On Wednesday, Manhattan district attorney Cyrus Vance, Jr. announced that his office would no longer be prosecuting prostitution and unlicensed massage arrests, and that it would be dropping 914 cases dating all the way back to the 1970s. The office also moved to dismiss more than 5,000 loitering for the purpose of prostitution cases, which stem from the highly controversial “walking while trans” statute, which was repealed last February.
Yet the statement fell short in one crucial regard: though it stated it would no longer be prosecuting those arrested on prostitution charges, the text of the bill specifies that it “does not preclude us from bringing other charges that may stem from a prostitution-related arrest,” and the New York Times notes the office “will continue to prosecute other crimes related to prostitution, including patronizing sex workers and sex trafficking.” In other words, those who buy sex, or are accused of facilitating sex trafficking, will not be exempt from this policy change, explains Maya Morena, a sex worker rights activist based in New York. “They will still be criminalizing our customers and third party, which often means anyone we pay, including our landlords, friends, drivers, and customers, are criminalized,” she says.