As advocates worldwide marked the International Day to End Violence Against Sex Workers on Dec. 17, a Miami-based, sex worker-led organization renewed calls to decriminalize sex work.
“Somebody you love is a sex worker. You just might not know it,” said Miss Mei, a sex worker with 14 years of experience. “If you are upset with somebody who may have had to enter this line of work, I would consider fighting the conditions that have maybe led to them having to do this work.”
Decrim 305 argues that criminal penalties contribute to violence, stigma and barriers to reporting abuse.
The organization held its sixth annual Slut Walk Miami Dec. 13 ahead of the international observance which honors sex workers who have been killed or harmed and draws attention to the conditions that put them at risk.
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The day was established in 2003 as a memorial and vigil for the victims of the Green River Killer — one of the most prolific serial killers in United States history, who was convicted of 49 murders, with many sex workers among his victims.
“We don't have rights protections through legislation. There's a lot of stigma, and that stigma directly leads to the violence and harm that we face,” said Miss Mei, who is also the co-founder and executive director of Decrim 305. “So this day is about asking for protection [and] dignity.”
Sex for pay is illegal in most of the United States, making comprehensive data limited. However, a 2024 report by the University of South Florida found that Florida has one of the highest rates of human trafficking in the country. About 200,000 people were trafficked for sex within Florida in the past year. Minors accounted for roughly half of the sex trafficking victims.
Miss Mei emphasized that trafficking and consensual adult sex work are distinct, though often addressed together in legislation.
"What [decriminalization] means is it's not a crime to be a sex worker," Miss Mei said. "What it doesn't mean is that trafficking is legal. Trafficking is not going to run rampant under decriminalization."
While Decrim 305 supports full decriminalization, Miss Mei acknowledges that policy changes may come incrementally. She said one immediate step local governments could take is to stop arresting sex workers.
“Sex workers are the experts of our own jobs and our own lives,” Miss Mei said. “So it's important that we collaborate and we be invited to the table when working with legislators. Because so often when I'm meeting with legislators, I find that they're not informed on these issues.”
Ammy Galeano spoke with Miss Mei. The conversation has been edited for clarity.
Galeano: Recently, you’ve said that criminalization makes it harder for sex workers to report violence. Can you explain what that fear looks like in practice?
MISS MEI: In 2021, I was working on the job and I was stealthed by a client. Stealthing is when somebody removes the condom without your consent. And I was unable to seek justice or recourse because if I had reported the incident, the police would've arrested me for being a prostitute instead of arresting the client for committing a sexual assault against me. If decriminalization was in effect, we would be able to seek those resources without fear of arrest. If we wanted to leave the industry, we would be able to actually seek exit resources so that we could leave the industry safely and on our own terms. Instead of being forced out of the industry.
If policymakers were listening right now, what is the one change you'd want them to understand or act on first?
I would like our legislators to push for stopping the arrests of sex workers as a whole. I recently saw a sting of massage parlor workers who were arrested and they had their faces put up on the news, which is extremely dangerous for them because they can be targeted by serial killers such as the Green River Killer. These are things that put sex workers directly at risk but also it ties them to their work for the rest of their lives.
Critics sometimes argue that decriminalization could increase harm. What does research or even your lived experience show instead?
The research backs us, decriminalization models are already in effect in such places as New Zealand, parts of Australia, and it's been extremely effective for health practices. It's minimized HIV transmission. It's increased condom usage. And the statistics and data show that it actually is a bipartisan-backed issue.
You emphasize centering the voices of sex workers themselves. Why is that so critical when shaping policy or public opinion?
Sex workers are the experts of our own jobs and our own lives, so it's important that we collaborate and we be invited to the table when working with legislators. Because so often, when I'm meeting with legislators, I find that they're not informed on these issues. I find that a lot of legislators want to stop the bad actors. They want to stop the traffickers, but they are not informed enough on these issues to actually vote one way or the other on bills that are being introduced to do that. They're supporting bills that actively harm sex workers, and I constantly have to call legislators or go to Tallahassee to urge my legislators to vote against bills that they've decided to support.