Our manifesto
The Sex Worker Open University project brings together sex workers, academics, activists, artists and allies to explore the richness, diversity and contradictions of the sex industry. We want to give a voice to sex workers, whose lives are too often stereotyped and voices too often silenced. We want to challenge media sensationalism, which, hand in hand with the UK government, often represent us as victims or criminals.
Some politicians, religious representatives and part of the feminist movement claim that all sex workers are victims and that all sex work is violent or immoral. But many sex workers are feminists and we support the right of all consenting adults to express our sexuality as we wish and to enjoy the same rights as other workers.
For many of us, sex work is a choice.
We are full member of this society, with skills and abilities, whether erotic massage, healing, BDSM, acting and performance skills, entrepreneurial talents, strip tease or a compassionate, attentive and non-judgmental ear.
We know that in the sex industry there are, like in many other parts of the service industry, forms of abuse, exploitation and violence. We also experience every day how criminalisation increases our vulnerability and oppression.
We refuse to let the issue of trafficking be used to criminalise us all, and we fight for support for all migrants as well as victims of
trafficking and against their deportations.
We support the right of any woman, man and transgender person to exit the sex industry, and see the core problems for many who wish to exit not as sex work itself but poverty, lack of education, domestic violence and the criminalisation of drug users.
Our time has come. A society that recognises, accepts, respects and values sex workers is a fairer and more mature society.
Join us at the Sex Worker Open University!
Some politicians, religious representatives and part of the feminist movement claim that all sex workers are victims and that all sex work is violent or immoral. But many sex workers are feminists and we support the right of all consenting adults to express our sexuality as we wish and to enjoy the same rights as other workers.
For many of us, sex work is a choice.
We are full member of this society, with skills and abilities, whether erotic massage, healing, BDSM, acting and performance skills, entrepreneurial talents, strip tease or a compassionate, attentive and non-judgmental ear.
We know that in the sex industry there are, like in many other parts of the service industry, forms of abuse, exploitation and violence. We also experience every day how criminalisation increases our vulnerability and oppression.
We refuse to let the issue of trafficking be used to criminalise us all, and we fight for support for all migrants as well as victims of
trafficking and against their deportations.
We support the right of any woman, man and transgender person to exit the sex industry, and see the core problems for many who wish to exit not as sex work itself but poverty, lack of education, domestic violence and the criminalisation of drug users.
Our time has come. A society that recognises, accepts, respects and values sex workers is a fairer and more mature society.
Join us at the Sex Worker Open University!
