Attitudes toward sex work have split leftists for decades. The trouble with sex work is that it pushes people into sharply opposed camps. Two camps begin with certain assumptions, dig in, and then come up with little in the way of productive engagement with the other side.
But I think we can remedy this. As it happens, the two camps each base their views around a core truth.
By excavating these two core truths, we can come up with a better approach.
Pro-Sex Work and Anti-Sex Work Leftists
Of course, there’s a diversity of views on sex work on the left, and few people hold to either camp in its entirety. But we can see two trends in leftist thought. And those trends coalesce around discernible views and assumptions.
The anti-sex work side claims that sex work involves hyper exploitation that goes beyond what’s found in other forms of work. It claims the work draws workers in a state of utter desperation and despair. Sex workers, on this view, are trafficked, coerced, and/or robbed of their wages by a pimp.
For a leftist spin on these claims, the RevLeft Radio podcast has discussed the topic a couple of times, most recently in a June episode on Marxist feminism. The podcast lays out a more moderate anti-sex work stance, and has drawn significant pushback in leftist spaces.
The pro-sex work side begins with the claim that sex work is work. It sees the same freedoms and coercion for sex workers that all workers carry. People make choices in the environment in which they find themselves, and folks in this camp think sex work can even be empowering in certain circumstances. On the positive end, they see sex workers as people who take ownership of their situation.
For a leftist spin, readers can check out a Honeydew Me podcast episode on the topic. In an interview, they lay out the more positive case.
Coming to a Balanced View
Laying out these two camps provides an opportunity to arrive at a balanced view. How might that go?
First, sex work is work. The “pro” side gets that correct. However, it’s also more likely to be coerced or hyper exploitative than most (though not all!) other forms of work. The “anti” side gets that correct.
Failing to see sex work as work, and failing to treat it the same ways we treat other forms of work, shows moralism over leftist analysis. The “anti” side tends to lead with moral righteousness and forget that, truly, most differences between this work and other work is one of degree rather than kind. For many workers, it’s a rational choice to earn more money than alternatives. And many don’t see it as inherently degrading.
However, failing to see sex work as more prone to hyper exploitation than most other forms of work incorporates a pollyannaish attitude toward it. The “pro” side often misses here. Provided with good educational and career opportunities, few would choose it. Some would and do, but they’re not a majority.
And so, sex work is work. But it also carries unique problems that go beyond most kinds of work. However, the core problem here is work. As leftists, at a broad level, we should have the same things to say about sex work as, e.g., barista work or factory work. They’re all exploitative and authoritarian. We should fight for a world where workers run things.
We wouldn’t support legislation like SESTA-FOSTA for other types of work, just as we wouldn’t push for any legislation that either criminalizes people’s work or takes organizing tools out of their hands.
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