NEWS RELEASE | FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Media Contact:
Ariela Moscowitz
media@safesexworkvt.org
(802) 739-0833
Montpelier, VT (June 8, 2022) — Yesterday Governor Phil Scott signed H.746, An act relating to an amendment to the charter of the City of Burlington, striking harmful language from the city’s charter. In March, 69% of Burlington residents voted to support equity, safety, and dignity by opting to remove the discriminatory language prohibiting sex work.
The charter change was then proposed for approval by both houses of the State Legislature. It was passed by a vote of 105 to 33 in the House and on a unanimous voice vote in the Senate. The Governor’s signature on the bill affirms that this type of language perpetuates stigma that can be harmful to many Vermonters and does not belong in laws.
Vermonters who engage in consensual adult sex work and individuals who have experienced trafficking urged voters and legislators to make this critical amendment to the city charter. “We have been criminalized and marginalized for too long,” said Henri June Bynx, co-founder of The Ishtar Collective, Vermont’s only organization run by and for sex workers and survivors of exploitation or trafficking, “We are asking our neighbors to recognize us as deserving of dignity and bodily autonomy. This charter change is a vital step towards improving the health and safety of individuals who engage in sex work consensually and those who are trafficked into it,” Bynx continued.
The charter amendment will not decriminalize prostitution in Burlington; state law will continue to criminalize sex work. Significantly, the overwhelming support in favor of the amendment demonstrates that voters and legislators can distinguish between consensual adult sex work and the horrific crime of human trafficking. Understanding this distinction is crucial for communities to address trafficking into sex work in a manner that actually helps victims.
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Safe Sex Work VT is a group of individuals and organizations deeply concerned about the health and safety of not only sex workers but all Vermonters. Safe Sex Work VT aims to protect the dignity, autonomy, and safety of consensual adult sex workers. The prohibition of sex work increases the risk of exploitation for sex workers and others. Evidence unequivocally shows that where sex work has been decriminalized, human trafficking decreases and public health and safety increases.