{"id":223329,"date":"2025-06-29T06:43:12","date_gmt":"2025-06-29T06:43:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/223329\/"},"modified":"2025-06-29T06:43:12","modified_gmt":"2025-06-29T06:43:12","slug":"becoming-a-sex-worker-saved-my-life-dont-take-that-away-from-us","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/223329\/","title":{"rendered":"‘Becoming a sex worker saved my life – don’t take that away from us’"},"content":{"rendered":"

\n Listening to Emma is a group of other sex workers, all part of the organisation Scotland For Decrim. They want sex work decriminalised and are campaigning against proposed Holyrood<\/a> legislation to introduce what\u2019s called the \u201cNordic model\u201d, which makes it an offence to pay for sex.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n

\n Sex workers like Emma and the others believe this would put their lives at risk. Criminalising \u201cclients\u201d would drive them underground, making life more dangerous. They\u2019d become poorer and find it far harder to quit sex work.\n<\/p>\n

\n If the Nordic model had been in place when Emma was in her 20s, she would have been unable to flee the dangers of her family home.\n<\/p>\n

\n \u201cI wasn\u2019t able to access help for women experiencing abuse at home. The women\u2019s sector \u2013 especially charities for women suffering violence\u00a0\u2013 is on its knees. I had to rely on sex work to get the money to get out,\u201d she says.\n<\/p>\n

\n As Emma explains how dangerous the situation was, her voice breaks and her eyes fill with tears. \u201cIf sex work hadn\u2019t been an option. I wouldn\u2019t have been able to leave and I\u2019m not sure I\u2019d be alive today.\u201d\n<\/p>\n

\n A wave of emotion overcomes her. Amelia, Nina, Lynsey and Cid immediately offer her support, saying how much they love her, how courageous she is, and how important it is that she\u2019s shared this story.\n<\/p>\n

\n \"DemonstratorsDemonstrators during a vigil outside the Scottish Parliament in Edinburgh organised by sex worker-led charity Scot-Pep to mark International Day to End Violence Against Women (Image: Jane Barlow) Cid says: \u201cThank you, Emma, for showing people that sex workers are human beings.\u201d\n<\/p>\n

\n The Herald<\/a> on Sunday has been invited to meet with the sex workers who run Scotland For Decrim in order to get an understanding of their lives. Laura Baillie, the organisation\u2019s political officer, is also here. She\u2019s a university academic, who studies decriminalisation.\n<\/p>\n

\n The truth about sex work is far more complicated and nuanced, the group says, than the public imagines. They feel demonised, and forced on to the margins of society. If society really cared about vulnerable women, they say, politicians would tackle poverty, the cost of childcare, low wages, high rents and the pervasive culture of misogyny.\n<\/p>\n

\n Each of them is \u201cfeminist to the core\u201d. The group finds it \u201cintolerable\u201d that \u201cmiddle-class feminists\u201d \u2013 and many men \u2013 think they have the right to decide what\u2019s best for them.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n

\n \u201cNobody asks sex workers what they want,\u201d says Laura, \u201cyet it\u2019s only sex workers who know what they need.\u201d\n<\/p>\n

\n Scotland For Decrim has members across the country, as well as supporters who are academics, charity workers and trade unionists. It was launched to counter efforts to introduce the Nordic model, and to campaign for decriminalisation.\n<\/p>\n

\n Dangers<\/strong>\n<\/p>\n

\n THE\u00a0Nordic model presents real dangers, they believe. Women who work on the street will be under increased risk. As the Nordic model criminalises men who buy sex, \u201ccustomers\u201d fearful of arrest will seek to meet women in dark, secluded areas, increasing danger.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n

\n Women will have less time to assess if men are dangerous.\n<\/p>\n

\n \u201cMany will have to rush to get into a man\u2019s car,\u201d Laura explains.\n<\/p>\n

\n Men who don\u2019t want to harm women will stay away, they say, while men who plan to hurt women won\u2019t be deterred and will find it easier to commit violence.\n<\/p>\n

