Partial Bullshit

The Swedish model is not “partial decriminalization”, and I wish people (especially reporters; we expect lies from politicians) would stop pretending otherwise.  Sex workers are still criminalized under it.  Imagine robbery itself were not illegal, but everything about it (including, say, “entering a business with intent to rob” and “possessing stolen money”, etc) still was.  You would call anyone crowing that “robbery was partially decriminalized” an idiot, and you would be right.  So please, don’t be an idiot.  The Swedish model is not decriminalization of any kind, “partial” or otherwise.

Things that are still illegal under various Swedish model regimes (they’re not all the same):

• seeing clients at a specific place, such as a home (often enforced by compelled eviction)
• talking to or assisting other sex workers
• having any support (maid, driver, etc)
• advertising

The Swedish model also criminalizes all normal human connection a sex worker might have, including friends, romantic partners, landlords, sometimes even adult offspring.  Sex workers can be evicted, expelled from university, deported, committed to institutions, or have their children ripped from them.  Their persons can be “searched for evidence” (guess where), and they can be caged to force them to testify vs their clients.  Still think it’s “partial decriminalization”?  No?  Then don’t be a damned stooge parroting prohibitionist propaganda.