Cato Podcast When Sex Work Is Treated Like Sex Trafficking
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Feb 7, 2025 Elizabeth Nolan Brown, Senior Editor at Reason, delves into the complex intersection of sex work and sex trafficking, focusing on the implications of Commonwealth v. Garafalo. She discusses how law enforcement often confuses consensual sex work with trafficking, leading to wrongful arrests. The conversation examines the problematic Nordic model, which sees sex workers as victims, and evaluates recent legislative efforts aimed at decriminalizing sex work, advocating for individual autonomy and clearer legal distinctions.
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Sex Workers as Exploited
- Law enforcement and governments often view sex workers as constantly exploited.
- A case in Massachusetts questions this view, potentially defining all sex work as sex trafficking.
Commonwealth v. Garafalo
- The Massachusetts Supreme Court is considering a case (Commonwealth v. Garofalo) involving a prostitution sting.
- The court is debating whether agreeing to pay for sex constitutes sex trafficking under Massachusetts law.
Consenting Adults and Trafficking
- Caleb Brown expresses confusion over how consenting adults engaging in a capitalist act can be considered trafficking.
- He questions how this conclusion is even being considered.