Research Resources

Research Resources

Vital Reading:

Before researching sex workers’ rights it is absolutely vital to understand some basic facts about sex work. The ECP have created a helpful page explaining these key facts:

‘What You Need To Know’

The difference between the various models of legislation around sex work across the world is one of the things you need to know when researching sex worker rights. Sex workers across the globe and multiple human rights organisations including Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, UNAIDS, the World Health Organization, Sisters Uncut, and the Global Alliance Against Traffic in Women, support the decriminalisation of sex work (not legalisation!).

If you don’t know the difference between Legalisation and Decriminalisation, it is vital to read the following breakdowns.

Papers/Factsheets/Articles

Books

Organisations:

  • SWARM - SWARM is a collective founded and led by sex workers who believe in self-determination, solidarity and co-operation. They campaign for the rights and safety of everyone who sells sexual services. Together they organise skill-shares and support meet-ups just for sex workers, as well as public events. They are UK based and part of the global sex worker led movement advocating the full decriminalisation of sex work.

  • The ECP - The ECP is a grassroots organisation of sex workers and supporters campaigning for the decriminalisation of sex work, for sex workers’ rights and safety, and for resources to enable people to get out of the industry if they want to. Their network includes sex workers working on the street and in premises.

  • National Ugly Mugs - a UK-wide charity working with sex workers to do research, design and deliver safety tools and to provide support services to people in adult industries.

  • Decrim Now - Decrim Now is an alliance of workers who sell sexual services, sex workers’ rights collectives, politicians, feminists, human rights and student organisations who are dedicated to improving the lives and working conditions of sex workers in the UK.

  • Scott Pep - Scott Pep are a sex worker-led charity that advocates for the safety, rights and health of everyone who sells sex in Scotland. 

  • United Sex Workers - SWU is a branch of sex workers in the UK, organising with BAFWU for better working conditions and fighting to change the industry from within.

  • Old Pros - Old Pros is a non-profit media organisation creating conditions to change the status of sex workers in society.

  • European SW Rights Alliance - Formerly #ICRSE, is a SW-led network from Europe & Central Asia. They aim to amplify SW voices & rights advocacy.

Podcasts

  • The Oldest Profession - The Oldest Profession podcast reminds listeners that sex workers have always been part of the story. Each episode focuses on an “old pro” from history, contextualising that figure in their own time and connecting their story to the ongoing struggle for sex worker rights.

  • Sara Pascoe’s ‘Sex, Power, Money’:  In this podcast series, Sara interviews people who have experience around sex work, stripping and porn. As an accompaniment to her book Sex Power Money, this series allows people who are so often talked about to speak for themselves, as well as exploring the history of whore stigma, the ramifications of our current laws around selling sex and the overt racism found in porn.

  • ‘Holly Randall: Unfiltered’. Holly Randall’s parents were both pornographers and swingers and Holly is a well-known pornography director. Holly interviews some of the biggest names in the adult industry, and various non-porn guests who touch on the subject of sex in one way or another. With an honest and humorous outlook on life, Holly strips away the misconceptions on people who work in the sex industry, and offers sex-positive discussions on various social and political issues.

  • ‘Somebody you Love’: Jenna Love and Holly Harte: two Aussie SWers, share their expertise in disappointing their parents, breaching community guidelines, and banging the people who vote against their rights (their words!)

TV Shows/Documentaries

  • The Yorkshire Ripper: A Very British Crime File: A BBC doc about the Peter Sutcliffe When you compare how the victims were treated in this case with Jack the Ripper’s victims and The Ipswich Serial Murder victims it paints a harrowing picture of just how harmful it is to stigmatize sex workers.

    Murder in the Red Light District: This three-part mini-series explores the phenomena of why street sex workers are targeted by predators as potential victims. ‘Murder In The Red Light’ takes the crimes of serial killer, Steve Wright, as the starting point for a deep dive into this phenomena.

Twitter Accounts

Instagram Accounts