Thread by @swopbehindbars

This is not how supply and demand economic theory WORKS people?!?!? #EndDemand initiatives for #SexWork does NOT enable #trafficking. Think about it. Let’s kick this #EndDemand can all the way down the road, shall we?

https://twitter.com/EqualityModelNY/status/1509958133929713669

#Trafficking is a crime. Pimping is a crime. #DMST is a crime And they STAY crimes under #FullDecrim. Full stop. BUT we STOP arresting adult consensual #SexWorkers AND we don’t entrap their clients in stings. The BONUS is we ALSO stop arresting A LOT of victims of #SexTrafficking

Supporting #EndDemand initiatives is a knee jerk reaction to a complicated problem. But NOT ARRESTING grown adults for adult consensual behavior (that is perfectly legal if they do it for free) is not such a crazy idea. It actually makes a LOT of sense if you step back a bit

Although- targeting clients in stings and naming and shaming them on the evening news is still being touted as fighting #HumanTrafficking - it’s really just a “rebranding” of the #LawEnforcement Vice units. See? Everybody in #LE keeps their job. New mission.

But supply and demand economic theory doesn’t work when applied to the sex trade. This economic phenomenon applies to the PRICE of goods and services. Not the availability. And it doesn’t work on the sex trade even when you are using it as a “price” measure

This #EndDemand initiatives says that if we reduce the #demand for sex for sale services, the #supply will wither away. But marginalized and vulnerable people don’t just look around and say “Well business is slower - imma get me that corporate job with Bennie’s and company car”

When business is slow, the hustle gets harder so we end up having to take MORE RISK at LOWER PRICES with potentially sketchier clients - which means that we actually have to do MORE #SexWork under worse circumstances to meet the need. So now #EndDemand actually INCREASES #SexWork

And if you want talk about #pimps and #traffickers - they ALSO don’t “just give up” because demand is down. They might get more violent if they are forcing or coercing someone. So now #EndDemand is INCREASING the chances of #violence to #SexWorkers and #SexTrafficking victims.

And lastly - if you keep arresting clients who are the primary breadwinner in their family, they can lose their job.Their home. Their family. And then their children grow up in one parent household which - statistically - make them more vulnerable to #violence and #exploitation

We GET IT. You want to stop trafficking and make sure kids are safe. WE DO TOO! But you are NOT using basic common sense with these #EndDemand initiatives. It’s just foolishness to think that you can end one form of violence with another form of violence. #ComeOnMan

There are SO MANY victims of violence and exploitation in prison already. We hear their stories every single day. And we know many of you are confused by the language and the words like legalization and decriminalization. And this is a complicated and nuanced subject.

But we CAN reduce exploitation and help folks access better situations if we stop rejecting even the IDEA that arresting people is the best possible way to manage a complication, emotional and IMPORTANT social issue that has many intersections and sub topics.