Why Fight for Sex Worker Rights?? March 3-International Sex Worker Rights Day

You may be asking yourself, "Why fight for sex worker rights??  Why should I care?  What does it matter to me??"  What you may not realize is that sex worker rights are really about human rights, the rights that we each should have as humans to be safe and free from harm, and the right to certain freedoms in regards to our own personal choices when they do not harm others. 

Many that have never been involved in sex work mistakenly think that sex workers choose the abuse, violence, and discrimination that plagues our industry.  But logically, we all must know that does not make any sense, right??  Who signs up to be at risk for being beaten, raped or killed?  Who wants to be looked down upon and judged by others??  While some dismiss the choice for sex work as being some unhealthy need to repeat past abuse in one's life, for many, it is simply a choice of survival, and for some, it is a choice they are drawn to in the same manner as many others are when making their own career choices.  We are forced to cope with the problems within our industry, but that does not mean we want them, or accept them. 

When you consider those that do NOT choose sex work, but are forced into it and/or exploited by others, there is a whole different level of these abuses being handed down.  They have little to no control over what they are doing in the first place, and even though society might view these individuals as "victims", they are still stigmatized, prosecuted, and abused, all due to the lack of understanding and compassion for their personal experiences in life.  Most do not feel they can turn to law enforcement or our legal system for protection, and rightfully so.  There is a reason serial killers and violent sexual predators choose sex workers as their targets, they know our society doesn't see us as having any value, and therefore doesn't *really* protect us.

Sex work is a complicated, multi-faceted field.  There is much that the general public does not know about sex work, and that lack of knowledge about the industry as a whole, not just the sensationalized stories on TV and in the media, have prevented sex workers from gaining the autonomy and respect we deserve. Fear and misunderstanding of sex run rampant in our society in the first place, including the romanticized ideal that renting one's body out equates to some sort of chipping away of the soul.  This is as much a projection of that lack of understanding as it is of any actual truth.  As individuals, living in a society founded on freedom of expression and spiritual beliefs we must all understand that none of us think, feel, pray or love in the same capacities.  What is true for one is not always true for all, and this is why we have various religions and political parties, as well as any number of other personal choices that are available to help define us each as individuals.  While sex work is not something that everyone could or *should* be involved in, that does not mean it doesn't have it's place in society, or that one cannot be happy and healthy, or have ethics and values, in making that choice.

Fighting for sex worker rights means you want protection for all individuals in our society.  Fighting for sex worker rights means you respect individual choice and freedoms, even if it is for choices you would not personally make yourself.  Fighting for sex worker rights means those that are truly being victimized within our industry will have a better chance of being rescued and finding support.  Fighting for sex worker rights means you value the quality of life of all individuals, without judgment or prejudice.

Please support local efforts to decriminalize sex work, and give us the respect, dignity and freedom we deserve.  It is a matter of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.




 

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