We should all be trusted to make our own choices, whether that be when it comes to transitioning or doing sex work. Unfortunately, transphobic and whorephobic people alike seek to curb our autonomy.
In the UK, the Cass Review takes this as far as claiming that trans youth should be subject to “exploratory therapy”, which many see as tantamount to so-called conversion therapy, rather than being permitted to access medical transition care. Meanwhile, the Online Safety Act introduced restrictions on sex workers placing advertisements online.
When it comes to the politicians who push for restrictions and changes to legislation on sex workers, they are often the same ones calling for Trans+ people to have our rights denied to us.
MPs like Rosie Duffield, who want to make it illegal to buy sex, also want to limit access to medical transition and ban trans people’s usage of single-sex spaces.
Though the proponents in this space wouldn’t like us to work this out, liberation issues share common enemies in the political landscape. And like many learnings in queer liberation, it’s valuable to see the parallels in this, and work together to unpack them.
The actions that sex workers and Trans+ people take to protect ourselves are often disparate, so the hard-won successes like sex workers becoming a named inclusion health group aren’t shared with trans people (even though trans people can meet the same criteria.)
By supporting each other, we could achieve better NHS healthcare for Trans+ people, like that which sex workers have fought for and won.
Trans+ people and sex workers are stronger together. We should support each other’s events, like the yearly Sex Work Strike and the protests over implementing the Cass Review’s recommendations.
We can acknowledge both Trans Day of Remembrance and the International Day to End Violence Against Sex Workers.
We can support groups like the English Collective of Prostitutes as they encourage us to call our MPs and log our desire to decriminalise sex work, and LGBTQIA+ groups as they advocate for the public to support a ban on conversion therapy.
The opposition to our rights and liberation is about whether people should have autonomy to do what they want with their bodies. When we all start talking about this broader issue, our coalition for self-determination quickly grows, and we’ll be more powerful together.
Media. Misinformation. Misery - but not here.
At QueerAF, we unpack the whole story to bring you the central facts, plus valuable analysis from a queer perspective, because we know all too well:
- How difficult it is to keep up with the news, especially when it's so horrible
- How much some of the media manipulates information about being LGBTQIA+
- The power in finding the hope, joy and light in our community's enduring and beautiful landscape - even when things are tough.
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