Harms of third party criminalisation under end-demand legislation

Undermining sex workers’ safety and rights

Dados Bibliográficos

ID15098145
AutoresBronwyn McBride (0000-0003-2226-5600, Providence Health Care (PHC), Centre for Gender and Sexual Health Equity, Vancouver, BC, Canada), Kate Shannon (0000-0002-6764-5212, Providence Health Care (PHC), Centre for Gender and Sexual Health Equity, Vancouver, BC, Canada), Alka Murphy (Providence Health Care (PHC), Centre for Gender and Sexual Health Equity, Vancouver, BC, Canada), Sherry Wu (Providence Health Care (PHC), Centre for Gender and Sexual Health Equity, Vancouver, BC, Canada), Margaret Erickson (0000-0003-4559-5813, Providence Health Care (PHC), Centre for Gender and Sexual Health Equity, Vancouver, BC, Canada), Shira M Goldenberg (0000-0003-1633-9749, Providence Health Care (PHC), Centre for Gender and Sexual Health Equity, Vancouver, BC, Canada), Andrea Krüsi (0000-0002-2531-8192, Providence Health Care (PHC), Centre for Gender and Sexual Health Equity, Vancouver, BC, Canada, autor correspondente)
Ano2021
Volume23
Fascículo9
Páginas1165-1181
Data de publicação2021-09-01
Peer ReviewedSim
Open AccessNão
TipoARTICLE
PeriódicoCulture Health & Sexuality (JOURNAL)
Identificadores do periódicoISSN: 1369-1058 • E-ISSN: 1464-5351
EditoraInforma UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/13691058.2020.1767305
PMID32744171
OpenAlexW3047280283
IdiomaEN
Citações recebidas14
Referências citadas29

After Canada's laws criminalising sex work were struck down by the Supreme Court for violating sex workers' rights and new end-demand legislation was passed in 2014. These new laws however continue to criminalise sex work third parties (i.e. venue owners/managers) who gain material benefits, despite evidence that managed in-call venues can provide important protections for sex workers. As part of a longstanding community-based study in Vancouver, this analysis drew on 25 in-depth interviews with third parties who provide services for indoor sex workers. We explored how end-demand third party criminalisation shapes indoor sex workers' working conditions, health and safety. We found that most third parties were women and current/former sex workers, problematising assumptions of third parties as exploitative male "pimps". Third parties provided client screening, security and sexual health resources for sex workers, yet end-demand laws restricted condom availability and access to police protections in case of violence, thereby undermining sex workers' health and safety. Our findings highlight that third party criminalisation under end-demand legislation reproduces the unsafe working conditions under the previous laws deemed unconstitutional by Canada's highest court. Legislative reforms to decriminalise all aspects of the sex industry, including sex workers' right to work with third parties, are urgently needed

Business · Legislation · Legislature · Occupational safety and health · Political science · Sex work · Supreme court · HIV, Drug Use, Sexual Risk · Law · Medicine · Sex work and related issues · Sexuality, Behavior, and Technology