Global Lab for Research in Action

These stories are provided to the Global Lab for the Red Umbrella Campaign by real sex workers. All participants are sex workers or former sex workers who have provided their stories in favor of the decriminalization of sex work. #safersexwork #solidaritywithsexworkers

Violence takes many forms - unfortunately sex workers. have often been on the receiving end of violent acts because people viewed them as disposable as a result of their job. This often gets swept under the rug/ignored by the police - which leads to more harm for sex workers.

These stories are provided to the Global Lab for the Red Umbrella Campaign by real sex workers. All participants are sex workers or former sex workers who have provided their stories in favor of the decriminalization of sex work. #safersexwork #solidaritywithsexworkers

Tomorrow, Dec. 17, is the International Day to End Violence Against Sex Workers. SWers lack the resources/support to properly report/file claims due to the criminalization and stigmatization of their jobs. Everyone deserves to feel safe at work. Believing SWers is the first step.

Happening NOW: Join IG Live Discussion with @Manisha_econ to discuss sex work and decriminalization with leading sex work advocates and activists: instagram.com/oldprosonline/ #SaferSexWork

Join @oldprosonline and @GlobalLabUCLA over on IG for a discussion on sex worker rights and decriminalization! When: TODAY at 12:30ET Where: @ oldprosonline on Instagram See you there!

Join @GlobalLabUCLA on Instagram Live at 12:30 pm ET on the @oldprosonline to discuss the Red Umbrella Project! We'll be there! #safersexwork #solidaritywithsexworkers

These stories are provided to the Global Lab for the Red Umbrella Campaign by real sex workers. All participants are sex workers or former sex workers who have provided their stories in favor of the decriminalization of sex work. #safersexwork #solidaritywithsexworkers

How would your life change if you could be arrested for doing your job? How would that affect how you navigate your personal, professional, and social spaces? For sex workers, that threat creates a hazardous work environment for them - decriminalization eliminates that threat.

These stories are provided to the Global Lab for the Red Umbrella Campaign by real sex workers. All participants are sex workers or former sex workers who have provided their stories in favor of the decriminalization of sex work. #safersexwork #solidaritywithsexworkers

Juggling parenting with any job can be a real challenge, but sex workers face even greater difficulties due to the criminalization and stigmatization of their occupations. #safersexwork #solidaritywithsexworkers

These stories are provided to the Global Lab for the Red Umbrella Campaign by real sex workers. All participants are sex workers or former sex workers who have provided their stories in favor of the decriminalization of sex work. #safersexwork #solidaritywithsexworkers

What barriers prevent you from getting a new job? For sex workers and former sex workers their job history alone can prevent them from receiving other opportunities. Former sex workers also face barriers to accessing safe, affordable housing, and public benefits. #safersexwork

These stories are provided to the Global Lab for the Red Umbrella Campaign by real sex workers. All participants are sex workers or former sex workers who have provided their stories in favor of the decriminalization of sex work. #safersexwork #solidaritywithsexworkers

The stigmatization of sex work means that those known to work in the sex trade such as "known prostitutes" are often treated differently not only by the community but also by the police, who often discriminate against them when they make claims or try to file reports.

These stories are provided to the Global Lab for the Red Umbrella Campaign by real sex workers. All participants are sex workers or former sex workers who have provided their stories in favor of the decriminalization of sex work.

Sex workers built platforms to help keep each other safe such as the Bad Date list. Building off of solutions that sex workers create themselves while also decriminalizing their jobs so they can continue to build will ensure more sustainable solutions that will keep them safe.

Resources that sex workers build for each other usually get taken down in the name of ending sex trafficking. Conflating trafficking with sex work is harmful and leads to harsh penalization against sex workers.

These stories are provided to the Global Lab for the Red Umbrella Campaign by real sex workers. All participants are sex workers or former sex workers who have provided their stories in favor of the decriminalization of sex work.

Websites - such as Backpage - were used by sex workers as a resource to create more agency for themselves when engaging in SW and to share safety and support information. These were online communities of sex workers which were torn down by legislation that criminalizes sex work.