Survival to security

This episode includes descriptions of sex and the violence sex workers face, as well as strong language, that might not be suitable for listeners of a certain age.

Government/Politics

‘A job is a job’ — Trafficking laws increase stigma for consensual sex workers

Kathleen Creedon

Though the goal for some new laws is to minimize sex trafficking, they make it harder for consensual sex work to operate above ground safely.

San Antonio's red-light district officially ended in the 1940s, but sex work has continued in the city. Across the country, sex workers are online, in the streets and in clubs.

Though there are a few cities in the United States that have removed penalties for sellers of consensual sex, other cities have increased the consequences of buying consensual sex.

In September 2021, Texas made it a felony to buy sex. State legislators say the new law will help curb sex trafficking, but they also impact "free" sex workers — people working under their own free will.

This episode, we speak with sex workers, attorneys and more about how these new laws impact sex workers today.

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