\n Women working in places like saunas will have to either move on to the street or into other underground locations \u2013 again heightening danger.\n<\/p>\n

\n Under the Nordic model, sex workers increasingly go to men\u2019s homes rather than places where they feel safe like hotels or their own premises, where they have safeguards like door cameras. Women who work in their own homes will also be at heightened risk under the Nordic model.\n<\/p>\n

\n It may surprise the public, the group explains, but most escorts run security checks on clients who come to their homes.\u00a0They ask for deposits before meetings, which allows them to see names on bank transfers, and often ask for ID. That deters men who might want to hurt them, and ensures that if they are attacked then the man can be traced.\n<\/p>\n

\n These are limited protections, but they are protections nonetheless, the group says. Women working in their own homes would become targets for police surveillance under the Nordic model, as officers would seek to arrest their customers.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n

\n The group notes with grim irony that when the Alba<\/a> MSP Ash Regan<\/a>, who is behind the Nordic model bill, was asked about the risks of driving sex work \u201cunderground\u201d, she appeared to take the term literally.\n<\/p>\n

\n She was quoted as saying: \u201cThere is no basis for any of those assertions. If you even think for one second, you cannot possibly drive prostitution underground. If you had a lot of women in underground cellars with a locked door, how would the punters get to them?\u201d\n<\/p>\n

\n Emma says that when she read Regan\u2019s comments, she thought: \u201cAre you f*****g kidding me?\u201d\n<\/p>\n

\n Laura adds: \u201cIt shows her complete lack of understanding. She shouldn\u2019t be speaking about something she has so little understanding of, let alone trying to pass legislation that affects people\u2019s lives.\u201d\n<\/p>\n

\n Decriminalisation is the safest model, sex workers believe. \u201cIt means no sex work that\u2019s consensual is criminalised,\u201d says Amelia, who is 29 and works as a dominatrix.Amelia worked in hospitality, until bullying and sexual harassment by bosses shattered her mental health.\n<\/p>\n

\n Brothels<\/strong>\n<\/p>\n

\n DECRIMINALISATION brings greater protection, the groups says. Under the current system, soliciting is illegal. It\u2019s also illegal for two women to work together, which is often done for protection. If two or more women work together they can be charged with brothel-keeping.\n<\/p>\n

\n The Nordic model vastly undermines the \u201cmethods of safety\u201d used by sex workers, particularly those on the street. Sex workers are safer when they can take time assessing men. Under the Nordic model, men will want to complete \u201cnegotiations\u201d almost immediately for fear of arrest.\n<\/p>\n

\n Nina says: \u201cIf they\u2019ve just minutes before clients drive off, then it\u2019s more likely they\u2019ll get into the car straight away because they need the money. Whereas if there\u2019s a safe zone [under decriminalisation], sex workers can take time chatting to clients and figuring out if it feels safe. Their colleagues can also check licence plates and note that down.\u201d\n<\/p>\n

\n Nina is educated to Masters level, but could only find low-wage jobs. Escorting allowed her to buy her own home, she says.\n<\/p>\n

\n Cid says decriminalisation would begin to remove \u201cstigma\u201d from sex workers. She became a sex worker because \u201cpoverty prevailed\u201d. Today she\u2019s also a harm-reduction worker.\n<\/p>\n

\n Sex workers are seen as \u201cdeviant and immoral\u201d rather than women who simply need money, Cid adds. \u201cWe\u2019re dehumanised. Sex workers have lives, we have families. Someone you love might be a sex worker.\u201d\n<\/p>\n

\n The title of the proposed bill offends the group. It\u2019s called the Prostitution (Offences and Support) (Scotland) Bill. Sex workers reject the term \u201cprostitute\u201d. It stops them from being seen as \u201cworkers\u201d like the rest of society, and keeps them marginalised and demonised.\n<\/p>\n

