Introduction

Sex workers are widely regarded as a population subject to considerable stigma (Sanders, 2016; Weitzer, 2018; Benoit et al, 2018). Sex work stigma is complex and multifaceted and, while it is rooted in patriarchal history, it is also deeply connected to prostitution laws. The laws surrounding sex work influence stigma by reflecting and reproducing a distinct moral message about the sale and purchase of sexual services. For example, when sex workers are criminalised, the societal message is that sex workers are ‘bad’ people, who must be punished for their behaviour – criminalisation is therefore widely considered to fuel stigma (Vanwesenbeeck, 2017). On the other hand, when their clients are criminalised, sex workers are defined as passive victims of gendered violence who must be saved by eliminating demand for their services (Levy and Jakobsson, 2014). In defining sex workers as passive victims who have no agency and their clients as dangerous predators, legislative models which focus explicitly on the criminalisation of clients also exacerbate stigma by positioning sex work as a form of exploitation. Thus, in order to make inroads into eroding sex work stigma, it is reasonable to suggest that sex work must be recognised as a form of labour. The decriminalised framework in New Zealand offers a useful case study through which to explore this, since sex workers can work without the threat of either they or their clients being criminalised.

Measuring stigma in any context is challenging, since stigma is a nebulous concept and can manifest in a multitude of ways. One very telling indicator of stigma, however, is the extent to which sex workers feel they can be open about talking about their work with others in their lives, and their experiences of this. It is well-documented that stigma and criminalisation combined mean that sex workers often live ‘double lives’ and manage an ongoing dilemma of restricting who knows about their work (Benoit et al, 2019). But to what extent does decriminalisation impact the disclosure dilemma, and the responses sex workers receive when telling others about their work?