Episode 35: On the Clock
Image: A woman walks her leashed dog along a snow-lined cement path. The dog is a white pit bull with a black jacket-vest on. The woman is facing away from the camera and her head is not visible. She wears black boots, plants, and jacket, with a large purse hanging across her back. (Vancouver, BC) (Photo: Alex de Boer)
Sex workers who use drugs are doubly criminalized. They have to look out for bad dope and bad dates. And change comes slow.
Fights for incremental change don’t get at the big structures that cause so much harm. Are they worth it?
We wonder about this when it comes to drug decriminalization. Next year it’ll be legal to carry small amounts of opioids, meth, coke and MDMA in British Columbia. We fought hard for this. Of course, the government’s concession is a watered down version of our original demand. But limiting police discretion to lock us up is a step in the right direction. At least we hope so.
The prohibition of sex work began centuries before drug prohibition. Sex workers have long had dangerous working conditions imposed on them by puritanic laws. The criminalization of drug use and sex work has made both unnecessarily risky.
But reforms have been won over the years. In 2014, selling sex was decriminalized in Canada. And since 2020, BC has offered a version of safer supply to a few thousand drug users.
In the wilderness of laws that continue to criminalize most aspects of sex work and most aspects of drug use – do these reforms matter? On today’s episode I explore this idea with sex worker advocates, Jlynn and Jade, as well as academics, Andrea Krüsi and Jenn McDermid.
Transcript:
A complete transcript of this episode is available here.
Call to Action & Political Demands:
We need a real, accessible and regulated safe supply.
We need to decriminalize sex work and remove all criminal code provisions that relate to any aspect of sex work.
Sex workers need to be at the table to build a future that allows safety and dignity in their jobs.
We need to take the safety concerns of sex works seriously. Especially when it comes to predatory clients.
Learning Outcomes:
Crackdown episodes are frequently used as educational tools by teachers and community organizers. Please let us know if your class or group listens to our work.
Episode 35 is especially useful for exploring the following themes:
The criminalization of sex work in Canada
The dual criminalization faced by sex workers who use drugs
Impacts of the volatile illicit drug supply on sex workers who use drugs
Gender-based violence faced by sex workers
Impacts of BC’s Risk Mitigation prescribing program on sex workers who use drugs
Works Cited & Suggested Reading:
Allen, Mary and Cristine Rotenberg. “Crimes Related to the Sex Trade: Before and after Legislative Changes in Canada.” (2021). https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/pub/85-002-x/2021001/article/00010-eng.htm.
Benoit, C, and L Shumka. “Sex Work in Canada.” (Understanding) Sex Work: A Health Research & Community Partnership. (2021; updated). https://www.understandingsexwork.ca/sex-work-canada.
Dowd, Allan. “Canadian Prosecutors Say Pickton Wanted to Kill 50,” Reuters, January 22, 2007. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-killings-idUSN2240655620070122.
Goldenberg, Shira, Chelsey Perry, Sarah Watt, Brittany Bingham, Melissa Braschel, and Kate Shannon. “Violence, Policing, and Systemic Racism as Structural Barriers to Substance Use Treatment amongst Women Sex Workers Who Use Drugs: Findings of a Community-Based Cohort in Vancouver, Canada (2010–2019).” Drug and Alcohol Dependence 237 (2022): 109506. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2022.109506.
Goldenberg, Shira, Sarah Watt, Melissa Braschel, Kanna Hayashi, Sarah Moreheart, and Kate Shannon. “Police-Related Barriers to Harm Reduction Linked to Non-Fatal Overdose amongst Sex Workers Who Use Drugs: Results of a Community-Based Cohort in Metro Vancouver, Canada.” International Journal of Drug Policy 76 (2020): 102618. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.drugpo.2019.102618.
“Harms of End-Demand Criminalization: Impact of Canada’s PCEPA Laws on Sex Workers’ Safety, Health & Human Rights.” Centre for Gender & Sexual Health Equity. 2019. https://www.cgshe.ca/app/uploads/2019/12/Harms_2019.12.16.v1.pdf.
Krüsi, Andrea, K. Pacey, L. Bird, C. Taylor, J. Chettiar, S. Allan, D. Bennett, J. S. Montaner, T. Kerr, and K. Shannon. “Criminalisation of Clients: Reproducing Vulnerabilities for Violence and Poor Health among Street-Based Sex Workers in Canada--a Qualitative Study.” BMJ Open 4 no.6 (2014): e005191–e005191. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2014-005191.
Krüsi, Andrea, Jill Chettiar, Amelia Ridgway, Janice Abbott, Steffanie A. Strathdee, and Kate Shannon. “Negotiating Safety and Sexual Risk Reduction With Clients in Unsanctioned Safer Indoor Sex Work Environments: A Qualitative Study.” Am J Public Health 102 no.6 (2012): 1154–59. https://doi.org/10.2105/ajph.2011.300638.
