About Maggie s Maggie s Toronto Sex Workers Action Project is a harm reduction agency primarily funded through the AIDS Bureau of the Ontario Ministry of Health. We are an organization run by and for sex workers, the oldest of its kind in Canada. Our mission is to provide education, advocacy, and support to assist sex workers to live and work with safety and dignity. We are founded on the belief that to improve our lives, sex workers must take the power to control our own destinies. We provide safer sex and safer drug use supplies, education, and support. We do frontline work and our service users include street-based sex workers, escorts, bdsm providers, massage workers, independent workers, and those who work with agencies. Many are lower income, Indigenous, of colour, and/or transgendered. We work with sex workers of all genders, and from all sectors of the sex trades. OUR KEY PRINCIPLES Sex work is socially legitimate, important and valuable work. Sex work is real work. All sex work is equally valid, whether it be dancing, outdoor work, massage, escorting, cam-work, porn or domination. Sex workers should be entitled to labour rights; the right to form unions or professional associations; the right to work independently, collectively or for a third party; and the right to occupational health and safety. Sex work is not intrinsically dangerous, oppressive or exploitative. The majority of the problems sex workers experience result from legal and social systems criminalization and stigmatization - that disregard our rights and worth. We work to end these oppressive systems, not to rescue sex workers. Selling sex is a pragmatic and sensible response to a limited range of options. Where people are doing sex work but would rather not be, the lack of options is the problem not sex work itself. Women, young people, trans women, people of colour, and Indigenous people often face limited economic options. For many, sex work is the best or only option for work and we work to improve the conditions of work. The oppression of sex workers does not affect everyone the same way. Some face additional oppressions based on racism, colonialism, sexism, transphobia (trans-misogyny in particular), poverty, homophobia, because they have been to prison, use drugs, are youth or because they have disabilities. Often these sex workers face much higher rates of violence and discrimination. We centre the experiences of sex workers who are the most directly impacted by violence and discrimination in our analysis, in building broader and stronger
coalitions, and in developing intersectional solutions that address all the issues that affect sex workers' lives. We advocate for removal of all laws that criminalize sex work and an end to all forms of violence, discrimination, and harassment of sex workers. We recognize that sex workers are safer sex professionals. We oppose public health policies, such as mandatory testing, that are founded on stereotypes that persecute sex workers rather than genuinely improve public health. We advocate evidence-based approaches to HIV and other STI s that are led by the experts sex workers. We recognize that the risk of HIV and other STI's is directly related to poor working conditions created by criminalization and stigmatization. We support migrant sex workers and do not conflate sex work with human trafficking Anti-trafficking laws and initiatives frequently do more harm than good by conflating sex work with human trafficking, supporting the prohibition of sex work, supporting racist anti-immigration policies, and supporting the increased criminalization and surveillance of sex workers. Anti-human trafficking initiatives obscure issues of youth homelessness, Indigenous sovereignty, labour rights, and migration rights for local and migrant sex workers, while supporting police harassment, stigma, violence, and deportation as a means of rescuing and rehabilitating workers, disregarding the actual needs and concerns of sex workers. Maggie's supports effective, evidence-based solutions to the problem of exploitation and coercion and sex workers are central to developing solutions. We support open borders as well as labour and human rights for all people, regardless of immigration status. We are a part of the global sex worker s rights movement and we work in coalition with organizations and individuals that support our principles.
