Photo by Renee Olstead
Renee Olstead canvassing for Ryan Clancy
Anyone should be able to report a crime, call 911 or access emergency care services without fear of being prosecuted. Neither sex workers or sex trafficking survivors are currently safe to do so under the legal system, which is why Wisconsin State Representative Ryan Clancy worked with advocates on AB-510, a bill introduced in September that would allow both sex workers and sex trafficking victims to safely report criminal activity to authorities without being arrested for prostitution.
In addition to Clancy, AB-510 has been co-sponsored by Representatives Francesca Hong, Darrin Madison, Christian Phelps, Angelina Cruz, Supreme Moore Omokunde, Angelito Tenorio, Andrew Hysell, Russell Goodwin and Angela Stroud, as well as Senators Melissa Ratcliff and Chris Larson.
Sex work is an umbrella term that encompasses many different industries, including online content creation, adult films, working in clubs and street-based work, among others. AB-510 specifically advocates for those engaged in full-service sex work like escorting or street-based work. People enter sex work for many different reasons. However, due to the varying legality of sex work from state to state, the criminalization of sex work always affects the most vulnerable members of a community.
Clancy understands that while this bill should make it safer to call the police if someone is a sex worker or trafficking survivor, it is not a perfect piece of legislation in that regard and will be the first step of many. “It’s not safe for most people in Wisconsin to call the police,” he contends. “It is much less safe to have contact with the police if you are Black or Brown or trans, and many sex workers are.”
“We see a lot of people from low-income backgrounds, and with disability, and a lot of trans representation,” activist and therapist Renee Faust notes about sex workers. “There are people with incredible careers in the adult industry, but there are also people who had bills due and had to figure something out. There are people who do it full-time, and there are people who do it occasionally when they are behind on rent.”
Educating Police and the Public
Unfortunately, many Wisconsin law enforcement agencies have made little to no distinction between sex work and sex trafficking, which are two very different things. The second goal of AB-510 is to educate the general public about the lived experiences of both sex workers and sex trafficking survivors, as the two are often conflated in harmful ways. “We think about bills and how they’re titled, and they might sound good on the surface but often are harmful in practice,” Faust adds. “We’re making sure we’re in alignment with the actual needs of the community that we want to keep safe.”
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A 2019 Wisconsin DOJ report indicated that between 2014 and 2018, 24 different agencies from 16 counties across the state arrested juveniles for prostitution but reported zero instances of human trafficking. Systemic failures like this instill fear of arrest in those wishing to report crimes, which ultimately makes it easier for sex traffickers and abusers to continue harm without consequence.
“Frequently, those who are arrested for prostitution are also in coercive situations,” Faust explains. “If you’re in a coercive situation, chances are, you are doing more high-risk work, which means that the likelihood you are brought in on prostitution charges is even higher. We see this replicated in so many different facets of the justice system, where the most vulnerable people are exposed to the greatest risk of both violence and arrest.”
Faust affirms, “Wisconsin has some very backwards laws. This is far from the only legislation that’s necessary to repair that. As mandated reporters, if we witness child abuse - which that is what it is—then we are required to report that accurately.”
Advocacy for Workers and Survivors
Having previously lobbied to get SB 357 in California passed, repealing a law criminalizing sex work, Faust moved to Milwaukee in 2023. She hoped to get involved in existing advocacy for sex workers’ rights and sex trafficking survivors here. “There was somewhat of a desert of support for this community,” she remembers. “Chicago and Minneapolis both have thriving mutual aid organizations, but nothing of the sort seemed to exist in Wisconsin.”
Faust subsequently founded the nonprofit organization CASW 304 to support sex workers and survivors of sex trafficking. Around the same time, she recalls receiving an attack ad in the mail targeting Ryan Clancy. “It went after him for standing up for and supporting our community.”
The topic of sex workers’ rights first appeared on Clancy’s radar during his term as a County Supervisor. He remembers being taken aback by how many sex workers spoke to his office about extremely negative experiences with the police. “It was frustrating to see so many officials trying to legislate around this assuming that policing would have a positive impact when the reality was very much not that.”
Upon personally meeting and canvassing for Clancy, Faust appreciated how the state legislator spoke firmly in favor of all peoples’ rights to safety and human dignity. “It gave me a lot of respect for him,” she says.
“Renee has been incredibly insightful and the best advocate sex workers could possibly have,” Clancy attests. “She’s helped us make connections with other advocates across the country, and it’s always good to understand that you’re not doing this work in a silo.”
Clancy has been delighted to see nationwide support for AB-510. Wisconsin residents should call or email their senators and representatives about supporting the bill. Legislative districts can be found here.
“There’s a lot of stigma around sex work, and there’s a lot of people have never listened to sex workers,” Faust concludes. “People, especially young people, are unpacking some of the things that don’t make sense or haven’t been previously questioned, which is really encouraging. We just want to create a world that’s safer.”
