➤ NORDIC MODEL, from p.11
having the wrong conversation about sex work
as it relates to human traffi cking. As many
studies have pointed out, upwards of 90 percent
of sex workers are victims of human traffi
cking.”
Kim took to Twitter to respond to Wright’s
statement.
“Wrong,” he wrote. “There’s no data that
shows 90% of SWers are traffi cked. The ‘saviors’
abuse traffi cking narrative to ‘rescue’
SWers while receiving lucrative govt funding &
allowing unchecked 24/7 surveillance.”
DecrimNY advocates and others have argued
that full decriminalization would reduce the
stigma facing sex workers and the risk of them
being traffi cked by allowing them greater autonomy
and control of their work.
Krueger and Wright did not immediately respond
to Gay City News’ questions about reports
of their proposed legislation, but Krueger
told the Queens Eagle that she believes “it’s really
important that New York State doesn’t end
up the brothel capital of America.”
Two major sex work advocacy groups, DecrimNY
and Red Canary Song, had strong
words for those backing the partial decriminalization
bill.
“The new proposed legislation referred to as
the ‘Equality Model’ confl ates sex work with sex
traffi cking, using the logic of broken windows
MATT TRACY
Brooklyn State Senator Julia Salazar, with Manhattan Assemblymember
Richard Gottfried at right.
policing to address traffi cking by targeting sex
workers,” DecrimNY said in a written statement.
“We reject the tokenization of a few survivors
and the amplifying of white celebrities’
opinions to silence the voices of many people
with lived experience, and we urge legislators to
support policy solutions that create real safety
for people who trade sex by choice, circumstance,
or coercion.”
Red Canary Song, which consists of Asian
and migrant sex workers, said in a tweet that
partial decriminalization is “not the ‘Equality
Model or ‘Nordic Model.’”
“Let’s call it what it is from now on,” the
group wrote. “It’s the Deportation Model, the
Sex Worker Eviction Model. Limousine Liberals
colonizing our language to violate us.”
State legislators in the most recent session
that ended in June were unable to pass even
the fi rst step toward ending the criminalization
of sex work — a repeal of the “loitering for
the purposes of prostitution” law, commonly referred
to as a “walking while trans” prohibition
due to how frequently transgender women are
targeted under that measure. Repeal advocates
are preparing to again push that effort in the
legislative session beginning in Junuary. That
bill’s sponsors include out gay Manhattan State
Senator Brad Hoylman, who recently reiterated
his determination at a November rally.
Holyman had called for the “decriminalizing
and destigmatizing” of “the sex trade” in a written
statement to Gay City News in February.
That broad reference to decriminalizing “the sex
trade” indicated his support for decriminalizing
sex work for workers, buyers, and facilitators,
though he is not a sponsor of the Stop Violence
in the Sex Trades Act. He did not respond to
Gay City News’ requests for comment regarding
his stance on Krueger and Wright’s proposal.
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