in the profession,” they said. “And when people say sex work is synonymous with sex trafficking, I think it’s important to question why they think that and ask them what they personally have done to vindicate this idea.”

According to Athelene Collins, executive director of the Hofstra Cultural Center, the event was pitched and planned in relation to how effective, impactful and valuable it would be to the Hofstra community, per discussions among representatives across disciplines, including student representatives.

“Between panelist testimony and responses to questions, I left feeling like I had learned more during the panel than I would have if I had just tried to do research online,” said Alia Ervin, a senior public relations major. “I hope Hofstra continues to hold space for events like these in the future.”

The key takeaway from the panel was for individuals to support sex workers and their autonomy and pay them for their expertise and guidance. Then, by extension, challenge the way they think about and approach issues such as this one and try to see a range of perspectives.

“It is very possible and likely that you know people in the industry or who have been in the industry,” Eason said. “Instead of coming from a place of judgment, come from a place of understanding. When it comes to support, work to deprogram what you have learned, whether it’s internalized or externalized. Do new programming that’s more informed from a place of facts, rather than from a place of pearl-clutching fears. When you see your friends making whorephobic comments, you can stop in those moments and not play into it.”