Sex Work Is Work - Why It's Time to Decriminalize
Every day, people across Louisiana risk their freedom while going to work. For Louisiana’s sex workers, the act of earning a living is a rebellious one. In spite of the prevailing narrative which insists that a majority of sex workers are forced into the profession through coercion or human trafficking, many in the industry choose to be there. Sex work allows them to pay for housing, food, medical expenses, child care, and even higher education without facing discrimination over their race, religion, sexuality, disability, immigration status, or past criminal history. Sex work allows them to make high wages with flexible hours.
“I got into the sex industry when I was 18. Started out doing cam and phone work, then fetish modeling, then sensual massage, had a few sugar baby arrangements, and eventually pro-Domming,” notes one Louisiana sex worker (anonymous for obvious reasons). “I was making huge amounts of money that helped me attend college debt-free, purchase a vehicle, pay my family’s medical bills, and more.”
