War on Sex Work
U of Wisconsin Regents Schedule Hearing to Decide on Fate of Content Creator Professor
The Universities of Wisconsin Board of Regents has scheduled a final hearing to weigh a faculty tribunal’s recommendation to strip veteran UW professor of communications Joe Gow of tenure for unremorsefully creating and appearing in adult content.
Activists Seek Removal of Indiana Elected Official After Right-Wing Blog Outs Her as OnlyFans Model
Conservative activists in Indiana are campaigning to remove an elected official after a right-wing news blog outed her as an OnlyFans model and published several screen captures from her members-only premium content account.
Former Backpage Owner Michael Lacey Sentenced to 60 Months in Prison, Fined $3M
A federal judge in Arizona on Wednesday sentenced former Backpage.com co-owner Michael Lacey to 60 months in prison and imposed a $3 million fine, after a highly protracted case in which the government contended that the website facilitated prostitution.
Federal Prosecutors Seek 20-Year Sentences for Remaining Backpage Defendants
Federal prosecutors asked on Monday that the three remaining defendants in the protracted Backpage.com case in Arizona be sentenced to 20 years in prison each.
New Democratic Party Platform Removes Language Supporting Sex Workers
The Democratic Party released on Sunday its official platform for the 2024 presidential election, omitting language from the 2020 platform that stated a commitment to “protect the lives of sex workers.”
Thailand's Progressives Fail in Latest Attempt to Legalize Adult Entertainment, Pleasure Product Industries
The most recent legislative attempt to legalize adult entertainment and sex toys in Thailand failed to clear its first reading in the lower chamber of Parliament on Wednesday.
Author of UN Report Recommending Worldwide Criminalization of Sex Work, Porn to Speak at NCOSE Summit
Jordanian activist Reem Alsalem, a special rapporteur on violence against women and girls at the United Nations Human Rights Council who recently issued a controversial report recommending that governments abolish all forms of sex work, including porn, will speak at anti-porn lobby NCOSE’s 2024 summit in August.
Stripper, Adult Businesses Challenge Florida's Under-21 Ban for Adult Entertainment Workers
Strip clubs and other adult entertainment establishments in Florida are challenging the state’s law that prevents them from employing adults between the ages of 18 and 20.
Sex Worker Rights Advocates Speak at UN Criticizing Stigmatizing Report
Several sex worker rights organizations and advocates provided input this week at the United Nations office in Geneva, addressing a recent controversial report by the Human Rights Council’s special rapporteur on violence against women and girls, which made broad claims about sex work and adult content, and also endorsed different forms of criminalization.
Malaysian Government Says X Removed Adult Content at Their Request
Malaysia’s Deputy Communications Minister Teo Nie Ching told Parliament on Monday that the country’s Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) has worked with X to remove pornographic content from the platform formerly known as Twitter.
Spain's Government Fails in Attempt to Recriminalize, 'Abolish' Sex Work
Spain’s Socialist Party (PSOE) suffered a sound defeat on Tuesday in its attempt to recriminalize sex work in Spain, as a controversial bill promoted by Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez’s government failed to gain parliamentary support among the party’s ruling coalition allies.
Judge Acquits Backpage Defendants of Most Charges Before 2nd Retrial
A federal judge has acquitted former Backpage.com co-owner Michael Lacey, and two co-defendants, of most of the counts remaining from the protracted case launched against the website operators by the Justice Department in 2018.
Missouri Republican Behind FOSTA-SESTA Renews Attack on OnlyFans
Rep. Ann Wagner, the Missouri Republican legislator who was the original architect of FOSTA-SESTA, has renewed her call for federal action against OnlyFans.
Republican Introduces Bill to Effectively Outlaw All Sex Work in the U.S. as 'Coercive'
The U.S. Congress’ top anti-porn crusader, Utah Senator Mike Lee, introduced a bill last week that would effectively outlaw all sex work in the nation, including adult performance and content creation, by classifying any consent influenced by a person’s economic circumstances as coercive.
Federal Prosecutors Insist on Retrying Backpage.com's Former Owner
Federal prosecutors this week filed a formal notice of retrial in a Phoenix federal court, seeking to retry former Backpage.com co-owner Michael Lacey, two months after they failed in their second attempt to convict the veteran Arizona publisher of the overwhelming majority of charges against him relating to third-party posts on the shuttered classifieds website.
Spanish Government Continues All-Out War on Sex Work
Sex worker advocates in Spain continue denouncing the government’s relentless war against all forms of sex work, including adult performance and content creation.
Sex Worker Rights Groups Condemn Backpage Verdict
Two prominent sex worker rights advocacy groups, the Erotic Service Providers Legal, Education and Research Project (ESPLERP) and the Rhode Island chapter of Call Off Your Old Tired Ethics (COYOTE RI), have issued a statement lambasting the verdict in the federal Backpage.com trial and calling for full decriminalization of sex work.
Virginia DA Pressured to Charge Candidate With 'Prostitution' for Camming
An influential national right-wing news site linked to Tucker Carlson is attempting to shame a Virginia prosecutor into charging a Democratic candidate with prostitution due to her previous work as a cam performer.
FSC's Lotus Lain to Testify on Sex Worker Rights Before UN Committee
Free Speech Coalition’s Industry Relations Advocate Lotus Lain will testify on issues of sex worker rights at a hearing of the United Nations Human Rights Committee in Geneva, Switzerland.
Bias in Banking: How FSC Is Leading the Charge in Fight for Fairness
Ask most people what they remember about the 1997 film “Boogie Nights,” and they’ll probably recall Heather Graham dancing around as Rollergirl, or the infamous pool party, or Mark Wahlberg finally — spoiler alert — unveiling his prosthetic penis.