A New Resource Maps Sex Worker History

A new digital project is bringing together the stories of sex workers, who have too often been left out of history. The Old Pros Guide to History is a searchable, living archive, map, and timeline documenting notable sex workers, events, locations, and stories from throughout history.

Created by Old Pros, founded by sex worker rights advocate Kaytlin Bailey in partnership with the SexTech Lab at The New School, the project is designed to counter historical erasure and make sex worker history more accessible. It is intended for sex workers looking for examples of their own stories in history, as well as academics, researchers, activists, tour guides, and storytellers interested in recognizing the role sex workers have played in their communities.

The project grew out of the Old Pros archive, including episodes of The Oldest Profession Podcast and stories featured in The Oldest Profession live show. It is now expanding to include submissions from researchers, advocates, and others with information about notable figures and events that should be part of the historical record.

The archive includes people who were firsts, entrepreneurs, philanthropists, performers, writers, artists, innovators, activists, and disruptors — as well as controversial and infamous figures. It also documents places and events significant to sex worker history. Examples include Victoria Woodhull, the first woman to run for President of the United States, and the Church of St. Nizier in Lyon, France, where the protest that inspired International Whores’ Day began.

The project is also intentionally focused on the past. People who are still alive and actively contributing to the movement today are not currently included, allowing the archive to document history that has already unfolded while preserving stories that might otherwise be lost.

Decriminalize Sex Work (DSW) contributed research on the history of legislation and policy, helping document how laws have shaped the lives and work of sex workers over time. That history is particularly important as advocates continue working to end the criminalization of consensual adult sex work.

The map and timeline are designed to keep growing. Submissions are reviewed twice a year by a panel of SexTech Lab members and Old Pros representatives, and the archive can continue to expand as researchers, advocates, and community members contribute new information. Because the project is built around a map, specific information about where a person lived, worked, or made history is especially valuable. Submit a story or suggest an entry to the Old Pros Guide to History.

The Old Pros Guide to History will debut on International Sex Worker Pride Day, September 14, 2026, at an event at The New School in New York City.

RSVP for the Sept. 14 launch event.