Last Week Tonight with John Oliver Sex Work Segment

In a segment aired that on February 27, 2022, the satirical current events show Last Week Tonight with John Oliver devoted a half hour segment to global sex work politics. The amazing thing is, this mainstream HBO show got so much right! 

They even featured the work of the Deep South Decrim movement. Old Pro News writer and host, Lakeesha Harris, was one of the lead organizers for the Deep South Decrim Campaign during her time as Director of Reproductive Health and Justice at Women With A Vision, Inc.

The sex work episode of Last Week Tonight with John Oliver also included testimony from the Louisiana state legislature from May 2021. During that time, the Louisiana House Criminal Justice committee room was packed with almost 120 sex workers and allies! Listen to the Unapologetically Generational episode of Old Pro News where we play a clip from that hearing. 

Not only did John Oliver urge policy makers to listen! to! sex! workers! when making laws that affect our lives, but the show’s producers also put that idea into practice. Several activist friends of the Old Pro News podcast consulted on the segment to make sure they got the details right. For a clear explanation of the differences between the Nordic Model, legalization, and decriminalization, as well as some very funny jokes, check out the segment online now.