SAN FRANCISCO — A coalition of activists who advocate for the rights of sex workers will hold a virtual press conference Wednesday to ask California Governor Gavin Newsom to suspend the arrests and prosecutions of sex workers during the coronavirus pandemic.
The Erotic Service Providers Legal, Education and Research Project (ESPLER Project), US Prostitutes Collective (US PROS) and the Sacramento branch of Sex Workers Outreach Project (SWOP) will conduct the virtual press conference at 10:30 a.m.(PDT) tomorrow.
"Police in jurisdictions like L.A. are wasting precious public resources to do prostitution stings — money that could go to help sex workers stay safe in place," said Maxine Doogan, president of ESPLERP. "We want [Newsom] to stop all prostitution arrests and prosecutions as to allow folks to not have to risk finding themselves unsheltered in the middle of a pandemic."
Rachel West, with the San Francisco-based US PROS, echoed Doogan's concerns.
"We want the Governor of California to stop police forces spending money prosecuting prostitution offenses and instead spend that money on the social safety net, which needs serious bolstering right now," said West. "The Governor should stop the enforcement of solicitation and 'loitering with intent' offenses which are disproportionately being used against trans, black, immigrant and other women of color. Sex workers, many of whom are mothers trying to ensure that their children don’t go hungry, need support not criminalization."
SWOP Sacramento's Kristen Di Angelo agreed with her colleagues' demands.
"Many sex workers continue to work out of hotels, cars, and their own dwelling during the 'shelter-in-place' [orders]," Di Angelo said. "Without income or relief, what else can they do? I observed a judge in Placer County on March 3, 2020, state [that] those charged with prostitution would receive 12 days' minimum jail sentence for their first 647(b) charge — prostitution — with longer sentences for those with second-time convictions. In the middle of the pandemic, the police are still mounting prostitution stings, still busting sex workers and their clients, and still sending people to jail."
Direct inquiries to info@esplerp.org and sacramentoswop@yahoo.com.
