Sex work encompasses a wide range of professions, including erotic dancing, nude modeling, pornography, web cam modeling, sugar dating (an arrangement where money or material goods are exchanged for companionship and possibly intimacy), and full-service street or escort work.
There’s a complex legal landscape surrounding sex work, ranging from legality to criminalization. While criminalization is sometimes rooted in outdated moral or religious beliefs that condemn sex work as sinful, there is also a more nuanced argument around preventing sex trafficking. However, criminalizing sex work across the board as a means to combat trafficking can actually exacerbate the problem.
Sex workers themselves are invested in ending sex trafficking, just as much as the broader community is. However, tackling the issue without considering the perspectives and needs of those directly affected—such as drug users, queer and trans people, and low-income communities—often leads to more dangerous working conditions for sex workers.
In the world of full-service work, one of the most important safety measures for sex workers is the ability to conduct background checks on potential clients. This allows them to assess whether a client is safe, whether they appear on any bad date lists, and whether they have a history of harming women, queer individuals, or other sex workers. Without this ability to screen clients, workers could unknowingly place themselves in harm’s way.
Complete decriminalization of sex work is a crucial step toward ensuring sex workers can operate safely and autonomously. By removing legal barriers, sex workers can more effectively screen clients and minimize their exposure to trafficking.
While no system is perfect, and trafficking may not be entirely eliminated, the decriminalization approach is far more effective and safer for sex workers than current models.
Concerns with the “Nordic model”
As people recognize that criminalizing both sex workers and their clients fails to address sex trafficking and harms consensual sex workers, there is a shift toward the “Nordic model” or “anti-equity model” among some policy advocates. This approach criminalizes the purchase of sexual services, assuming it will reduce demand and therefore end sex trafficking.
However, this model often exacerbates risks for sex workers, driving away respectful clients and leaving them with those who may have little regard for their safety. Rather than reducing demand, this approach increases harm and can worsen conditions for sex workers.
Proponents of the Nordic model claim it helps full-service sex workers leave the industry, but their approach disregards the autonomy and humanity of sex workers. Moreover, money spent on enforcing the Nordic model could instead be directed towards education, job training, and support services for those who choose to leave the industry.
In countries that have adopted the Nordic model, such as Sweden, sex workers may face housing instability and homelessness as a result of policies that punish landlords and others who provide shelter to them.
Organizations like Freedom Network USA highlight that every arrest of a sex worker or their client diverts resources from aiding trafficking survivors and those seeking to leave the industry. Anti-sex work campaigns can drain funding that would be better used for support and empowerment.
Sex workers and former sex workers need support in challenging the Nordic model and advocating for complete decriminalization. The struggle for sex work justice is closely intertwined with broader fights against misogyny, queerphobia, and class exploitation. Solidarity with sex workers is essential for advancing justice for all.