In the face of a pressing deadline amidst the looming specter of a government shutdown, Lain's unwavering determination propelled her on a historic odyssey from the bustling city of Los Angeles to the global stage in Geneva. Her mission: to represent the often marginalized and overlooked voices of sex workers in the United States.
Lain emerged as the advocate for two influential organizations, the Free Speech Coalition and DecrimSexWorkCA, at the 139th session of the United Nations Human Rights Committee. This committee, tasked with monitoring the implementation of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights by state parties, became the arena for her groundbreaking endeavor. Her central objective was to cast a discerning eye on the United States' approach to sex work and sex trafficking.
Her message was lucid and resolute. Lain asserted that incarcerating sex workers and survivors of sex trafficking on prostitution charges did not pave the path to a "normal life." Instead, it etched a criminal record, erecting formidable barriers to securing basic necessities such as bank accounts, housing, and alternative employment. This, in turn, left these individuals acutely vulnerable to further exploitation.
Speaking to TAG24 NEWS during an interview in Geneva, Lain articulated, "What the world needs to understand is that the way that we persecute these crimes actually criminalizes the victims themselves rather than helping them and supporting them in the way [authorities] say they want to." She underscored that if genuine support for victims and prevention of trafficking were the goals, robust preventative programs should be established long before trafficking had a chance to take root.
However, Lain's journey across oceans to share her message did not culminate in an opportunity to address official meetings. The Human Rights Committee members convened with civil society representatives from various American non-governmental organizations before the official review, crafting recommendations for the U.S. State Department. Regrettably, Lain found herself listed as the final speaker, and when the allotted time ran out, the committee departed without lending an ear to her story.
This sense of being silenced was all too familiar to Lain. She lamented, "Sex workers and sex trafficking victims, we're always thought of last. We're really not ever even thought of. The fact that we were just barely brought to the table and placed at the bare end of the table was just so symbolic, and then getting cut off even more so."
Had she been given the opportunity to speak, Lain intended to emphasize that sex worker rights were inexorably linked to the broader civil society issues being addressed, from ending the mass incarceration of Black and brown individuals to labor rights, reproductive freedom, and beyond. She was ready to impart a crucial message: "You cannot talk about helping these groups without talking about helping sex workers, so I hope you are prepared to understand that when you help these groups, you are helping sex workers. And when you're helping sex workers, you're helping these groups."
Lain pinpointed a pernicious pattern of marginalization and silencing, which, she argued, opened the door to trafficking. Much of this exploitation and abuse could be averted through basic preventive measures, including channels for sex workers to report discrimination in housing, finance, and other aspects of life, without the fear of judgment and persecution.
To effect change, lawmakers must revisit commonly held misconceptions about trafficking. Lain clarified, "Trafficking is not just someone who's stealing people off the street against their will... Trafficking is coercion. Trafficking is selling people lies and a fantasy they can't get elsewhere in life, and people being so desperate that they're willing to take that chance, or out of desperation from having so many other options shut down to them that [sex work] seems like the only viable option to get ahead."
The failure to take these issues seriously perpetuates stigmatization, creating an environment where sex workers and trafficking survivors are hesitant to speak out about their own experiences. Lain emphasized, "One of the main things people should know and understand is that sex workers are givers. We are people who want to give pleasure, who want to spread love and a feeling of goodness to people... We're literally just like everybody else. We are your friends, your family, your cousins, the people you don't get to know all that they do because you don't create a safe enough world for us to discuss all that we do. It's secret because the world has made it secret for us."
In the quest for change, advocates underscore the importance of distinguishing between decriminalization and legalization of sex work. Lain cautioned against the pitfalls of legalization, which could introduce bureaucratic barriers, identification requirements, and reporting of earnings to the government. These provisions would disproportionately affect low-income individuals, undocumented immigrants, and those in abusive relationships, impeding their ability to make a living without undue interference.
Lain's stance was clear: "The point of decriminalization is that none of that would exist because it's a consensual agreement between two adults, just two adults making this decision on their own."
Beyond her critique of U.S. policies that perpetuate trafficking and exploitation, Lain aimed to shed light on the positive contributions sex workers could offer when treated with the dignity and respect they deserve. She argued, "I just want people to sit back and realize how many contributions sex workers have made to society... For instance, we have so much knowledge on sexual health, and the industry of sex education and sexual health is so behind."
She noted that individuals in the pornography industry, due to their frequent sexual activity, often detect emerging sexually transmitted infections and diseases before they reach the broader public. However, the lack of collaboration with research professionals and educational institutions prevents these insights from entering the public discourse. Lain cautioned that without greater inclusivity and recognition, these issues would remain obscured.