\n Documentation accompanying the Bill claims sex workers are not \u201cwhole human beings\u201d. The group says this is profoundly dehumanising and anti-feminist.\n<\/p>\n

\n \u201cHow does this help women who are sex workers?\u201d Laura asks. \u201cHow does this help women who want to leave sex work? It\u2019s astonishing.\u201d\n<\/p>\n

\n Among the group, Lynsey Walton is the only member who has been a sex worker and is happy for her identity to be used. She\u2019s \u201cretired\u201d, and now runs the organisation National Ugly Mugs. It began as a support group warning sex workers about dangerous clients \u2013 the \u201cugly mugs\u201d.\n<\/p>\n

\n Today, it offers a range of services from therapy and exiting sex work to housing and financial advice.It has thousands of members.\n<\/p>\n

\n Lyndsey worked in corporate HR while she was a sex worker. Her sole aim is to \u201cend violence against sex workers\u201d. The Nordic model isn\u2019t the way to achieve that, she says. \u201cOnly decriminalisation means increased safety. It means folks can screen clients more carefully, they can work together for safety.\n<\/p>\n

\n \u201cIt boggles my mind that the advice we give our daughters when they go out at night \u2013 stick together \u2013 is the very thing sex workers can\u2019t do.\u201d\n<\/p>\n

\n Violence<\/strong>\n<\/p>\n

\n THERE has been increased violence against sex workers in countries where the Nordic model operates. Introduced in Northern Ireland, researchers for the Justice Department found that \u201cassaults against sex workers have increased by 225%\u201d.\n<\/p>\n

\n Around 10% of sex work is on the street, the group says. Cid said: \u201cThe Nordic model is promoted as progressive but it exacerbates harm.\u201d\u00a0The media ignores these facts, \u201cwhich just highlights our erasure\u201d.\n<\/p>\n

\n The \u201cnarrative\u201d about sex work is \u201cdriven by elites\u201d, Cid says, mostly powerful politicians who can shape the story the media tells. \u201cIt\u2019s another mechanism of control,\u201d Cid adds.\n<\/p>\n

\n If sex workers aren\u2019t being portrayed as \u201cdeviant\u201d then they\u2019re seen as too weak and stupid to know what\u2019s best for them, the group says. \u201cWe\u2019re never consulted about our own lives,\u201d says Amelia.\n<\/p>\n

\n Sex workers who call for decriminalisation and oppose the Nordic Model \u2013 which is nearly all sex workers, the group explains \u2013 are accused of \u201cfalling for the myth of the good client\u201d.\n<\/p>\n

\n The group finds that deeply patronising and insulting.\n<\/p>\n

\n \u201cWhy don\u2019t these people sit down and speak to us about clients?\u201d Amelia asks. \u201cWhy don\u2019t we actually discuss what sex work is like, so laws can be passed which are valuable to us?\n<\/p>\n

\n \u201cPeople are deciding what\u2019s best for me, without asking me. They aren\u2019t my parent. I\u2019m not going on the naughty step. My view is there should be nothing about us, without us. But, unfortunately, that\u2019s not the route being taken.\n<\/p>\n

\n \u201cThat\u2019s why they\u2019re getting this so wrong. We\u2019re being infantilised. People are telling us what we need when nobody has asked us what we want.\u201d\n<\/p>\n

\n Laura adds: \u201cThe simple fact is that the Nordic model deters clients who are safe, while the most dangerous, violent and abusive clients remain unaffected.\u201d\n<\/p>\n

\n Similar to the proposed Scottish Bill, the Irish Republic introduced the Nordic model claiming no more women would be arrested. However, says Laura, women are still being arrested.\u00a0Migrant women were jailed for brothel-keeping because they worked together for safety. Two years after the introduction of the Nordic model in Ireland, only one man had been convicted for buying sex.\n<\/p>\n

\n \u201cIt\u2019s a common misconception to think that the Nordic model means women won\u2019t be arrested. It\u2019s not true,\u201d Laura explains.\n<\/p>\n

