Edit:

Here is a list of resources to learn about sex worker from actual sex workers who are engaged in the struggle for worker's rights:

  • https://www.nswp.org/resources/types/nswp-briefing-papers-248
  • https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/beyond-trafficking-and-slavery/white-mans-burden-revisited/
  • https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/beyond-trafficking-and-slavery/from-brothel-to-sweatshop-questions-on-labour-trafficking-in-camb/
  • https://titsandsass.com/the-massage-parlor-means-survival-here-red-canary-song-on-robert-kraft/
  • https://medium.com/purplerose0666/the-af3irm-agenda-b5ec31216904
  • https://medium.com/@katezenjoy/dear-esperanza-5aa7db4d501a
  • https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/beyond-trafficking-and-slavery/decriminalising-sex-work-in-new-zealand-its-history-and-impact/
  • https://www.mayamorena.com/anti-equality-model-campaign/2021/5/22/pscegcnr680fh4oazlmwe8i5527o9j

Bigger repo of theory / resources:

  • https://docs.google.com/document/d/1oWxx3yodCJJGxTmqgCeB6csVAeRkllSQq_VUe78MJA4/view

Books to check out:

  • https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/36224357-sex-lies-statistics
  • Deadend [he/him]
    ·
    3 years ago

    Isn’t this a complicated version of we need to improve society somewhat?

    I just don’t get who are the people who are against Sex Workers who find it to be less bad for themselves.

    Like I keep seeing posts all over about not attacking sex workers, but I’m not seeing anything attacking.

    I’m just tired and going to go sleep.

    • WaterBear [they/them, comrade/them]
      ·
      3 years ago

      Have you watched diet land? In it spoilers: there is a depiction of assault on sex workers by a radical group which blames the sex worker for the commodification of women bodies and for rape culture.

      While it is an entertaining show all in all (which remains liberal, but is radical for liberals) this position found in the show isn't fiction, but can be found in quite a few 'left' groups.

    • HavanaSyndromeVictim [she/her]
      ·
      3 years ago

      Like I keep seeing posts all over about not attacking sex workers, but I’m not seeing anything attacking.

      when your idea of "not attacking sex workers" includes fostering/accepting rhetoric that continues the stigma against sex workers and that ramps up and supports active legislation that brings material harms, it's pretty easy to be supportive.

      Western leftists gobble up swerf rhetoric the way 'progressives' fervently support imperial propaganda.

      https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/beyond-trafficking-and-slavery/white-mans-burden-revisited/

      What does a focus on 'trafficking' mean materially? it means lots of NGOs, which everyone knows are only in it for the good of humanity, obvi

      https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/beyond-trafficking-and-slavery/from-brothel-to-sweatshop-questions-on-labour-trafficking-in-camb/

    • D61 [any]
      ·
      3 years ago

      The arguments I've seen go something like this:

      There's no ethical consumption under capitalism, so sex work is bad. Maybe not the workers themselves, maybe not the consumers, but "sex work" is bad. So supporting sex worker is definitely unethical and probably supporting sex workers could be unethical.

      Because the sex work industry, unfortunately, includes situations of sex slavery, all sorts of abuse, and other forms of economic and non-economic coercion (rape) all support of sex workers or sex work is a support of rape and sex slavery.

      Most of the times I see these arguments its from comments on hexbear and r/genZedong. Occasionally I've heard a guest on a podcast make similar arguments but not often.