D17: International Day to End Violence Against Sex Workers

Since 2003, December 17th has been recognized as the International Day To End Violence Against Sex Workers (D17). While there are a handful of days throughout the year commemorating sex workers, D17 is perhaps the most somber and urgent. Originally established by the founders of Sex Workers Outreach Project USA to honor the victims of the Green River Killer, D17 has grown into a global day of remembrance. Every year on December 17th, we gather with our communities to honor the sex workers we’ve lost to senseless violence and hate.

While D17 is traditionally a day to reflect, mourn, and remember those we’ve lost, it is also an opportunity to advocate for a future where sex workers are free from victimization. At Decriminalize Sex Work, we believe that all sex workers deserve the right to work safely without fear of stigma, violence, or arrest. Violence against sex workers is not inevitable. It is fueled by criminalization. This December 17th, we recommit to demanding the full decriminalization of consensual adult sex work and the destigmatization of the sex trade.