Improving Responses to Human Trafficking and Violence Against Sex Workers (Medium)

Read the full article by National Center for Transgender Equality on Medium.com 

NCTE has previously published several posts regarding sex work and human trafficking, which can be found here, here, and here.

While January was designated as Human Trafficking Awareness Month, human trafficking— the use of coercion to force people into engaging in any form of labor for one’s own benefit — is an issue year-round. Sex trafficking is one of many forms of human trafficking.

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Cracking Down on Advertising Sites Makes Workers Less Safe

The (un)intended consequence of this conflation between sex trafficking and consensual sex work can be seen in many ways, including “anti-trafficking” stings that can end in the arrests of non-trafficked sex workers and their clients.

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Cracking Down or Getting Smart to Make Communities Safer

Shutting down sites that allow sex workers to find and screen clients more safely online could have the unintended effect of pushing more workers onto the streets, where neighbors often complain about their presence. In response to neighbor complaints, many cities, including the District of Columbia, have used “nuisance abatement” laws to not only prosecute sex workers but also force landlords to evict them from their homes. D.C.’s “Nuisance Abatement” law, which allows the city to sue any person responsible for or involved in creating or maintaining a nuisance, specifically targets sex workers. Prostitution, as defined in the bill, is considered a nuisance and serves as enough reason to displace people from their homes.