I never knew I held a “downright nasty point of view.” But according to one state representative, that’s apparently the case, simply because I have the audacity to stand firmly against fully decriminalizing the sex trade, which would give a free pass not just to those engaged in prostitution, but also pimps, brothel owners and the buyers fueling this exploitative industry.
Actually, we agree that people engaged in sex work shouldn’t be punished or criminalized. However, as a survivor of prostitution and sex trafficking myself, why should our exploiters get the same legal protection?
I support “The Survivor Model” — a common-sense approach that achieves shared goals of supporting vulnerable people in the sex trade without creating windfalls for violent abusers and crooks. Instead of criminal penalties, this solution provides exit services to those sold in the sex trade. Additionally, it clears past prostitution convictions, helping survivors rebuild their lives. And this model holds accountable those driving the demand for commercial sex. Traffickers, pimps, brothel owners and sex buyers will still be held liable for the damage they cause.
Pioneered in Sweden in 1999 and since enacted in seven additional countries, the Survivor Model is a smart, compassionate way gaining steam here in the United States. In 2023, Maine became the first state to sign partial decriminalization into law. And Illinois should keep the progress going.
For years, I was exploited here in Illinois. And I’ve spent even more time fighting those taking advantage of vulnerable individuals — primarily women and girls of color. Ironically, regressive forces chose to make their dangerous plans public in January (Trafficking Awareness Month). They’re incredulously pushing protections they claim are needed from police, when we should be worried about the truly dangerous abusers, buyers and pimps/traffickers.
Alisa Bernard, deputy director of World Without Exploitation, says “Prostitution is something you survive, not a job. It’s an oppressive system predicated on power imbalance — mostly men with good jobs and disposable income purchasing society’s most vulnerable.”
Overwhelmingly, sex buyers tend to be upper middle-class men of privilege, many of whom are white, with money to spare. In nations with fully legalized sex trade, commercial sex demand goes off the charts and the void is quickly filled by society’s most vulnerable. Hundreds of brothels pop up, littering big cities and small towns where thousands of men pay for sex every day. We certainly don’t want this to be the case in Skokie, Springfield, Peoria and Chicago
Wherever legal sex trade abounds, violent law-breaking flourishes nearby — be it organized crime, gun violence, hard drugs or street harassment. Smacking a label declaring it “legal” only makes things worse, by upping prostitution rates. An expanded sex trade would result in a trafficking spike, including minors.
Yasmin Vafa, executive director of Rights4Girls, points out, “There’s often a grooming process when someone is very young. Most of the adults in the sex trade were first exploited as children and entered the sex industry as young teens.” Full decriminalization would make things more dangerous for young people, and make it harder to detect and prosecute exploiters by repealing pimping and patronizing statutes.
Policy must focus around the needs of the vulnerable. Full decriminalization is clearly not the answer. Neither is our current full criminalization, with exploited people bearing the brunt of arrests. The Survivor Model holds exploiters accountable through income-based fines that finance services for those seeking to exit and dismantles harmful systems. This model reduces the sex trade and accompanying violence, abuse and trafficking.
We can make meaningful change here in Illinois — in a way that embraces shared goals and values without placing vulnerable communities in peril.
Rev. Dr. Marian Hatcher is a survivor, leader and policy expert.
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