\n Under the Nordic model, a sex worker\u2019s partner faces arrest for living off the earnings of prostitution. Landlords would face brothel-keeping charges. The group says this risks women being made homeless and having to work on the street rather than in their own premises.\n<\/p>\n

\n \u201cLandlord don\u2019t want labelled as pimps,\u201d says Laura. \u201cThere\u2019s such a lack of factual information as well as so much misinformation out there around the Nordic model.\u201d\n<\/p>\n

\n The legalisation model, used in Germany, isn\u2019t supported by sex workers either. It gives government too much control over sex workers\u2019 lives in ways that other workers don\u2019t experience.\n<\/p>\n

\n Read more<\/strong>\n<\/p>\n

\n Pimps<\/strong>\n<\/p>\n

\n FOR instance, sex workers must carry what\u2019s called a \u201cwhore\u2019s passport\u201d, which is \u201cobviously stigmatising\u201d. They must pay the state to work \u2013 effectively making the government a \u201cpimp\u201d, the group says.\n<\/p>\n

\n Under the legalisation model many women remain reluctant to tell the state they are sex workers. Migrant women are unable to get official documents and so must work underground, putting themselves at risk. Women who don\u2019t register cannot report violence as they would face prosecution for illegal sex work.\n<\/p>\n

\n Lynsey says registration costs for a \u201cwhore\u2019s passport\u201d means that the most desperate women are forced into illegality. Some women turn to sex work to feed their children. In such dire circumstances, there\u2019s neither time nor money to apply for official documentation.\n<\/p>\n

\n \u201cPeople think legalisation is a good thing, but it\u2019s not,\u201d she adds.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n

\n The sex workers say legalisation puts women under the spotlight of police as they must continually prove their status.\u00a0Sex workers universally fear police. There have been cases of officers mistreating sex workers and even subjecting them to sexual abuse, the group explains.\n<\/p>\n

\n \u201cPolice are the last people we\u2019d trust \u2013 just look at Wayne Couzens and the murder of Sarah Everard,\u201d Emma adds.\n<\/p>\n

\n The group says that even as \u201cprivileged sex workers\u201d \u2013 privileged in the sense that they work indoors independently \u2013 they fear the Nordic model.\n<\/p>\n

\n Amelia adds: \u201cIf we\u2019re scared, what about brothel workers and street workers?\u201d\n<\/p>\n

\n Nina fears police \u201cstarting to watch my flat\u201d if the Nordic model is introduced \u201cto see who goes in and out\u201d. That would provide officers the intelligence needed to \u201carrest my clients. That will lead to my clients getting more edgy and more anxious\u201d.\n<\/p>\n

\n There is a risk that women who work indoors are driven outdoors under the Nordic model, Laura explains. Men may fear coming to flats where they might be under surveillance, meaning indoor work dries up and women must risk the street to earn money.\n<\/p>\n

\n Men will stop giving ID or deposits, says Nina, which she requires from new clients.\u00a0It\u2019s difficult enough to run these security checks, she explains, as men fear blackmail or discovery by partners.\n<\/p>\n

\n \u201cNow, if someone doesn\u2019t want to pay deposits, I\u2019m like \u2018okay, go find somebody else\u2019. But under the Nordic model, clients would be even more hesitant \u2013 especially the clients I consider good and decent. The dangerous ones won\u2019t care if they break the law.\u201d\n<\/p>\n

\n Amelia says that clients who \u201cwant to arrive do the booking and go \u2013 who won\u2019t bother you, stalk you, harass you \u2013 they\u2019ll stop seeing sex workers. But the clients who were going to hurt you in the first place, they won\u2019t care if it\u2019s criminal to see sex workers as they were committed to harming you anyway\u201d.\n<\/p>\n

\n Under the Nordic model, a Swedish sex worker, the group claims, was arrested because she lived with her partner and was accused of brothel-keeping. She was arrested in front of guests, with her children at home, and outed.\n<\/p>\n

