Using the techniques of oral history, Cheryl Ware’s recently published book Untold Intimacies: A History of Sex Work in Aotearoa, 1978-2008 (Auckland University Press) tells the engaging personal stories of female and male sex workers in the periods both before and after New Zealand became the first country to effectively decriminalize the practice nationwide in […]
The Norma Jean Almodovar Papers
For all my sex work scholars and aficionados out there…you’ve just been gifted a treasure trove of research! Norma Jean Almodovar is a former Los Angeles traffic officer turned sex worker turned sex work activist and founder of the nonprofit International Sex Worker Foundation for Art, Culture, and Education (ISWFACE), and her personal archive of […]
South African Left Calls for Decriminalizing Sex Work
Parliamentarian Julius Malema, head of the pan-Africanist Marxist party Economic Freedom Fighters in South Africa, has endorsed decriminalizing sex work at a Women’s Day rally, linking this move to a broader agenda of protecting women from violence. Whether this will provide new impetus to the long-stalled bill proposed by the South African cabinet in 2022 […]
Sex Work: It Does a Body (Image) Good
A recent study published in the Sexuality and Culture explored sex workers’ relationship to body image. Although sex work can ofcourse lead to sexual objectification, the study found that sex work can also act as a productive enabler of body positivity. Participants in the study described experiences of receiving positive feedback about their bodies from […]
Setback for Sex Worker Safety in Canada
The Supreme Court of Canada upheld a law criminalizing third-party benefits from sex work, despite a lower court ruling that the law jeopardized sex worker security. The case concerned the conviction of two men in Alberta who were drivers for an escort service and provided protection for the escorts if something went wrong. READ THE […]
Sex work is work!
Womxn: Working is a recently produced documentary that examines sex work activism in South Africa. Sex work is still criminalized in the country and this important work assesses the damage these archaic laws continue to deal sex worker communities, denying them their rights and freedoms. Directed by Shanelle Jewnarain, the film applies an important feminist […]
Former Prosecutors Say Feds “Overreached” in Charging Diddy with Sex Trafficking
The stunning acquittal of Sean “Diddy” Combs on the most serious counts of sex trafficking and racketeering surprised many, but not experienced federal prosecutors. Instead, he was merely convicted on two counts of violating the archaic 1910 Mann Act for transporting persons across state lines for purposes of sex work. The jury’s refusal to buy […]
Despite liberal laws Europeans grow more hostile to sex work
Public opposition to sex work has been growing in Europe, despite more liberal policies in some countries. A study forthcoming in the Archives of Sexual Behavior shows that decriminalizing sex work does not necessarily lead to greater public acceptance, as reflected on a ten-point scale. While public attitudes in Spain did become more liberal after decriminalization in […]
If you find a 200-year-old condom you probably shouldn’t use it…
An exhibition called “Safe Sex?” about 19th century sex work opened recently at the Netherlands’ national museum. A nearly 200-year-old condom that is adorned with erotic art is one of the fascinating objects that is on display. If you need a break from the onslaught of heavy and depressing sex news as of late, be […]
Florida’s “Fool Around and Find Out” operation culminates
Famous tough-on-crime Florida Sheriff Grady Judd, a favorite of President Trump, proudly announced the results of “Operation Fool Around and Find Out.” It presumed to target human trafficking, but instead arrested 250+ sex workers, clients, and undocumented immigrants and found few, if any, cases of individuals trafficked against their will. The demonization of sex work, […]