Move Along: Policing Sex Work in Washington D.C.

As a resident of the D.C area, I am very interested in the laws and policies which directly impact sex worker’s lives in Washington D.C. I recently came across a report by the Alliance for a Safe & Diverse DC titled “Move Along: Policing Sex Work in Washington D.C.”.   This report explores the direct impact that commercial sex policies have on the lives of sex workers. One of the policies which I found to be the most baffling was the the creation of Prostitution Free Zones (PFZ’s).  The Metropolitan Police Department reserves the right to declare PFZ’s in areas where “the health or safety of residents is endangered by with prostitution or prostitution-related offenses”. When an area is declared a PFZ, it is “unlawful for a group of two or more persons to congregate in a public space or property in that area for the purpose of engaging in prostitution or prostitution-related offenses”. Considering that this is already the law, PFZ’s can be seen as a means to provide stricter punishments for those engaging in sex work under the guise of public safety. Such laws are counter-intuitive because they not only decrease public safety and public health, but further stigmatize and marginalize sex workers and trans people. As the report notes, interactions with the police were “characterized by humiliation, abuse, and extortion” (1).

Furthermore, transgender people and Latinos are treated even worse by police and are less likely to seek their assistance when needed, making then more vulnerable to violence. A study by the National Center for Transgender Equality notes that “71% of trans respondents nationally had experienced harassment and disrespectful treatment by police officers and 45% were uncomfortable reporting crimes to police”. It is a sad realization to know that the individual’s put in charge of protecting citizens from harm are actually contributing to the perpetuation of violence. For example, one survey respondent told researchers that during an ID check a police officer called hir “a whore, prostitute and trick” (1).

This report not only calls for a change in policy, but also in social attitudes. One of the most effective techniques used by researchers was their inclusion of first hand accounts from sex workers and members of the community, something that is not usually included in mainstream media and news reports. Also important to note is the fact that sex workers are not usually part of the process in creating public policy which directly impacts their lives. This is problematic for several reasons. When sex workers are not given voice, they become objects to be spoken for and about. It is really easy to dehumanize marginalized populations who are invisible or nearly invisible to the general public. All of this makes sex workers and trans people more susceptible to violence and abuse. This report gives voice to these marginalized populations so that we are given a clear depiction of the real life effects that public policy has on the lives of these individuals. The research team “included representatives from a diverse array of communities affected by policing in the city. Team members had expertise with the issues from both personal experience and work in the community on topics of sex work, HIV, drug use, Lesbian/Gay/Bisexual/Transgender (LGBT) and immigrant communities, racism, homelessness and community organizing” (4).

I have written this blog not only to contribute to Feministing, but also as a part of my own blog that I am creating about sex work. I would really appreciate reader’s feedback on topics of interest involving sex work as well as reader’s opinions about what they think the main purpose such blogs serve. Thanks!