Sex work is real work, and it's way past the time that we begin to treat it that way. In the United States, sex workers have very little protection under the law. Sex workers are treated as less-than and are often times subject to random acts of violence and police brutality. Decriminalizing and destigmatizing sex work would allow sex workers to maintain their livelihoods with less fear of violence or arrest, and access to healthcare to protect themselves, lower the risk of violence from clients, reduce mass incarceration and advance equality in the LGBTQ+ community.
Decriminalizing sex work would reduce police violence against sex workers. Police take advantage of criminalization by extorting sex workers or coercing them into sexual acts by threatening arrest if they don't comply. The criminalization of sex work only helps police to get away with this behavior and abuse their power. If sex work were to be decriminalized, there would no longer be fear of arrest for workers seeking justice. Police would lose the power to threaten arrest for sex work, making a safer environment for sex workers.
Decriminalizing sex work would make workers less vulnerable to violence from clients. Because sex work is illegal, clients feel more powerful to engage in acts of violence towards a sex worker who can't seek legal recourse. Clients often rob, assault, kidnap or even murder a sex worker - and they can get away with it because the sex worker has no access to the protections of the law. Decriminalization will give sex workers more protections under the law, and would in turn keep everyone more safe.
Decriminalizing sex work would allow sex workers more access to healthcare. Sex workers oftentimes go without medical care out of fear or arrest or poor treatment by medical staff if they are outed as a sex worker. Also, because the law doesn't treat sex work as a real job, workers do not have access to employer-based health insurance, meaning many cannot afford care.
In some states, criminal law enforcement of sex work comes with unjust police practices, like the use of condoms as evidence of intent to do sex work. As a result, some sex workers and others who are profiled as sex workers may opt not to carry condoms due to the risk of arrest. This puts them at risk of contracting HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases.
Sex work criminalization impacts the entire LGBTQ+ community in many different ways. Trans women of color feel the impact the most, whether they are sex workers or not. Police often profile trans women and often press prostitution charges based on their appearance. Decriminalization would make it harder for police to profile trans women, and would send the message very clearly that BLACK TRANS LIVES MATTER.