Happy City has released a Living in the Community report on Sex Work and Safety in St. John’s.
The program heard from people with lived experience in the sex trade, members of the public and private sectors, and service providers.
Happy City says it learned that sex workers are not a homogenous group with a singular experience, but it did find that the most common point among workers was that they are people deserving of respect.
The report heard overwhelmingly from participants that stigma was a central aspect of their experience, shaping how they relate to the community around them, whether they disclose the work they do and what support—if any—they access.
The report also finds that any interventions on safety must involve a stronger social fabric, and while day to day concerns might focus on physical safety, longer-term goals need to take emotional, financial, and psychological safety into account.