Ally

Demonstrate your allegiance with sex workers.

So you have decided you support sex workers and their right to work safely without criminalisation? Now you are confused about where to go from there. I have written this piece to get you started. Being a sex worker ally is an important role. In a society that demonises and stigmatises the adult industry. You have chosen the "taboo" path and decided that our human and labour rights matter. You have decided that sex workers deserve to have personal freedom. Well done. As an ally to sex workers, it's important to educate yourself about the challenges and issues they face, and to actively support their rights and well-being. Don't just talk the talk. Walk it too. It's important to be vocal and to put your support for us on paper.

Here are some ways you can be a better ally to sex workers:

Respect their autonomy and choices: Recognize that sex work is a legitimate occupation and that sex workers have the right to make choices about their own bodies, lives, and livelihoods. Avoid judgmental language or attitudes towards sex work, and respect the agency and autonomy of sex workers to make decisions that are best for them.

Listen and amplify their voices: Listen to the experiences, perspectives, and needs of sex workers. Amplify their voices by sharing their stories, supporting their advocacy efforts, and centering their perspectives in discussions and actions related to sex work.

Advocate for their rights: Support the human rights of sex workers, including their right to safety, dignity, and non-discrimination. Advocate for policies and laws that protect the rights and well-being of sex workers, including access to healthcare, legal protections, and social services.

Challenge stigma and discrimination: Speak out against stigmatizing attitudes, discrimination, and violence towards sex workers. Challenge harmful stereotypes and misconceptions about sex work, and promote understanding and empathy towards sex workers as individuals with unique experiences and needs.

Provide support and resources: Offer support to sex workers in practical ways, such as connecting them with resources for healthcare, legal aid, or social services. Respect their privacy and confidentiality, and provide non-judgmental support without imposing your own beliefs or opinions.

Engage in intersectional advocacy: Recognize that sex work intersects with other forms of oppression, such as gender, race, class, and immigration status. Advocate for an intersectional approach that takes into account the diverse experiences and needs of sex workers from marginalized communities.

Check your privilege: Reflect on your own privilege and biases, and actively work to check them when engaging with sex workers. Recognize that your experiences and perspectives may not fully reflect the realities of sex workers, and approach your advocacy with humility and a willingness to learn.

Being a better ally to sex workers requires ongoing education, active listening, and a commitment to supporting their rights and well-being. It's important to approach this work with empathy, respect, and a willingness to take action to promote positive change.

Now that thats out of the way.

Let us begin and go through go through some scenarios

Scenario One

Person: "Prostitutes are disgusting, they need to get a real job"

You: I'd like to see you try being a sex worker for a day and tell me all about how it's not a real job by the end of it.

Scenario Two

Person: Criminalising clients under the nordic model is the safest for sex workers.

You: "That is not correct. Sex workers only support a full decriminalisation model. Amnesty International also supports this approach. The evidence suggests sex workers are safer under decriminalisation."

Scenario Three

Person: "Whoring is such an easy job"

You: "Considering the stigma and criminalisation of sex work, I don't think that’s accurate and not a fair assumption"

Scenario Four

Person: I fired her for being an OnlyFans whore.

You: "That is unfair dismissal and extremely discriminatory. How can you justify your actions? They were a great worker... You fired a valuable member of the team for nothing."

Scenario Five:

Person: I found out she was an escort, So I kicked her out of her hotel room. No refund.

You: So you kicked out a perfectly respectful guest who was minding her own business and not causing any trouble? That is pretty awful of you.

Scenario Six:

Person: She's a prostitute.

You: "Prostitute is an offensive term. Don't use that. Sex worker is the preferred term"

HOW TO RESPOND

"Sex workers are entitled to the same human rights and protections as any other individual, including the right to safety, non-discrimination, and access to healthcare."

"Sex work is work, and sex workers should be afforded the same labor rights and protections as any other occupation, including fair wages, safe working conditions, and the ability to organize and advocate for their rights."

"Sex workers have the right to make their own choices about their bodies, their work, and their lives, without fear of criminalization, stigma, or discrimination."

"Sex workers, like all individuals, deserve to be treated with dignity, respect, and non-judgment, regardless of their occupation or background."

"Supporting sex worker rights and decriminalisation of sex work means advocating for evidence-based and harm-reduction approaches to sex work, including access to healthcare, education, and social services, to promote the health and well-being of sex workers."

"Sex worker rights are human rights, and it's important to challenge the social, cultural, and legal stigmas that marginalize and discriminate against sex workers."

"Sex workers should have agency and autonomy over their own bodies and lives, and their choices should be respected, supported, and not criminalized or exploited."

"Sex worker rights are intersectional, and it's important to recognize and address the additional challenges faced by marginalized and vulnerable sex workers, including those who are LGBTQIA+, people of color, migrants, or living with disabilities."

"Supporting sex worker rights is about promoting social justice, equality, and human rights for all individuals, regardless of their occupation or identity."

Being a good ally to sex workers is not easy. It often involves putting yourself in the firing line it requires actively supporting their rights, respecting their autonomy and dignity, challenging stigma and discrimination, amplifying their voices, and being inclusive and intersectional in your advocacy efforts. By standing up for the human rights and fighting back against stigma, discrimination. We can contribute to a more just and equitable society for people participating in sex work.