DSW Attends APHA and DomCon

This fall, Decriminalize Sex Work (DSW) had the opportunity to connect with partners from two very different communities who are both supportive of decriminalization at DomCon and the American Public Health Association (APHA) Annual Meeting and Expo. DSW Staff Attorney Becca Cleary and Chief Advocacy Coordinator Henri Bynx attended DomCon in New Orleans while Legal Director Melissa Broudo, Consultant Natalia Cervera, and Staff Attorney Becca Cleary attended APHA in Washington, D.C.

At DomCon, DSW attendees engaged with sex worker led and kink-affirming professionals across the BDSM, fetish, and leather communities. Founded by Mistress Cyan in 2004, DomCon has grown into the world’s leading professional and lifestyle domination convention, offering classes, workshops, performances, and the opportunity to connect with like-minded folks. Because both sex work and kink are routinely stigmatized and misunderstood, DomCon provides the perfect space for these two communities to share their experiences, build solidarity, and strategize.

Following DomCon, DSW staff traveled to Washington, D.C., to attend APHA’s Annual Meeting and Expo, which brings together more than 10,000 public health professionals from around the world. Staff spent the week speaking with practitioners, researchers, and public health leaders about the detrimental effect that criminalizing sex workers and their clients has on public health. Notably, unambiguous data shows a clear correlation between laws that criminalize clients and an increase in violence, STIs, and exploitation within the sex trade. Conversations at the booth reaffirmed what this data and other research make clear: the full decriminalization of consensual adult sex work is the evidence-based solution to improve public health and safety and reduce human trafficking.

Read DSW’s full briefing paper on Decriminalizing Sex Work for Public Health.