I am willing to bet that most of us here agree that it is any person's right to sell their own body in the same way that you would sell your time or other efforts. It's also perfectly legit to buy something for a market determined value.
That said, do we owe sex workers anything extra because of the nature of their work? Or, have their rights always been diminished and the idea of "owing them something more" really means "giving them their due?" The International Sex Workers Union has, I think,
- Decriminalisation of all aspects of sex work involving consenting adults.
- The right to form and join professional associations or unions.
- The right to work on the same basis as other independent contractors and
employers and to receive the same benefits as other self-employed or contracted
workers. - No taxation without such rights and representation.
- Zero tolerance of coercion, violence, sexual abuse, child labour, rape and
racism. - Legal support for sex workers who want to sue those who exploit their
labour. - The right to travel across national boundaries and obtain work permits
wherever we live. - Clean and safe places to work.
- The right to choose whether to work on our own or co-operatively with other
sex workers. - The absolute right to say no.
- Access to training - our jobs require very special skills and professional
standards. - Access to health clinics where we do not feel stigmatised.
- Re-training programmes for sex workers who want to leave the industry.
- An end to social attitudes which stigmatise those who are or have been sex
workers.
What do we think? What would be an appropriate, liberty minded solution to the sex trade?
