Black and Brown LGBTQ+ folks, and particularly, trans folks working in the sex trade face discrimination and stigma and are often denied access to housing, education, healthcare and employment.
Criminalization of adult consensual sex work contributes to violence, oppression, and stigma. Criminalization also creates obstacles for workers seeking safety, bodily autonomy, and access to health.
Following the lead of Black and Brown transfolx who are current and former sex workers, the coalition is working together, centering the voices and following the lead of those most directly impacted by the criminalization of sex work in Illinois.
Sign up for more information on the efforts of the Safe Work Coalition to end criminalization and reduce violence against sex workers.
You Can Help Protect Sex Workers from Violence!
Did you know that 75% of sex workers will be attacked at some point in their career? Did you know that 62% of trans people killed in the past decade were sex workers?
At a time when anti-equality extremists want to tell people what to do with their bodies, we should decriminalize sex work between consenting adults to keep sex workers safe. When sex work between consenting adults is legal:
- Sex workers can research their clients before meeting them.
- Sex workers can insist clients meet them in safe places of their choosing not on the streets.
- Sex workers have more power to insist on fair wages and the use of condoms.
- Violent offenders are less likely to harm sex workers knowing sex workers are free to go to the police if attacked.
- Police and prosecution resources aren’t wasted going after people engaged in consensual sex but can be focused on violent offenders and traffickers.
Keep strong protections for sexual assault and human trafficking survivors and decriminalize sex work between consenting adults!
You can keep sex workers safe by supporting the decriminalization of sex work between consenting adults! When you support the decriminalization of sex work between consenting adults, you also help increase access to housing, education, healthcare and employment for current and retired sex workers!
The Safe Work Coalition is led by current and former sex workers - most of whom are Black and Brown Transfolx - supported by Equality Illinois
For additional information, please contact Equality Illinois at info@eqil.org.