What Sex Workers Think of the 2020 Election
Politicians are finally talking about sex work, but they still don’t really get it
For decades, politicians have debated the laws governing sex work without including many actual sex workers in the conversation. But that dynamic has begun to change. In recent years, sex worker rights movements have become more visible than ever before; not just on the streets or in the media, but also in the halls of power, where the voices of advocates and activists are finally being heard. In the U.S., several legislators have introduced bills to remove all criminal penalties associated with trading sex for money (also known as sex work decriminalization), and discussions of sex worker rights have suddenly become commonplace, with politicians and presidential candidates routinely asked to weigh in on the issues affecting sex workers.
How did we get from there to here? And which politicians are the best allies for this community? GEN sat down with Molly Smith, sex worker, activist, and co-author of the book Revolting Prostitutes (which was just published in paperback), to chat about how sex work decriminalization became a mainstream movement in the United States, how politicians are navigating this new political landscape, and what the future might hold for sex workers in the U.S.
