Illinois poised to become America’s leader in fully decriminalizing sex work

Illinois poised to become America’s leader in fully decriminalizing sex work

As a progressive libertarian, I’ve long pondered our archaic criminalization of sex work. It’s progressive for government to stay out of folks’ private lives unless alleviating an urgent societal problem.

That is why it’s encouraging Illinois will be the first state to introduce legislation fully decriminalizing sex work.

Sponsored by Representative Will Guzzardi and Senator Celina Villanueva, the legislation provides extensive relief to beleaguered, endangered sex workers kept in fear and danger by wrongheaded societal mores and laws.

If passed, it would remove criminal penalties for adults engaging in consensual sex work, remove arrest and conviction records for sex workers, encourage sex workers to report abuse without threat of arrest and establish a sex workers’ bill of rights.

The legislation would not end prosecution for sex trafficking

Fully decriminalizing sex work in Illinois will reinforce Illinois’ status as a progressive state committed to the betterment of all its 13,000,000 residents, including the disparaged and marginalized.