LOS ANGELES, CA — Following June’s unprecedented International Whores’ Day activism, a summit of sex workers, survivors and advocates met to discuss next steps for the sex workers rights movement in the United States. The summit resulted in an important piece of educational information, the “National Sex Worker Anti-Criminalization Principles,” which is currently available on the Adult Performer Advocacy Committee (APAC) website.

“Sex workers must no longer be treated as though we are not an integral part of society,” said Siouxsie Q. James, Secretary of APAC. “We stand and fight in community with adjacent anti-criminalization movements that seek to rebuild our country and dismantle the ways in which we have policed and persecuted marginalized communities since our nation’s founding.”

The “National Sex Worker Anti-Criminalization Principles” document outlines a working template for the movement, advocating for people impacted by labor issues, social stigma and criminalization. The document uses the 1983 Denver Principles as a template, which unequivocally declared and demanded the human rights of people living with HIV/AIDS.

Similarly, the “National Sex Worker Anti-Criminalization Principles” serves as a manifesto for how the sex working community will take back the narrative of exploitation and criminalization and reframe their struggle as a battle for basic human rights. It lists four major points, including a general statement of purpose and recommendations for sex workers and allies.

To view the full text of the “National Sex Worker Anti-Criminalization Principles,” visit APAC here: http://www.apac-usa.com/single-post/2018/07/03/Sex-Worker-Rights-Summit-Produces-National-Anti-Criminalization-Principles

“This document positions sex workers in a way that takes back our narratives, insisting that our voices are prioritized when it comes to policies that affect our lives,” said Cris Sardina, Director of the Desiree Alliance. 

“We hope that this serves as a starting point for lawmakers, journalists, advocates, and academics to better understand our community’s needs,” added Kristin DiAngelo, a sex trafficking survivor, sex worker, and the Executive Director of the Sacramento chapter of the Sex Worker Outreach Project.