On Tuesday, January 20th at 4pm, House Community Safety committee will hold a hearing on HB 2526, which is so far identical to another bill that was introduced (and we fought against) last year, though it is likely an amended version will drop before the hearing.
The bill renames the crime of “Patronizing a prostitute” to “Commercial sexual exploitation” (to make it sound like trafficking) and makes it a felony rather than a misdemeanor. Because it directly targets sex buyers and not people who trade sex, some people seem to think that it does not harm sex workers, people who trade sex, or victims of sex trafficking. That is not true.
Increased policing and criminalization of sex buyers drives sex trade further underground, which threatens safety for people who engage in the sex trade. If it reduces the number of sex buyers, that translates to less earnings and bargaining power for people who engage in the sex trade, forcing us to lower our standards, compromise our boundaries, and do more for less money. This remains true whether we are independent sex workers who are working to ends meet, or someone who is told by an abuser to go out and make money for them.
Further, increased criminalization of sex buyers necessarily brings along increased surveillance and policing of vulnerable communities, such as immigrants, transgender people, people experiencing homelessness, and others who are involved in or adjacent to the informal economy. Members of these communities already experience and fear hostile encounters with the law enforcement on a regular basis, which is exacerbated by the ongoing federal persecution of immigrants and anyone who looks, acts, or sounds like one. As such, HB 2526 will lead to more racial profiling, more arrests, more indefinite detention under grossly inhumane conditions, and more deportations and family separations beyond its intended goal.
Actions You Can Take:
For everyone: Sign in “CON” to oppose the bill here before 3pm Tuesday. Select “Con” from “Position” dropdown menu, enter your information. (FYI organization name and street address are optional, and nobody checks if the name matches your official government name.)
For organizations: Sign on to our opposition letter.
We also welcome organizations representing sex workers, survivors, and others directly impacted by the legislation to testify—you know who you are and know how to give a testimony. If any individual needs our help in order to testify, do contact us.