Best practices in Harm Reduction work with Sex Workers Why Be Sex Work Positive? Sex work is real work and should be respected as such Sex workers are not victims and do not need saving Sex work is not inherently violence against women, men or trans people Sex work is a form of labour and should be treated like any other legitimate form of labour Sex workers are human beings and have human rights like any other person Sex workers have the agency to make their own decisions about their bodies and working lives Sex is a healthy, natural, human thing to do and it should not be seen as immoral or inde Sex workers provide valuable services to people who need them Criminalizing sex work promotes violence against women, men and trans people Reasons for Harm Reduction Approach Harm reduction can be obtained by decriminalizing all forms of sex work and giving sex workers a voice and control over their choice of work Providing sex workers with condoms, lube and other safe sex supplies limits the occurrences of STI s and STD s and provides for a safer work environment that reduces harm to sex workers Criminalizing sex work causes harm to sex workers by creating stigma and leaving sex workers vulnerable to violence Sex workers may not feel comfortable reporting abuse to police for fear of incriminating themselves and being stigmatized further Sex workers access to health care (physical and sexual health) may be hindered due to discrimination from health care providers who are not sex work positive Criminalizing sex work causes it to be pushed further underground, sex workers are forced to operate in secret which makes them become more vulnerable to harms and also creates opportunities for trafficking to occur Having to work in secret leaves little or no time for sex workers to screen clients or to find safe spaces to work Making sex work a legitimate and socially acceptable form of labour will reduce the stigma, discrimination and violence towards sex workers
Decriminalization of Sex Work as Harm Reduction: Decriminalization: Decriminalization means complete removal of prostitution related sections of the criminal code for consenting adults. Within this framework sex work is regulated as a labour activity and falls within labour codes. Sex workers and allies have been fighting for the decriminalization of sex work across Canada for many years. Prostitution laws impede on the ability of sex workers across all sectors of the industry (both indoor and outdoor) to be able to work safely and without threat of imprisonment or incrimination. Criminalizing sex works means that sex workers are not able to implement safety strategies, such as working with other workers, having time to negotiate clearly and safely with clients, and being able to work out of their own spaces without threat of imprisonment. Decriminalization is supported by sex workers, feminists and others who define sex work as a form of sexual labour and who support efforts to establish rights and protections for sex industry workers. Unlike legalization, where strict state laws attempt to manage and control the sex industry, decriminalization regulates sex workers activities through labour policies, rather than criminal law, thus recognizing the importance of workplace rights and responsibilities. Sex workers are both protected by the Criminal Code and subject to it in all work related, private, and public activities. Decriminalization, with its labour-based conceptualization of sex work, supports the argument that sex workers should enjoy the same workplace standards and benefits as other workers under labour law. With decriminalization, and the removal of prostitution-related offences from the Criminal Code, workplace harms and grievances can be judged under different Criminal Code sections. For example, there are provisions in place that protect the public from extortion, sexual assault, forcible confinement, threat with a weapon, public disturbances, and causing a nuisance. Further, any business causing a public disturbance or engaging in illegal activities can face fines and closure. Indeed, in a decriminalized system, brothels could be subject to rules, regulations, and standards as are all businesses. Further, sex workers could be eligible for worker s compensation, health and disability insurance, statutory holidays, and could pay income tax. Sex workers would also be able to organize unions, guilds, and associations to protect their labour rights. Since decriminalizing its country s sex industry in 2003, New Zealand has seen an improvement in sex work rights and protections.
1. What does harm reduction mean in the context of sex work? Reducing the harms of criminalization, harassment, and stigmatization Sex work in itself is not harmful 2. Why is it important for sex workers to be involved in the development of programming and services? Experts in their own lives Meaningful engagement Services that work FOR sex workers Importance of intersectional analysis involvement of sex workers from a variety of experiences (indoor, outdoor, street-involved, massage, independent, agency, etc etc) and to prioritize marginalized voices (Indigenous, trans, people of colour, non-status/undocumented, etc) There is no one catch-all sex worker experience Culturally safe programming 3. How can you make the space you work in more accessible and safer for sex workers? If you come to learn that a person is a sex worker, do not disclose that they are to anyone unless they have given you their consent to do so. Similarly, do not disclose their immigration status or HIV status to anyone without their consent. This applies to any inquiries made by the police, immigration officials, the Children s Aid Society, and school officials, unless you are under an explicit legal obligation to do so. In part, depends on the space safer referrals Respect & meeting people where they are at non-judgmental, client-centred Support the decriminalization of sex work and sex worker-led movements for justice. 4. Why is the development of sex worker-only spaces and programming important? Development of sex working communities to break isolation and marginalization Sharing of safer working tips Creating supportive services for sex workers to increase their options rather than reduce them through criminalization and stigmatization. Sex workers do not need to be saved ; we need to be respected, listened to and have access to legal, labour and human rights.