The following resources and links provide information and analysis about efforts to reform the law to ensure that sex workers can live safely and enjoy their rights. Laws and policies that attempt to prohibit different kinds of sex work leave sex workers vulnerable to police abuse and to discrimination more widely in the community. When sex work is recognized as real work (as has happened in New Zealand and parts of Australia), then sex workers can develop occupational safety and health guidelines to protect themselves in the workplace and resist police abuse.
US Reform
In 1996 a group of advocates and organizations worked with local officials to produce a report on the need to reform policies affecting sex workers in San Francisco. This task force found that the “current prosecutorial response [in San Franscico] does a great deal of harm” and recommended that San Francisco “stop enforcing and prosecuting prostitution crimes.. and redirect funds from prosecution, public defense, court time, legal system overhead and incarceration towards services and alternatives for needy constituencies.” 1996 San Francisco Prostitution Task Force Final Report
Lawrence v. Texas Supreme Court Ruling
International Reform
The Canadian Guild for Erotic Labouris a national organization of workers and allies who have come together to support and promote labour rights and labour organizing for women, men and transsexual/transgendered workers engaged in erotic labour in Canada.
New Zealand Office of Safety and Health guidelines for sex workers
John Lowman’s Prostitution Research Page Canadian site. This page has some great resources. Dr. Lowman is from the School of Criminology, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC
British Home Office Research Study 279–Tackling Street Prostitution: Towards an holistic approach
Australian Prostitution Act 1999 (PDF)
Australian Prostitution Amendment Act 2001 (PDF)
New Zealand Decriminalization , more, and more