Sex Trafficking & The Sex Trade: When the Impact of the Pandemic & Racial Injustice Collide
By Cristian Eduardo, Survivor of International & Domestic Sex & Labor Trafficking and Dr. Shobana Powell, DSW, LCSW, Human Trafficking Advocate & Trauma Clinician
What do LGBTQ+ rights, immigrant rights, #BlackLivesMatter, #StopAsianHate, #MeToo, and communities most impacted by COVID-19 all have in common? They are the communities that are most trafficked and exploited in prostitution and the sex trade.
It is no coincidence that traffickers, pimps, sex buyers and brothel owners prey on our most marginalized communities. Those trafficked are rarely bound by physical chains, but by the invisible, yet very real barriers of societal oppression, psychological coercion, and a lack of opportunities for employment and education.
It is nearly impossible to estimate the true extent of sex trafficking in the United States. It is a form of gender-based violence that is widely under-reported and often goes unidentified, especially in marginalized communities who have experienced current and historic racism and systemic oppression by the criminal justice system. Survivors of sex trafficking are disproportionately people of color, women, LGBTQ+ folks, immigrants, survivors of sexual abuse, children, and youth aging out of foster care. In 2018, over 23,000 survivors were reported to the National Human Trafficking Hotline, over 85% of whom were people of color and over 85% of whom were female-identifying- and these are only the cases that were identified and reported.
This disparity is intentional. Exploiters (traffickers, pimps, sex buyers and brothel owners) seek out those with unmet needs, meet the need- whether it is food, shelter, water, medicine, money, jobs, education, acceptance, belonging or love- and then build a trauma bond founded upon that power differential.
COVID-19, LGBTQ+ Rights, Immigrant Rights, and Sex Trafficking
With COVID-19, those power dynamics become even more evident. Black and brown, LGBTQ+, and immigrant communities have been hit hardest by the pandemic, resulting in disproportionate unemployment, ultimately leaving an open window for exploitation.
Advocates and survivors of trafficking have long argued that access to basic needs should not be contingent upon sex. When the engagement of sex in exchange for something of value is fueled by oppression, it is exploitation.
#BlackLivesMatter, #StopAsianHate, #MeToo, and Sex Trafficking
The #BlackLivesMatter movement has been a step towards acknowledging systemic racial injustice and police brutality against Black and brown bodies as the legacy of slavery, and yet we fail to apply that lens to prostitution. The #StopAsianHate movement has been a step towards acknowledging generational oppression, violence, and hate towards the AAPI community- including the objectification and fetishization of bodies of color, bodies historically exploited by colonization- and yet we fail to apply that lens to prostitution. The #MeToo movement has been a step towards acknowledging the relationship between power, consent and sexual exploitation, and yet again, we don’t apply that lens to prostitution. We are failing to look at the deeply rooted, intersectional systemic oppression embedded in the sex trade.
The Solution: The Equality Model (Decriminalizing Those Engaged in the Sex Trade, Not Their Exploiters)
The pandemic has offered us an opportunity to reframe and restructure the ways we protect our communities.
A comprehensive solution is needed, one that includes survivors and ensures the complex needs of those in prostitution are met. The Equality Model has been successfully implemented in seven countries, including Canada, France, Israel and Norway, resulting in decreases in child and adult sex trafficking, decreases in arrests of people in prostitution, and increases in gender equality.
The first element of the Equality Model is decriminalizing survivors. In the U.S., we criminalize those who are bought and sold because of our biases and the stigma around prostitution. Gradually we are shifting away from this harmful, victim blaming narrative and towards decriminalizing those who are exploited. For example, the “Walking While Trans” law was a policy that fueled the profiling of trans people of color under the “loitering for purposes of prostitution” statute, and after years of advocacy, it was repealed in New York State in early 2021. Another success was the recent Manhattan District Attorney’s Office decision to stop prosecuting people in prostitution, but continue holding accountable sex buyers and pimps. Although these are victories to be celebrated, there is more that needs to be done. We can no longer place the blame on those in need, those who are hungry, those who are looking for a bed — those whom we have failed. The over-policing and police brutality against Black, brown and trans bodies must end.
The second is to hold those abusing their power accountable — the sex buyers, traffickers, pimps, and brothel owners. We cannot decriminalize those who exploit our most marginalized communities for their own financial or sexual gain. People in the sex trade face extensive physical and psychological harm from those with more power and privilege. It is a public health issue.
The third — and essential element — is to direct comprehensive services to those in prostitution to address their needs during this pandemic and beyond and dedicate funding for preventive and exit services. We must address the disparities and unmet needs of our marginalized communities before exploiters do. Economic and systemic inequity fuel trafficking and commercial sexual exploitation. When community members can pay their rent, buy groceries for their families, secure stable and safe employment, we prevent sexual exploitation.
The reality is sex trafficking is occurring in all 50 states to adults and children, and it is driven by the sexual entitlement and financial power and privilege of sex buyers. We need stronger legislation to holistically address the complexities of the sex trade. We must decriminalize those who are bought and sold and hold accountable those who profit and benefit from exploitation — yes, including sex buyers.
And we must not stop there, we need to offer exit strategies for those who want to leave the sex trade and at the same time offer accessible harm reduction services and resources for all those engaged in the sex trade -regardless of how they identify. This includes mental health, health care (i.e. access to hormones, HIV medication, reproductive health, and STD/STI screening/treatment), housing, food, clothing, access to education, economic empowerment, culturally and linguistically inclusive services, traditional and alternative approaches to healing, and a diverse and respectful space where they can continue pursuing their dreams and goals.
Call to Action
We can address the disparities that lead to sexual exploitation and trafficking. The voices of communities we have overlooked for generations must be heard. It is time to end the silence. Here are two ways you can speak up:
- Support the New York State Sex Trade Survivors Justice and Equality Act (S6040): Sign-On Statement
- Learn more about the Equality Model here: Our Voices Matter: A Letter from Survivors
