This International Whores’ Day, we’re spotlighting the important role that sex workers play in the fight against trafficking. 

Legalizing sex work may turn out to be one of the most essential step in the fight against sex trafficking – and sex workers our greatest allies.

 Why Pro-Sex Work and Anti-Trafficking Activism Go Hand in Hand by Suzannah Weiss

Why Pro-Sex Work and Anti-Trafficking Activism Go Hand in Hand

 willingly and is also a survivor of sex trafficking. He initially had control over his work— until he lived with a couple that forced him to see clients he didn’t want to see, then took his money, claiming this was necessary to compensate them for living there.

“I would have come to the authorities about my experience being trafficked, stolen from, and exploited sooner if I hadn’t been terrified of the law being weaponized against me,” he remembers. “I was worried I would end up on a registry for the acts I wasn’t coerced into prior to entering the situation that constituted trafficking.”

“I would have come to the authorities about my experience being traffickeD... if I hadn’t been terrified of the law being weaponized against me.”

Oleander is now a speaker who is pro-sex-work and anti-trafficking — two movements that are rarely spoken about together, but that he thinks go hand in hand. “I support sex work,” he says. “It needs to be legalized and whorephobia needs to be abolished. That way, it’s easier for people who want out to get help.”

Due to inaccurate narratives about all sex workers being exploited, the issues of sex work and sex trafficking sometimes get conflated. Some anti-sex-trafficking activists say things like 

 — which is unfortunate because it alienates some of the people who could be their best allies: sex workers.

“Sex work is consenting to sexual environments,” explains 

, an anti-trafficking activist who also identifies as pro-sex-work. “Sex trafficking is forcing or coercing an individual into sexual environments. Once we start having these conversations on what makes one different from another, it will open up a level of discourse on how consent is truly etched into the fabric of this discussion.”

Many activists on both sides see legalization of sex work as important for keeping sex workers safe and preventing trafficking. “Whores are people too,” says Oleander. “They deserve respect and safety like all workers do. If we legalized sex work, it would be harder for traffickers to prey on and maintain power over vulnerable people.”

“If we legalized sex work, it would be harder for traffickers to prey on and maintain power over vulnerable people.”

“There are many policies that make the lives of trafficking survivors safer while also protecting sex workers,” explains Mandy Salley, chief operating officer for the Woodhull Freedom Foundation. For instance, the immunity bills under consideration in 

 would protect sex workers and sex trafficking victims who report crimes from prosecution, which would make sex work safer and allow trafficking victims to get help.

It’s also important to recognize that there is overlap between the consensual sex worker and trafficking survivor populations. Many people, like Oleander, have belonged to both groups. Amy-Marie Merrell, executive director of 

, offers outreach, advocacy, holistic resources, and referral services to both populations through her organization. “Many of our program participants have worked in the adult industry both consensually and by force or coercion,” she says. “By providing non-judgmental support and resources, we are preventing people from being exposed to as much risk of being in dangerous situations.”

Ultimately, being pro-sex-work and anti-trafficking are two sides of the same coin, just like being sex-positive and anti-rape are. If we acknowledge that sex work can and should be entered into with the enthusiastic consent of all involved, the logical next step is to condemn situations where this is not the case.

If we acknowledge that sex work can and should be entered into with the enthusiastic consent of all involved, the logical next step is to condemn situations where this is not the case.

In order for the pro-sex work and anti-trafficking movements to work together better, Salley says they should talk to each other and establish common ground. “I think that people on both sides would find that they are worried about similar things and, in fact, have a shared goal,” she says. “No one thinks trafficking is okay.” One example she sees of this already happening is 

, which consists of 15 groups — including sex work advocacy groups as well as groups against sexual and domestic violence — to help pass the immunity law in New York.

“Sex workers aren’t the villains in the story of sex trafficking,” says Cook. “Far from it. They’re the unsung heroes, the allies in the shadows. They bring their unique experiences, skills, and insights to the table, playing a pivotal role in the fight against trafficking. In working towards a world where all sex work is consensual, free from exploitation, we need to remember this and give them the recognition and 