International Day to End Violence Against Sex Workers

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International Day to End Violence Against Sex Workers

Every year on December 17th, people around the world come together to raise awareness of the dangers sex workers face every day. As an employee at a company that works closely with clients who identify as sex workers, or creators who produce adult content, I deemed it necessary to state our stance on the unacceptable mistreatment sex workers face on a daily basis. It is essential that, as a society, we push for the decriminalization of sex work and create a safer world for the workers, a world free from violence, sexual assault, discrimination, harassment, criminalization and social stigma. Let’s take a look at why this day is important and how we can help build awareness of these issues.

The Dark Origin Of December 17

The International Day to End Violence Against Sex Workers was founded back in 2003 by the Sex Workers Outreach Project USA, an American organization that empowers sex workers. The movement was originally born in Seattle as a memorial for the victims of the Green River Killer – a notorious serial killer and necrophiliac who specifically targeted young, vulnerable women and sex workers. He was known for his sexual frustration towards both groups of people.

Thereafter, this day evolved to not only honoring the heartbreaking murders committed by a cold-hearted criminal, but also to bring attention to the never-ending violence and mistreatment sex workers face on an international scale. People from all over the world unite on this day to honor victims in various ways: protests, rallies, fundraising initiatives, educational campaigns, online petitions and more – all aimed at raising awareness and pushing for change.

As much as I despise the actions of the evil incarnate referenced above, I had to broadly mention him to give you an understanding of how this regular day first became a special date of remembrance. At least 71 precious lives were gruesomely taken over the span of decades that, in my opinion, could have been completely prevented if firstly, laws concerning sex work were inclusive and progressive rather than prohibitionist, and secondly, if as a society we could move on from ancient ideologies that are deep-rooted in misogyny.

Sex work is the deadliest profession in the U.S.

Historically, as a society, we regrettably witnessed the tragic deaths of countless sex workers. In fact, there are statistics that claim sex work is one of the most dangerous professions in the United States. According to figures posted by HG.org – a law information site that contains legal guidance – the death rate for sex workers in the U.S. is 204 out of every 100,000. This is a hard fact to digest when you bare in mind that, statistically speaking, we are more likely to die doing sex work, than working in industries that naturally include life-threatening hazards, like oil rig workers and Alaskan fishermen.

Will new legislation fix the problem?

For me, the combination of patriarchal values, a broken legal system, and the conditioning of people to not accept the sexually-liberated woman, is the root problem here. However, the law can help reshape societal stigma towards sex workers by decriminalizing the sex worker industry altogether – in a perfect world, legal reform and new legislation is critical in this sense.

The fact that sex work and sex trafficking are referred to interchangeably by legislators is incredibly insulting to me (especially as a woman) because there is a significant difference between the two that is being grossly ignored: the bodily autonomy and the consent of the sex worker – statistically speaking, the women. We saw an example of this when Diana Johnson, a British lawmaker, proposed the ‘Sexual Exploitation Bill’ in December 2020. This Bill suggested that paying for sex work should be illegal and Johnson defended her stance by claiming this policy will tackle the exploitation of sex trafficking victims. However, the evidence suggests otherwise.

Reducing sex work to sex trafficking is incredibly dangerous as it fuels the marginalization of sex workers. Also, painting both scenarios with the same brush feeds the negative stereotype that the sex work industry is inherently exploitive, but this is simply not true as there are millions of women who personally choose this profession as a form of earning money and are not being exploited. I have repetitively heard sex workers claim that their job makes them feel empowered and many view it as sexual liberation.

The London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) conducted a study that suggests sex workers face a disproportionate risk of violence and poor physical and mental health when sex work is criminalized. Pippa Grenfell, Assistant Professor of Public Health Sociology at LSHTM, reported: “It is clear from our review that criminalization of sex work normalizes violence and reinforces gender, racial, economic and other inequalities.” She then claimed that this increases the vulnerability, stigmatization and marginalization of already-marginalized women and minorities.”

New Zealand decriminalized sex work back in 2003 and this evidently created a safer environment for sex workers. New rules were introduced to ensure the safety of these workers, such as the required use of protection and adjusting occupational health and safety laws to include sex workers.

“Those opposed to the new system warned that it could make the country a haven for human trafficking. But a report for the New Zealand Ministry of Justice in 2008, five years after the changes were introduced, found no incidents of trafficking,” the Star reported. Therefore, the data suggests that decriminalizing the sex work industry will not affect sex trafficking at all. This alone is proof that sex work and sex trafficking are in fact not in close association with one another, and thus should not be perceived this way. So, why are we ignoring scientific data?!

Do attitudes change over time?

Norms and attitudes can shift over time and we saw an example of this transformation when the UK legalized gay marriage in 2013. The British Social Attitudes Survey held in 1983 found that 17% of respondents accepted gay marriage, whereas when this Survey was held in 2010, the figure increased to 45%. After this Marriage Act was introduced in Britain, 64% of the participants considered gay marriage as acceptable, which again, portrays a shift in the understanding of societal appropriateness. It is evident that new legislation can successfully reshape the marginalization of sex workers, as it has done many times before.

