New Poll from DSW Shows Majority of New Yorkers Support Decriminalizing Sex Work — Advocacy Is Moving the Needle

A new citywide poll commissioned by Decriminalize Sex Work (DSW) has revealed something remarkable: most New Yorkers now support decriminalizing consensual adult prostitution.

Conducted September 4-5, 2025, the poll surveyed over 550 registered voters across all five boroughs and the results are some of the clearest on this issue to date:

* 52% of voters believe the government should stop arresting adults for consensual sex work.

* Only 33% think prostitution should remain a criminal offense.

* And when asked about the “Entrapment Model” (also known as the Nordic or Equality Model), which criminalizes buyers but not sellers, just 10% supported it. A solid 51% opposed it, while 39% were unsure.

The numbers mark a significant shift in public opinion that is the direct result of years of education, organizing, and storytelling led by sex workers and their allies. For years, DSW and partner organizations have worked to humanize sex workers, challenge misinformation, and expose the harms caused by punitive policies. Advocates have held public forums, briefed lawmakers, shared research on global models, and amplified the voices of those with lived experience.

Campaigns to end “loitering for the purpose of prostitution” laws, educate the public about the failures of the Entrapment Model (also known as the Equality Model, Nordic Model, or End Demand Model), and expose the racialized patterns of enforcement have chipped away at stigma and reframed the conversation from one about morality to one about safety, health, and dignity.

That shift in attitude is also being reflected in practice: NYPD arrests for prostitution-related offenses have fallen dramatically over the last decade from thousands annually to just 302 in one recent year. In boroughs like Manhattan and Brooklyn, district attorneys have largely stopped prosecuting sex work cases.

Still, the laws themselves have not changed. Significant progress has been made both in shifting public opinion and bringing sex work policy into the public conversation, but there is still a long way to go. Full decriminalization remains the goal, and the current momentum must translate into real legislative action at the state level. Beyond the numbers, what this poll shows is that minds can change, especially when advocacy is rooted in facts, compassion, and lived experience. For a long time, this issue lived in the shadows. Now, thanks to tireless organizing, it’s entering the mainstream and voters are increasingly signaling support for a more just and humane approach.

The full poll breakdown is here and it was covered in City and State New York. Read the article here.