Advocates for Pittsburgh-area sex workers call on officials for decriminalization
Jun. 9—An activist group advocating for sex workers in the Pittsburgh area is calling on Democratic mayoral nominee Ed Gainey and other lawmakers to decriminalize sex work and end enforcement of prostitution charges, according to an open letter from the group.
Pittsburgh's Sex Worker Outreach Project, or SWOP-Pittsburgh, also called on the Allegheny County District Attorney's office to cease prosecution of prostitution and solicitation charges.
"Criminalizing sex work is a violation of personal autonomy and privacy," the group wrote.
SWOP is a national organization pressing for rights and protections for sex workers, including decriminalization of sex work. There are chapters in more than two dozen areas across the country working for "rights not rescue." Pittsburgh's chapter formed in 2018.
The letter was addressed to District Attorney Stephen A. Zappala Jr.'s office, Gainey, and judicial candidates.
Gainey's campaign did not respond to a request for comment on the letter and its demands. Zappala said he would take the group's requests under consideration.
Other demands include the resignation or removal of Zappala from his post, the release of those incarcerated for prostitution-related charges, withdrawal of warrants for such charges, and defunding of police work meant to track and surveil of sex workers.
The letter, released on International Sex Workers Day, was meant to get the attention of the people in power — particularly those coming into power after the November election, organizers said.
The letter was signed on to by groups like Jailbreak PGH and the Abolitionist Law Center.
It comes down to decriminalizing people and the work that they do, said activist Ardie Rose.
"Criminalization of sex work is about policing poverty, policing people without access to 'traditional' employment and forcing people into labor that doesn't meet their basic needs," she said. "Decriminalization is about giving people the best opportunity for survival while respecting their agency and ability to choose how to best provide for themselves and their families."
The open letter stresses several points central to the movement for decriminalizing sex work, such as the idea that criminalizing leads to a higher risk of violence and harm. It's counter to the prevailing notion that criminalizing sex work is meant to reduce trafficking.
"Trafficking still happens, people are still abused and the most vulnerable of us can't report those abuses because the fear is that we'll be arrested and/or deported," Rose said.
Read the full letter here.
Megan Guza is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Megan at 412-380-8519, mguza@triblive.com or via Twitter .
