When President Donald Trump signed FOSTA/SESTA, a law his administration says will curb sex trafficking, sex workers said their lives became even more vulnerable to exploitation and harm. Though the law was created to crack down on online services like Backpage and Craigslist, where many sex workers advertise, critics say it will likely backfire, leaving sex workers without a safe way to screen their clients.
Now sex workers and their allies are holding demonstrations across the country in hopes of fighting back. In early May, they held a march called “Funeral for the Death of Sex Work” in Chicago. And last Friday, advocates organized the first ever National Sex Worker Lobby Day, with events and workshops in cities including Washington, DC, New York, and Seattle.
Videos by VICE
On today’s episode, we talk to reporter Kimberly Lawson about the motivation behind these movements, and the impact they could have on the future of sex work.
You can catch The VICE Guide to Right Now Podcast on Acast, Google Play, Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. And sign up for our newsletter to get the best of VICE delivered to your inbox daily.