Krüsi, Andrea, Thomas Kerr, Christina Taylor, Tim Rhodes, and Kate Shannon. “‘They Won‘t Change It Back in Their Heads That We’re Trash’: The Intersection of Sex Work-Related Stigma and Evolving Policing Strategies.” Sociology of Health & Illness 38 no.7 (2016): 1137–50. https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-9566.12436.
Krüsi, Andrea, Flo Ranville, Lulu Gurney, Tara Lyons, Jean Shoveller, and Kate Shannon. “Positive Sexuality: HIV Disclosure, Gender, Violence and the Law—A Qualitative Study.” PLoS ONE 13 no.8 (2018): e0202776. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0202776.
Lavalley, Jennifer, Alex B. Collins, Samara Mayer, Laurel Gaudette, Andrea Krüsi, Ryan McNeil, and Jade Boyd. “Negotiating Sex Work and Client Interactions in the Context of a Fentanyl-Related Overdose Epidemic.” Culture, Health & Sexuality 23 no.10 (2020): 1390–1405. https://doi.org/10.1080/13691058.2020.1785550.
Lefebvre, Charles. “‘No Hope’ of Successful Recovery of Alleged Serial Killer’s Victims in Landfill: Winnipeg Police,” CTV News, December 6, 2022. https://winnipeg.ctvnews.ca/no-hope-of-successful-recovery-of-alleged-serial-killer-s-victims-in-landfill-winnipeg-police-1.6183195.
McBride, Bronwyn, Kate Shannon, Alka Murphy, Sherry Wu, Margaret Erickson, Shira M. Goldenberg, and Andrea Krüsi. “Harms of Third Party Criminalisation under End-Demand Legislation: Undermining Sex Workers’ Safety and Rights.” Culture, Health & Sexuality 23 no.9 (2021): 1165–81. https://doi.org/10.1080/13691058.2020.1767305.
Moraff, Christopher, Troy Farah, and Zachary Seigel. “Episode 62: Policing Pleasure — The Intersection of Sex Work and Drug Use with Tamika Spellman and Caty Simon.” Narcotica Podcast, September, 2021. https://itunes.apple.com/podcast/id1390336378.
“National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls, Reclaiming Power and Place: The Final Report of the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls.” National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls, 2019. https://www.mmiwg-ffada.ca/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/Final_Report_Vol_1b.pdf.
“Risk Mitigation Guidelines in the Context of Dual Public Emergencies: Interim Clinical Guidelines.” British Columbia Centre on Substance Use. 2020. https://www.bccsu.ca/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Risk-Mitigation-in-the-Context-of-Dual-Public-Health-Emergencies-v1.5.pdf.
Shannon, Kate, Steffanie A Strathdee, Shira M Goldenberg, Putu Duff, Peninah Mwangi, Maia Rusakova, Sushena Reza-Paul, Joseph Lau, Kathleen Deering, and Michael R Pickles. “Global Epidemiology of HIV among Female Sex Workers: Influence of Structural Determinants.” The Lancet 385 no.9962 (2015): 55–71. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0140-6736(14)60931-4.
Shannon, K., Strathdee, S. A., Goldenberg, S. M., Duff, P., Mwangi, P., Rusakova, M., Reza-Paul, S., Lau, J., Deering, K., & Pickles, M. R. (2015). Global epidemiology of HIV among female sex workers: influence of structural determinants. The Lancet, 385(9962), 55–71.
“Supreme Court Strikes down Canada’s Prostitution Laws,” CBC News, December 20, 2013. https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/supreme-court-strikes-down-canada-s-prostitution-laws-1.2471572.
“Risk Mitigation Guidelines in the Context of Dual Public Emergencies: Interim Clinical Guidelines.” British Columbia Centre on Substance Use. 2020. https://www.bccsu.ca/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Risk-Mitigation-in-the-Context-of-Dual-Public-Health-Emergencies-v1.5.pdf.
Credits:
Crackdown is produced on the territories of the Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil Waututh Nations.
Our editorial board is: Samona Marsh, Shelda Kastor, Jeff Louden, Dean Wilson, Laura Shaver, Reija Jean. And, rest in peace, Dave Murray, Greg Fresz and Chereece Keewatin.
This episode was conceptualized, written, and produced by Sam Fenn, Alexander Kim, Alex de Boer, Lisa Hale, and me, Garth Mullins.
Big thanks to Jenn McDermid for her research and coordination work. Thanks to Rory Marck, Kerry Porth and PACE Society for their guidance.
Thanks to Patricia Monty, Barbra Bevvington, Crystal Ritchot and Eden Boyer for their consultation work.
Special thanks to Jade and Jlynn for making sure we got the story right.
Our academic director is Ryan McNeil. Academic advising and direction for this episode was provided by Professor Jade Boyd.
Intro documentary clip from Hookers on Davie on the Vancouver Archives website.
Sound design by Alexander Kim.
Score by James Ash.
Crackdown is funded, in part, by the Social Science and Humanities Research Council of Canada. This episode was also produced with support from the CRISM People With Lived Expertise of Drug Use National Working Group. Thanks to CRISM for all of their help!
If you like what we do, support us at patreon.com/crackdownpod.
Thanks for listening. Stay safe and keep six.
