In June 2021, on International Whores Day, SWOP Pittsburgh and a coalition of allies sent the following letter to political officials:

June 2, 2021

To: Rep. Ed Gainey, District Attorney Stephen A. Zappala, Jr., and all candidates for Magisterial District Judge:
The following letter is a list of considerations and demands written by members and affiliates of the Pittsburgh chapter of the Sex Workers Outreach Project (SWOP). Sex Workers Outreach Project is a national social justice network dedicated to the fundamental human rights of people involved in the sex trade and their communities, focusing on ending violence and stigma through education and advocacy. Founded in 2018, SWOP Pittsburgh is a
diverse group of local community members and constituents, loosely affiliated with the broader national network. We connect sex workers to social services, collaborate with local health institutions (Allies, Planned Parenthood, etc.), and most recently, organized a mutual aid fund to
support sex workers impacted by the pandemic.

We urge the offices of the Mayor and District Attorney, and all magistral candidates running for office in November to consider the following while campaigning and when taking office:

Criminalizing sex work is a violation of personal autonomy and privacy.
Laws that criminalize voluntary and consensual sex, including the exchange of sex for money, are anathema to the constitutional promise of a right to privacy. No government should be in the business of dictating the conditions under which consenting adults have sex.

Criminalizing sex work leads to an increased risk of violence and harm for those engaged in the work itself.
By criminalizing sex work and driving sex workers underground, current laws add risk and stress to the work itself, which sex workers report is a driver of substance use and addiction. The fear of arrest leads to rushed negotations over services and fees, putting sex workers at greater risk of violence at the hands of their clients. Clients know they can rob and assault sex workers, without consequences. As long as sex work is criminalized, sex workers risk arrest if they report abuse.

Decriminalization will reduce abuse, exploitation, and violence by police against sex workers.

…. Read the full letter below