Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.) says that she supports the decriminalization of sex work nationwide, noting that “we can’t criminalize consensual behavior as long as no one is being harmed.”
In an interview with The Root, Harris was asked whether sex work “ought to be decriminalized,” though the interviewer did not specify at which level.
“I do,” Harris responded. “I think that we have to understand, though, that it is not as simple as that. … There’s an ecosystem around that, that involves crimes that harm people. And for those issues, I do not believe that anybody who hurts another human being or profits off of their exploitation should be … free of criminal prosecution.
“But when you’re talking about consenting adults? Yes, we should really consider that we can’t criminalize consensual behavior as long as no one is being harmed,” she added.
Harris also explained her support for the Stop Enabling Sex Traffickers Act (SESTA) in the interview, which sex workers and advocates argued shut down online platforms such as Backpage.com and others which workers used to screen clients and establish safer working procedures.- READ MORE