Sex Work: The Basics
Sex work is the exchange of money or other goods for sexual services between adults.
Sex workers are diverse. Sex workers are of all genders, assigned sex, and sexuality. Groups that have been historically neglected (and continue to face systemic oppression), including Black and Indigenous people, people of colour, im/migrants, gender diverse folks, people living in poverty, people who use substances, disabled people and more are targeted for violence at higher rates within the sex industry.
It includes escorting, street-based sex work, cam work, stripping, erotic BDSM services, pornography, erotic content creation, and more.
In Canada, selling sexual services is not technically illegal. However, buying sexual services is - making it difficult for sex workers to conduct business safely. The enforcement of sex work laws also relies on police discretion, which can be biased by stigma.
Because of stigma, criminalization, and strategic urban planning, street-based sex work is geographically obscured. Because of this, street-based sex workers experience much higher levels of violence.
It is estimated that 5% to 20% of sex work takes place on the street; 80% to 95% takes place indoors (homes, hotel rooms, massage parlours, bathhouses, etc). Sex workers who work indoors are less visible and face different issues (e.g. eviction, neighbour complaints, business licensing issues, etc).
REASONS TO ENGAGE IN SEX WORK
enjoying the work
earn a living
autonomy
flexibility
Stigma
Sex work is stigmatized in society. Because sex work is stigmatized, sex workers are de-valued and dehumanized. Because individuals who sell/trade sex are dehumanized, they are targeted for violence and face barriers to supports. Because of the stigmatized nature of sex work, they are blamed for the violence that they experience.
Stigma perpetuates violence against sex workers.
Sex Work in Context
Human Trafficking
Human trafficking is different than sex work.
The term 'human trafficking' refers to the recruitment, transportation, harbouring and/or exercising control over the movements of a person for the purposes of sexual exploitation or forced labour. This is a human rights violation.
Sex work, on the other hand, is a consensual transaction between adults, where the act of selling or buying sexual services involves consent and control. Sex work is not a violation of human rights.
Impacts: When human trafficking and sex work are conflated, sex workers are treated like victims and exploited persons. Their rights may be taken away, and their health, safety and legal needs are negatively impacted.
What Can YOU Do?
| DO |
|---|
| Do be aware of your own unconscious bias about sex work |
| Do understand how pervasive stigmatizing images and language are in popular culture |
| Do recognize the unique life experience of each individual sex worker |
| Do address stigma and misinformation among peers, colleagues and family |
| Do educate yourself about sex workers’ experiences and issues |
| DON'T |
|---|
| Don’t sensationalize sex work or talk about it in a gratuitous or voyeuristic way |
| Don’t watch or consume media, video games, etc that are stigmatizing of sex workers |
| Don’t assume that all sex workers are victims or have the same experience. Respect how sex workers describe their own experiences |
| Don’t be silent when you hear someone say something that stigmatizes sex workers |
| Don’t rely on popular culture to inform you about sex work |