Tiohtià:ke (Montreal, Unceded Indigenous Territory, where we recognize the Kanien’kehà:ka Nation as custodian of the lands and waters), June 2nd, 2023 – On this International Sex Workers’ Day, multiple sex workers organizations across Canada organized visibility actions to collectively demand the decriminalization of their work. In Montreal, in response to a call from the Sex Work Autonomous Committee (SWAC), around a hundred people demonstrated. The demonstration started at Place de la Paix, near the intersection of Saint-Laurent and Sainte-Catherine, a symbolic location for Montreal’s Red Light.
Activists and allies across the country are together calling for the federal government to introduce legislation to decriminalize sex work, as New Zealand has done. As Adore Goldman from the SWAC explains, “the New Zealand model has proven itself over the past 20 years to be the way forward. Sex workers benefit from the same rights as other workers and can denounce work-related violence using the same through the mechanisms already in place under employment law.’’
For several years, sex workers have been condemning the negative effects of the current model which criminalizes clients and third parties, such as drivers and owners of escort agencies. “Because of police repression, our clients refuse to reveal their real identity to us for fear of being criminalized. This makes it difficult to identify and denounce dangerous clients,” argues Melina May, a SWAC activist.
In workplaces such as massage parlors and strip clubs, working conditions are often threatened by bosses who take advantage of deregulation to lay down the law. Faced with safety issues, abuse and harassment, sex workers have little to no way to protect their rights to decent working conditions. “If my boss were held accountable by labor laws, he would be forced to ensure our safety, hear our complaints and take action,” says Adore Goldman.
Multiple actions took place today in several Canadian cities to challenge the federal government, with more to come next week. Sex workers and their allies in Quebec city, Vancouver, Winnipeg, Calgary and Edmonton are joining forces : “We want to send a clear message to Justin Trudeau’s government: we’ve had enough of waiting. Criminalization puts us at risk and prevents us from working in decent working conditions!” says Maxime Durocher, sex worker and SWAC activist.
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For more information:
Sex Work Autonomous Committee
Melina May
438-838-7538
cats-swac-mtl.org
To ensure the safety of committee members, all speeches and interviews will be conducted anonymously. Some people may choose to show their face or disclose their working name.