New legislation in Vermont would decriminalize prostitution in the state in an attempt to protect sex workers.
The new bill does not affect legislation against sex trafficking but decriminalizes prostitution so that sex workers can seek medical assistance or help from the police without fearing jail time. State Rep. Selene Colburn, a member of the Vermont Progressive Party who introduced the bill, also included a provision that requires the formation of a panel that would work to modernize Vermont’s legislation on prostitution.
Colburn also has separate legislation that would grant immunity to sex workers who witness a crime so they can report what was witnessed to the police without fear of prosecution.
“Right now, sex workers really feel that they cannot access police protection,” Colburn explained. “There are tons of statistics about the violence, the high levels of violence, and sex assault that people who engage in sex work experience.”
Colburn also argued that prostitution should not be regulated by the government in any capacity so long as it was consensual, asking, “Is there a reason that we need to criminalize adult consensual sex between people on any terms?”
The legislation in Vermont is the latest of several states, including California and New York, that have considered reforming prostitution policy in the United States. While these states argue that decriminalization could protect sex workers, others have said it could promote sex trafficking by making sex workers a legal commodity for pimps to sell.