Considering that opinions and what we accept as normal can significantly transform over time, I find it quite odd that we haven’t left slut-shaming behind us. Some people really cannot stand seeing women be free and in control of their lives and bodies, which is quite sad really.

Women’s burden of blame

Society is and has weirdly been obsessed with controlling what women can and cannot do with their own bodies, especially when it comes to sexual liberation and bodily autonomy. We saw many examples of this, from abortion bans to women literally being stoned for being sexually active. So, when I mentioned moving on from ancient ideologies before, I specifically meant unlearning views that might stem from Abrahamic religious teachings, and arguably outdated laws that were created centuries ago. Female sexual empowerment has been and still is taboo in several communities around the world, which raises the question: do women deserve being ostracized from society for choosing to make a living a certain way? Or furthermore, being physically hurt or killed?

As long as both parties keep the transaction professional and ethical, and no one is at any increased harm or risk, then why is this negativity harbored? Especially only towards one side of the transaction? I guess blaming women is an easy opt-out and comes natural for some. According to the World Health Organization, more than one-third of all women have been victims of either physical or sexual violence, which indicates that as a society, we kind of (!) have an issue of hating and hurting women. This is the issue I urge lawmakers and sex-work-opposers to focus on, not what grown women harmlessly do with their bodies to pay their bills. Our capitalist and patriarchal reality is the problem here.

A common justification for the contempt some people hold towards sex workers is that women who sell their bodies cannot be respected. I find this defense incredibly toxic, misogynistic, and cannot be accepted as a valid one. I wanted to reiterate that I certainly am not ignoring the fact that some women, especially those from low socioeconomic backgrounds, are diabolically forced into sex work and this is an offense that needs to be prioritized and tackled. However like I mentioned previously, this is a sex trafficking issue and should not be equated with the many women who consent and actively choose to enter the sex industry of their own accord. This conscious choice must be accepted and appreciated especially considering the fact that the right to work is recognized in international human rights law as it emphasizes economic, social and cultural development. It’s time that we truly live up to this standard.

How can we move on and heal?

As a society, we have come so far by evolving and learning to respect the lifestyles of the people living around us; normalizing sex work is not that bizarre a concept. Personally, I strongly believe all workers, regardless of the profession they are in, deserve to operate without the fear of judgment and violence. This is why I find it so fulfilling to be employed by a company that actively fights to protect sex workers, and pushes for the removal of the social stigma, the very thing that fuels misogyny and the violence perpetuated against sex workers. Human rights organizations, such as UNAIDS, Human Rights Watch, and Amnesty International have repeatedly pointed out that those who are truly interested in decreasing exploitation in the sex industry would be better off supporting the decriminalization of sex work.

December 17, the International Day to End Violence Against Sex Workers is an important reminder for us to come together and work towards creating a safer environment for sex workers, but also pushing for better understanding and acceptance of these individuals. It is impossible to achieve equality for women, sex workers, and other marginalized groups until we educate each other and push for the reforming of laws that perpetuate such violence. I am hopeful this article will raise some awareness and will continue pushing for a world that becomes a place where we all feel free, respected and empowered.

These are the names of the victims of the Green River Killer. Precious lives heinously taken by twisted individuals, drowning in their sexual frustration and their hate for women. May you reap what you have sewn.

Rest in Peace, angels.

#	Name	Age
1	Wendy Lee Coffield	16
2	Gisele Ann Lovvorn	17
3	Debra Lynn Bonner	23
4	Marcia Fay Chapman	31
5	Cynthia Jean Hinds	17
6	Opal Charmaine Mills	16
7	Terry Rene Milligan	16
8	Mary Bridget Meehan	18
9	Debra Lorraine Estes	15
10	Linda Jane Rule	16
11	Denise Darcel Bush	23
12	Shawnda Leea Summers	16
13	Shirley Marie Sherrill	18
14	Rebecca "Becky" Marrero	20
15	Colleen Renee Brockman	15
16	Sandra Denise Major	20
17	Wendy Stephens	14
18	Alma Ann Smith	18
19	Delores LaVerne Williams	17
20	Gail Lynn Mathews	23
21	Andrea Marion Childers	19
22	Sandra Kay Gabbert	17
23	Kimi-Kai Pitsor	16
24	Marie M. Malvar	18
25	Carol Ann Christensen	21
26	Martina Theresa Authorlee	18
27	Cheryl Lee Wims	18
28	Yvonne "Shelly" Antosh	19
29	Carrie Ann Rois	15
30	Constance Elizabeth Naon	19
31	Kelly Marie Ware	22
32	Tina Marie Thompson	21
33	April Dawn Buttram	16
34	Debbie May Abernathy	26
35	Tracy Ann Winston	19
36	Maureen Sue Feeney	19
37	Mary Sue Bello	25
38	Pammy Annette Avent	15
39	Delise Louise Plager	22
40	Kimberly L. Nelson	21
41	Lisa Yates	19
42	Mary Exzetta West	16
43	Cindy Anne Smith	17
44	Patricia Michelle Barczak	19
45	Roberta Joseph Hayes	21
46	Marta Reeves	36
47	Patricia Yellowrobe	38
48	Unidentified White Female (Jane Doe B-17)	14–18
49	Unidentified Female (Jane Doe B-20)	13–24