Criminalizing Sex Work in NYC

Policing in NYC — Jackson Heights, a neighborhood in Queens, has long been a place where migrant sex workers live, work, and keep each other safe. But newcomers to the neighborhood are demanding that city officials do something about the presence of sex workers. You know, the people who were there first, who make the community what it is, and who are just trying to survive. Mayor Adams has responded by saying he visited the area and found it “filthy” and plans to launch an operation to “deal with it” — we know that that means more criminalizing sex work in NYC is around the corner.

Criminalizing sex work — and we cannot stress this enough — does NOT help, it only harms. Sending in more police to harass, deport, and assault vulnerable migrant street workers will do nothing but put those people in danger.

Street work in this area has increased due to the financial burdens created by the pandemic and the lack of places for sex workers to advertise their services online. People need access to resources, not handcuffs. On top of that, sex workers are, always have been, and always will be a part of the community. Stop trying to clean us up like trash. We are your neighbors, and we aren’t going anywhere.

Can someone please get Eric Adams to sign up for our newsletter? He could benefit from learning a thing or two from Old Pros.