If there is one thing that’s never worked, it’s trying to legislate sex work out of existence.
Let’s clear up the definitions here.
Sex is something done with consent.
“Bought consent” is not consent.
Sex without consent is rape, and sexual services without consent are sexual assault.
Voluntary sexual workers are few, most are trafficking victims.
Criminalizing the purchase of rape and sexual assault is the best a society can do to shift attitudes and protect women.
If by clear up you mean - deliberately muddy the waters.
Rape and sexual assault are already illegal, and this legislation will neither protect sex workers nor ‘shift attitudes’.
As a former sex worker, let me make something absolutely clear.
A person who doesn’t respect my ability to say yes has exactly the same amount of respect for my consent as a person who doesn’t respect my ability to say no.
The people who think they have the right to revoke my consent over their own emotional reactions to situations that do not involve them have absolutely no respect for my consent what so ever.
My lived experiences are not yours to rewrite to fit your agenda.
My consent is not yours to give or revoke.
My body is not yours to define nor control.
And lastly.
Every research done on the effects of the nordic model show that it DOES NOT help sex workers.
It does not protect them, neither from police nor clients. It increases the risk and harm.
I makes survival sex workers lives much harder.
It does not give anyone an out.
You know what would though?
Money.
Safety nets.
If you genuinely want to help people out who want to get out you can not do so by going after sex workers livelihoods.
You need to build the paths out.
UBI, no questions support systems, better disability payments and access to them, better unemployment systems, affordable housing, etc, etc, etc.
And if you want to do anything about the sex work itself, listen to the people actually doing it! Work with them, not against them.
And what they are calling for is DECRIMINALISATION!
