About
Us
Our History
After the passage of SESTA/FOSTA in 2018, the virtual and physical landscape became more hostile for sex workers. In response, Cecilia Gentili came together with concerned workers and allies, to fight for the full decriminalization of sex work. What Cecilia envisioned for this community of sex workers, immigrants, and marginalized and vulnerable individuals was a fight for bodily autonomy, rights to equity and equality, and more humane treatment, understanding, and respect. As a trans, Latina sex worker, she understood the barriers and paradigms that have been faced for decades in a corrupt judicial system. The work of Decrim NY is directly tied to improving the quality of life for our most vulnerable and marginalized communities, specifically those who work on the street and are at risk of arrest, harassment, and even deportation. We continue the legacy of Cecilia Gentili by advocating for the rights of sex workers through pushing for full decriminalization and an end to arrests and stigma.
Cecilia Gentili by Oscar Diaz
What We’ve Done
Combatting Prosecution in NYC
Since Decrim NY first formed, we have spread awareness about the long-lasting impact of criminal records and called for the dismissal of sex work-related cases. By putting pressure on the NYC DA offices, our work helped precipitate the dismissal of thousands of sex work-related cases and the implementation of a non-prosecution policy for sex work and unlicensed massage in Manhattan, Brooklyn, and the Bronx.
Repeal of the “Walking While Trans” Law
Before the law was repealed in 2021, BIPOC New Yorkers, especially trans women of color, were disproportionately targeted for arrest for “loitering for the purpose of engaging in prostitution,” popularly known as “walking while trans.” In the months that followed Layleen Polanco’s death in Rikers, Decrim NY worked together with leaders of the trans community to swiftly pass the repeal of the “Walking While Trans” Law in 2021.
Passage of the START Act
The START Act provides trafficking survivors in New York State with comprehensive post-conviction relief. Signed by Governor Hochul in November 2021, the START Act expanded and improved post-conviction relief for trafficking survivors, allowing for the vacatur of all criminal convictions that occurred as a result of any form of trafficking.
Our Policy Platform
Cecilia’s Act For Rights in the Sex Trades (A.3251/S.2513)
Cecilia’s Act would remove criminal penalties for the consensual sale of sexual services between adults, while upholding all statutes that target trafficking and the exploitation of minors. Cecilia’s Act would also provide for post-conviction relief by automatically sealing past convictions for engaging in consensual sex work. These changes are crucial to promote safety in the sex trades, reduce trafficking, decrease police harassment, and to promote the human rights and economic empowerment of sex workers.
Massage License Decriminalization Act (A.1112/S.5787)
Obtaining a massage license is impossible for many massage workers due to financial, educational, and linguistic barriers. Because of anti-immigrant sentiment and the melding of gentrification with policing, massage work is one of the only licensed professions in New York where the criminal law, including felony charges, is routinely used to police unlicensed practitioners, leading to the disproportionate arrests of Asian American Pacific Islander women. This bill will remove criminal penalties for those who practice unlicensed massage and will prevent law enforcement from seizing the property and cash of massage workers.
REPEAL STI Discrimination Act (A.733/S.4545)
This legislation would eliminate Section 2307 of the New York State Public Health Law, a statute that holds any person criminally liable for having sex with the knowledge that they have an STI, regardless of whether they disclosed their status and if they took measures to prevent transmission, like using protection or antiviral medication. Section 2307 undermines public health efforts and disproportionately harms marginalized communities, including people of color, LGBTQ+ individuals, and sex workers.
Our Beliefs
Sex work is work
No one deserves to be punished for survival, and sexual labor is not a moral transgression. We know that people enter sex work due to various economic factors, and we want to build a world where no one has to anticipate violence, especially police violence, throughout their workday.
Nothing about us without us
Decrim NY is guided by the lived experiences of former, current, and intermittent sex workers. We are a coalition of consensual sex workers, survivors of trafficking and gender-based violence, and everyone in between. We know what we need.
Resources, not raids
We embrace evidence-based solutions and are backed by the policy analysis of multiple lawyers, social workers, and labor organizers. We know criminalization is not the answer. Every tax dollar spent on arresting sex workers and buyers is a dollar withheld for social services that empower marginalized workers to stay safe.
Rights first
We believe in protecting the human rights of every individual, regardless of their race, legal immigration status, ability, gender, or sexuality. DecrimNY believes we all deserve sexual freedom and bodily autonomy.