\n \u201cIt\u2019s not true that under the Nordic model only men are arrested,\u201d Nina says.\n<\/p>\n

\n Ash Regan wants to change the law\u00a0(Image: Staff)\n<\/p>\n

\n Police<\/strong>\n<\/p>\n

\n IF Sex workers are assaulted in their own home under the Nordic model and then go to the police, they face their property being placed under surveillance by officers who want to arrest clients.\n<\/p>\n

\n \u201cSo how can you go to police?\u201d Amelia asks.\n<\/p>\n

\n Couple this with the fact that men would refuse to provide ID or deposits which identify them and the threat to women increases.\n<\/p>\n

\n \u201cIf you criminalise my client and he won\u2019t give me details about himself and he then comes into my home and assaults me, what do I tell police?\u201d Amelia says.\n<\/p>\n

\n \u201cI don\u2019t have his name, his phone number, I don\u2019t know anything about him. How is this law going to keep us safe when we\u2019ve no protection if we\u2019re assaulted at work?\n<\/p>\n

\n \u201cThe current model is atrocious, but at least under it I feel more comfortable getting details from clients. I\u2019d love to take the people who propose the Nordic model through the booking process so they can see the reality of our lives.\u201d\n<\/p>\n

\n The group says the Nordic model will damage sex workers financially. Men will pay less due to the risk of arrest, and there will be fewer clients. That will, in turn, make women rely more on sex work and have to take more clients.\n<\/p>\n

\n Nina says: \u201cLet me assure you that I\u2019m fine. I want to be here. Nobody else is profiting off this. I\u2019m truly independent.\u201d\n<\/p>\n

\n Some of her clients are already getting jumpy and \u201creally worried about the changes in the law that might happen\u201d. She recently arranged to meet one client in London to spend the night at a hotel.\n<\/p>\n

\n \u201cHe was really nervous that he was doing something wrong and could get in trouble with police.\u201d\n<\/p>\n

\n The group explained that some sex workers, particularly those with disabilities, hire assistants to help run their business. Assistants would be criminalised under the Nordic model.\n<\/p>\n

\n \u201cIt puts people in a worse position. If decriminalisation existed we could work the way we want,\u201d said Cid.\n<\/p>\n

\n Women who want to \u201cexit\u201d sex work will be forced to continue working longer under the Nordic model, the group says, as the new law will make earning enough money to quit much harder.\n<\/p>\n

\n Amelia says: \u201cI want to say to those pushing this law: if you want less sex workers, then start with universal basic income, affordable childcare, higher minimum wage, rent caps, affordable housing, decent benefits, and better mental health services. Why don\u2019t you go to the root causes of why people consider this job?\n<\/p>\n

\n \u201cIt\u2019s failures by government that women who don\u2019t want to do sex work end up in sex work. It\u2019s an embarrassment to this country. I want to make clear that the first people who don\u2019t want others to consider this job are us \u2013 the people with lived experience.\u201d\n<\/p>\n

\n The group is outraged that organisations like theirs were referred to as \u201cpro-prostitution\u201d in documentation related to the proposed new legislation.\n<\/p>\n

\n Amelia says: \u201cI\u2019ve never promoted this job. I constantly talk about the realities.\u201d\n<\/p>\n

\n Laura adds: \u201cWe\u2019re not pro-prostitution, we\u2019re pro-decriminalisation.\u201d\n<\/p>\n

\n They are also angered by Ash Regan referring to opponents as \u201cthe pimp lobby\u201d.\n<\/p>\n

\n Read more by Neil Mackay<\/strong>\n<\/p>\n

\n HIV<\/strong>\n<\/p>\n

\n LAURA adds that there will be additional pressure on women not to use condoms under the Nordic model. Dangerous men often try to coerce women \u2013 especially street workers \u2013 into unprotected sex.\u00a0Due to reductions in the number of clients under the Nordic model, women could find themselves with no option but to go hungry or put themselves at risk of HIV.\n<\/p>\n

