Celebrities like Meryl Streep and Lena Dunham want to bully Amnesty for the outrageous act of basing its policy on what we who sell sex have to say
Amnesty International has come under a barrage of negative publicity – which included a letter signed by Hollywood stars such as Lena Dunham and Meryl Streep– for the outrageous act of speaking to people who sell sex, listening to what we say and then shaping its draft policy on sex work to reflect the evidence. It’s hard to believe that those celebrities actually read the policy in question before trying to bully Amnesty into abandoning it, not least because discussion of the policy has failed to touch on any of the human rights abuses that Amnesty sets out.
Amnesty’s draft policy opposes the Swedish model, a legal framework that has been adopted in several countries and has been described by some as progressive, and even feminist. However, the reality of criminalising those who pay for our services is that sex workers are left with fewer clients, including men who we might otherwise have felt able to turn away - those who seem drunk, aggressive or who have a reputation for violence.
Related: Actors call on Amnesty to reject plans backing decriminalisation of sex trade
It is essential to listen to sex workers all over the world in order to draft laws to help keep us safe
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