MADISON, Wis. – Today, Rep. Ryan Clancy announced legislation developed and supported by advocates for the rights of sex workers and sex trafficking survivors designed to encourage safe reporting of alleged criminal acts to authorities.
Sex workers in Wisconsin are disproportionately targeted for violence, both from members of the public and law enforcement. Victims of sex trafficking are also frequently afraid to report their experiences due to fear of retaliation from law enforcement and other government actors.
LRB-3611 provides that sex workers and sex trafficking victims can safely contact emergency services without fear of being prosecuted for the crime of prostitution.
Rep. Ryan Clancy (D-19) issued the following statement:
“All labor deserves rights and protections. Sex workers are being forced to fight for the same basic protections that other Wisconsin workers have enjoyed for a very long time. They face the additional, disproportionate dangers of violence and intimidation from law enforcement officers, causing many to understandably avoid reporting threats from other members of the public.
We hope that this safe reporting bill will convince many, including my colleagues, to rethink the often catastrophic role that law enforcement plays in enforcing our archaic “prostitution” laws. Sex between two consenting adults should be legal.
We also encourage everyone to consider whether armed law enforcement officers are ever well-positioned to distinguish sex work from involuntary sex trafficking. Later then, maybe, we can talk about whether law enforcement should involve itself in the lives of these workers at all, ever. This is an important start.”
Renee Olstead, founder of the Coalition for American Sex Workers (“CASW”), issued the following statement:
Our current criminal legal system puts our most vulnerable communities at risk of incredible harm. LRB-3611 would make Wisconsin a safer place for everyone by making it easier to identify violent offenders who repeatedly target sex workers and trafficking victims, so often due to that same vulnerability.
Today, too many violent offenders live without accountability in our communities while victims of sexual violence are forced to deal with the consequences. LRB-3611 will help change that.”
