How to support Scottish sex workers in their fight against criminalisation

Sex workers in Scotland are taking to Scottish Parliament to protest against a bill which they say would threaten their safety. MSP Ash Regan is currently championing the Prostitution (Offences and Support) (Scotland) Bill. This bill would make it illegal to pay for sex in Scotland and closely follows the Nordic Model, which effectively criminalises sex work.

Scotland for Decrim is a grassroots campaign which is fighting for the full decriminalisation of sex work across Scotland. The campaign is led by current and former sex workers. They are supported by allies including academics, feminists, trade unionists, and students. They also work closely with other organisations advocating for other causes such as drug decriminalisation, LGBTQIA+ liberation, housing justice, and more.

What are the current rules around sex work?

At the moment, sex work is partially criminalised in the UK. This means that while sex work and buying sex are not illegal, many acts around them are. This includes working together, which is seen as a brothel.

This is supposedly to protect sex workers from exploitation, but really, it just makes it harder to get support and stay safe. Soliciting clients through publicly advertising or “kerb crawling” is also illegal, but this is harder to police in more rural or isolated areas.

Ash Regan wants to make sex work even less safe

However, instead of working with sex workers to make it safer, Ash Regan wants to fully criminalise buying sex. This would mean any man found to be buying sex could be convicted.

Regan introduced the bill as:

The Member believes that prostitution is exploiting and harming women in Scotland. She has introduced the Bill as she believes it will reduce the amount of prostitution in Scotland.

The bill claims to protect sex workers, but it does so by assuming that all sex workers are exploited women. It doesn’t explore punishment for those who force some workers into prostitution. Nor does it do anything to tackle sex trafficking. The concern of groups like Decrim for Scotland is that these practices will only increase, as the industry is forced to become even more secretive.

Scotland for Decrim said on social media:

This will increase violence against us. It will increase our likelihood of being evicted, and it will further isolate us and drive us underground.

The Nordic Model increases violence against sex workers

In areas where the Nordic Model has been adopted, violence against sex workers has increased at a horrific rate. In Northern Ireland, it increased by 225% from 2016 to 2018, according to the Irish Ministry for Justice.

Under the Nordic model, locations where sex workers sell their services would also be severely limited. Effectively, it would also make selling sex online illegal. Decrim 4 Scotland warns against the dangers of this:

Despite claims by proponents of the Nordic model that advertising websites online benefit third parties, online platforms have allowed more sex workers to work independently, seizing control over their rates, services, and ultimately their profession.

Banning online advertisement also removes peer support and prevents labour organisation, leading to an increase in the isolation of sex workers.

Stand with sex workers

All of this is why Decrim for Scotland are holding a peaceful protest outside of Scottish Parliament. On the 18th of November at 6 pm, they are asking allies to join them to stand up for sex workers’ rights. They ask that people bring signs, red umbrellas and anything that will help them glow in the dark.

They also have other actions people can take to oppose the bill. They’ve created a tool to allow allies and sex workers to email their SMP to ask them to oppose the bill. The campaign also suggests supporters could attend their MSP’s local surgery and tell them why they should oppose the bill. They also ask that, if able to, people share their posts on social media and donate to the cause.

As Scotland for Decrim say:

Sex workers deserve to be able to work together for safety, to access healthcare and housing without stigma or discrimination, and to work without the threat of fines or prosecution. Only full decriminalisation will deliver this.

This bill will not save sex workers from the perils of prostitution, because not all sex workers are people who are forced to sell sex; this is the career they chose, and they deserve to be safe in it.

Featured image via Unsplash/Ethan Gregory Dodge