Conversations about sex work and the stigma around it have been floating around New York City for years. The state has considered decriminalizing it. Some district attorneys have mostly stopped policing it. And now, new legislation hopes to make life easier for New Yorkers participating in sex work.
City Councilmember Tiffany Cabán introduced the bill to protect sex workers rights, and Ane Mathieson is the Project Director at the EMPOWER Center, a service center for survivors of commercial sexual exploitation. WNYC’s All Things Considered hosted them to discuss the issue and the legislation.
The following interview transcript has been lightly edited for clarity.
Sean Carlson: Councilmember, can you start by explaining to us what your bill hopes to accomplish?
Councilmember Tiffany Cabán: Yes, well, just zooming out into a larger framework: New York City’s economy doesn’t work for everyone. And there are people who have been historically marginalized, oppressed, discriminated against, and then get driven into underground economies, right? And so, what my bill aims to do is establish a number of protections to make things a little bit healthier, safer and easier for folks. So, it would establish the Sex Worker Opportunity Program, and basically help sex workers who have been de-platformed by providing necessary funds that they need. It defines sex work in our administrative code so we can continue to legislate. It removes housing discrimination, if you engage in current or past sex work, and then just provides for the city to have a number of different resources available to do outreach to sex workers and their communities to see what needs are to help support.
Now, you’ve supported the full decriminalization of sex work, but this bill accomplishes something different. Why are you pursuing these specific policies right now?
I mean, it comes down to what tools are in our toolbox. You know, a few years ago, I ran for Queens district attorney, and part of the…
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