Community voice
by Brenna Aumaier, MPHc, CPHp
Sex trafficking is bad, we can all agree on that. Are sex trafficking and stripping (ie. legal sex work) synonymous? Doubtful. As a public health researcher, and an advocate for sexual and reproductive justice, I have studied sex work extensively. The ACLU describes House Bill 262 has proposed legislation that “mandates employees of adult-oriented establishments to register with the state. It also bans alcohol in the establishments and creates a buffer zone of six feet between patrons and nude entertainers.” This potential regulation is an insult to feminism and an affront to a perfectly legal occupation. Research does not suggest that any of the listed activities are bound to or indicative of sex trafficking. This is a paternalistic ploy to hinder and dismantle the only existing industry in which women can regularly make more than men without education or other qualifications. The stripper registry is problematic for a few reasons. Not only does it place sole responsibility on the women (don’t men work in strip clubs too?), but also requires women to have their legal names, stage names, addresses, phone numbers, criminal history, and their place of work compiled in a registry that would presumably be public record. Sexual assault is already a major concern for women in general, and more so for women who engage in sex work. Access to home addresses puts women and their families (i.e. children) at risk for harassment, robbery, sexual assault, etc. Further, it can be problematic when women transition from sex work to traditional employment or seek housing and are subject to background checks. One’s right to privacy is not conditional based on occupation. In 2014 Washington dancers banded together to sue against the release of their information to a man who filed for access to their registry to “pray for them.” There is a reason girls don’t walk to their cars alone after a shift, but PA wants to give people their home address? This is direct contradiction of the “protection of women” angle supporters are going for. The proposition to ban alcohol sales also eliminates millions of dollars in tax revenue just in alcohol sales alone from “adult” establishments in Pennsylvania. PA is not the first state to propose such a bill. In 2007 Dancer’s for Democracy fought against the proposed “6-foot rule” by arguing that this regulation would significantly reduce wages and force dancers into minimum wage jobs or welfare. This is not a protection, but a thinly veiled ploy to keep men out of strip clubs. While the bill states “it does not intend to restrict persons from voluntarily seeking employment in adult-oriented establishments,” it certainly would act as a deterrent for PA based legal sex workers who don’t have or prefer the option of traditional employment. Many women who work in this largely night based industry have overcome stigma and slut shaming so they can spend their days with their children, or studying for college courses. And with so many states in such close proximity to PA, it would drive dancers and customers to New Jersey, Delaware, and New York based establishments to avoid the imposing regulation. This is problematic as it increases night time travel (decreasing road safety). It should be noted that stricter regulations on sex work actually increases women’s risk. By reducing clientele, women are forced to interact with clients they might otherwise avoid. These types of legislations harm women engaged in sex work rather than help them. Increased criminalization results in fear of reporting sexual assaults, reduced likelihood of seeking medical care, and increased stigmatization. If you want to protect women, reduce the stigma, make it easy to report assault, train police to deal with sexual assault of sex workers, make it unacceptable to hurt a sex worker, educate club managers about the signs of trafficking, crack down on clubs that allow prostitution. But don’t put women’s safety at risk. Leave a Reply. |
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March 2017
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