\n Police also use condoms as criminal evidence.\n<\/p>\n

\n \u201cAcross the board,\u201d says Laura, \u201cthe Nordic model reduces safety and increases health problems.\u201d\n<\/p>\n

\n As Scotland For Decrim\u2019s political officer, Laura intends giving evidence before Parliament on the Nordic model.\n<\/p>\n

\n \u201cNobody is going to shut us out or shut us up,\u201d she explains. \u201cMSPs have an amazing amount of power but little accountability. I want to make sure they\u2019re accountable for their actions.\u201d\n<\/p>\n

\n The group believes that despite claims to the contrary, the Nordic model won\u2019t remove existing cautions for prostitution from police records. These cautions prevent women quitting sex work as employers won\u2019t hire them if they check their past.\n<\/p>\n

\n Prostitution cautions effectively remain on record for life. One woman was refused employment who hadn\u2019t even been cautioned. She discovered she\u2019d been listed as an escort after reporting a crime.\n<\/p>\n

\n \u201cThat was her only interaction with police,\u201d Lynsey said. \u201cYou\u2019re branded for life.\u201d\n<\/p>\n

\n Siobhian Brown, Scottish Government<\/a> Minister for Victims and Community Safety, wrote to the criminal justice committee this week saying she had \u201csignificant and deep concerns about the quashing of previous convictions as set out in the Bill.\n<\/p>\n

\n The quashing of convictions is exceptional\u2026 That is not a step that can be taken lightly and would require significant stakeholder engagement\u201d.\n<\/p>\n

\n Quashing wrongful convictions related to the Post Office scandal cost \u00a3804,000 for 200 people in Scotland, the letter noted.\n<\/p>\n

\n \u201cSince 1982, 10,459 women have been convicted under the soliciting offence,\u201d it reads.\n<\/p>\n

\n The group explains that driving sex work underground will prevent women seeking healthcare and other services in case they\u2019re flagged to police for monitoring.\n<\/p>\n

\n Amelia is aware that much of what the group has shared will shock the public \u201cbecause they\u2019ve never heard the truth before. That\u2019s on purpose. We\u2019re silenced\u201d. When they write to MSPs, they get \u201ccopy-and-pasted responses. Nobody wants to bother with us. So nobody has a clue about what\u2019s happening to sex workers\u201d.\n<\/p>\n

\n Cid adds: \u201cEverything people say will benefit us about the Nordic model will actually do the opposite. This is gaslighting in plain sight.\u201d\u00a0Even the term \u2013 Nordic model \u2013 gives a false impression, she says, due to its connotations with liberalism. \u201cPeople need to understand that what\u2019s being pushed is detrimental and damaging. It further perpetrates the marginalisation of already vulnerable people. I cannot understand why decriminalisation isn\u2019t on the agenda.\u201d\n<\/p>\n

\n Laura says many women\u2019s organisations support decriminalisation but are scared to speak out \u201cfor fear of losing funding\u201d.\n<\/p>\n

\n Amnesty International, along with other prominent international NGOs, backs decriminalisation.\n<\/p>\n

\n Rape<\/strong>\n<\/p>\n

\n AMNESTY says the Nordic model \u201ccompromises sex workers\u2019 safety and leaves them vulnerable to abuse; they can still be pursued by police whose aim is often to eradicate sex work\u2026 Sex workers have to take more risks to protect buyers from detection\u2026 Sex work is still highly stigmatised under the Nordic model and contributes to the discrimination and marginalisation of sex workers\u201d.\n<\/p>\n

\n The group notes that the Nordic model proposals in Scotland refers to sex work as \u201crape\u201d. If that\u2019s the case, they ask, why is the maximum penalty for buying sex only \u00a310,000 in fines and\/or six-to-12 months in prison.\n<\/p>\n

\n \u201cIs rape only worth \u00a310,000?\u201d Laura asks.\n<\/p>\n

\n \u201cThe penalties don\u2019t hold up to scrutiny if it\u2019s really believed that this is rape.\u201d\n<\/p>\n

\n As a group, they make clear that they aren\u2019t victims of rape as they have all freely chosen sex work. The group feels that those pushing the Nordic model have no idea about the lives of women on the margins of society.\n<\/p>\n

\n \u201cThey may think what they\u2019re doing is right, but they\u2019re only seeing this from their perspective: women who will never have to make the decision to do sex work or feed their family,\u201d says Laura.\n<\/p>\n

\n The group says there\u2019s nothing \u201cfeminist\u201d about the Nordic model. \u201cIt\u2019s anti-feminist,\u201d says Laura. \u201cIt increases oppression on women.\u201d\n<\/p>\n

\n She describes it as \u201cmiddle-class feminism\u201d, and \u201cnot any form of feminism which I recognise\u201d.\n<\/p>\n

\n Cid calls it a \u201cpatriarchal witch-hunt\u201d which makes the most marginalised women \u201cscapegoats. Under the guise of feminism, it further punishes those already disadvantaged\u201d.\n<\/p>\n

\n Lyndsey adds: \u201cThis type of feminism isn\u2019t evidence-based, it\u2019s about how they feel. It\u2019s a morality debate. It\u2019s just another form of control.\u201d\n<\/p>\n

\n Nina says the Nordic model couldn\u2019t be considered feminist. \u201cIt\u2019s not a case of finding out what\u2019s best for sex workers,\u201d she says.\n<\/p>\n

\n \u201cThey\u2019ve made up their minds. It\u2019s condescending towards us. They\u2019re acting like our parents and not listening. It\u2019s offensive. They don\u2019t know what\u2019s best for me. If feels like there\u2019s \u2018cleansing\u2019 going on. It\u2019s a weird, puritanical movement that\u2019s just moralistic about sex.\u201d\n<\/p>\n

\n The group sees the push for the Nordic model as part of the \u201cpost-Trump\u201d rightwards \u201canti-woman\u201d trend in politics. They note how, in the 2010s, the conversation about sex work was directed toward decriminalisation. They all fear being caught up in the culture war which they predict will break out over the Nordic model.\n<\/p>\n

\n \u201cWhy are we even talking about morality when we should be talking about people choosing sex work because of the cost of living crisis?\u201d Amelia asks.\n<\/p>\n

\n Nina replies: \u201cIt\u2019s a distraction technique. It\u2019s easier to talk about sex workers than solving the housing crisis. If you\u2019re passionate about preventing people getting into sex work, fight for anti-poverty measures.\u201d\n<\/p>\n

\n The group says any claim that the Nordic model will tackle trafficking is fallacious. Trafficking is already illegal. Claiming the Nordic model will end trafficking is \u201cdisinformation\u201d, they say.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n

\n None of the arguments stand up, they claim. \u201cTo say it\u2019s feminist is completely false,\u201d Amelia adds.\n<\/p>\n

\n As the group brings the conversation to an end, they share stories about their experiences which make the realities of sex work clear.\u00a0It can be frightening and dangerous, but it\u2019s their choice. They\u2019ve no desire to see others become sex workers but nor do they want to be deprived of the ability to earn a living safely as they chose.\n<\/p>\n

\n It\u2019s Emma who closes the conversation, telling how she had to turn to sex work to finance the escape from her abusive family.\u201cIf the Nordic model had been on\u00a0the statute books, I literally might not have got out of that house alive,\u201d she explains.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Listening to Emma is a group of other sex workers, all part of the organisation Scotland For Decrim.…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":223330,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5009],"tags":[748,4884,712,16,15],"class_list":{"0":"post-223329","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-scotland","8":"tag-britain","9":"tag-great-britain","10":"tag-scotland","11":"tag-uk","12":"tag-united-kingdom"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@uk\/114765299874504880","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/223329","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=223329"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/223329\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/223330"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=223329"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=223329"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=223329"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}