Libertarians Support Sex Work Decriminalization and Repeal of Sex Work Laws
In an effort to protect sex workers from violence and abuse in an illicit market, Vermont lawmakers have proposed decriminalizing the sale of sex between two consenting adults.
The Libertarian Party believes that government force must be limited to the protection of the rights of individuals to life, liberty, and property, and governments must never be permitted to violate these rights. Laws should be limited in their application to violations of the rights of others through force or fraud, or to deliberate actions that place others involuntarily at significant risk of harm. Therefore, we favor the repeal of all laws creating “crimes” without victims including all laws related to sex and commerce between consenting adults. Meaning all laws in regards to sex and commerce between consenting adults should not exist. Here is the Libertarian Party Platform for more info.
Some selected viewpoints below:
Excerpt from “Libertarian Party Adopts New Sex Work Plank, Becomes Only Notable U.S. Party to Endorse Prostitution Decriminalization“
The Libertarian Party officially “supports the decriminalization of prostitution,” according to a new plank in the party’s political platform. This makes the L.P. the only notable U.S. political party to stand unequivocally for sex-worker rights and in opposition to cops caging people for consensual sex.
“We assert the right of consenting adults to provide sexual services to clients for compensation, and the right of clients to purchase sexual services from consenting sex workers,” reads the new language, adopted by vote today at the Libertarian National Convention in New Orleans. The convention brings together Libertarian Party members for forums, speeches, and debates, while delegates vote on proposed amendments to the party’s platform and bylaws and who will be the national leaders.
After some debate Monday morning, delegates adopted the decriminalization amendment as Plank 2.8 of the party’s platform. The previous platform made no mention of sex work or prostitution. The language of the new amendment was drafted by sex workers, and L.P. delegates rejected a similar amendment in order to approve the sex-worker-penned version.
Excerpt from “Why Is Prostitution a Crime? by Jacob Hornberger“
Just leave the state out of the process. Again, prostitution is no business of the state.
That’s obviously not the position of conservatives and liberals. They believe that it is the role of the government to dictate morality and principles of “right” conduct to the citizenry, not only with respect to violent conduct (e.g., murder, rape, robbery, etc.) but also with respect to non-violent conduct, such as drug usage, diet, gambling, and prostitution.
Another example of how different conservatives and liberals view freedom, as compared to libertarians, involves the concept of charity. Libertarians believe that freedom necessarily entails the right of a person to keep everything he earns and decide for himself what to do with his money. If he chooses not to donate to charity, libertarians say that is his right.
Conservatives and liberals hold the opposite. They say that people cannot be trusted with 100 percent freedom when it comes to charity. Therefore, the state must be used to force them to do the “right” thing with their money. That’s where welfare-state programs like Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, farm subsidies, and education grants come into play.
Thus, under the conservative-liberal paradigm, people are “free” to live their lives any way they choose so long as they make choices that are responsible, moral, and “right,” as defined by others. If someone chooses a course of action that conservatives and liberals consider is irresponsible, dangerous, immoral, or “wrong,” then the state can target that person with arrest, prosecution, incarceration, and fine.
It’s probably worth mentioning that the conservative-liberal crime of “prostitution,” like so many of their other positions, is rife with hypocrisy and inconsistency…
The conservative-liberal paradigm is not freedom at all. After all, by their definition of freedom, people in communist countries are free. As libertarians hold, it is only when people are free to choose wrongly, so long as their conduct is peaceful, that people can genuinely be considered free.
John Stossel confronts a prostitute, a pimp and an anti-prostitution crusader.
Legalize Prostitution to Fight Sex Trafficking? Sex Workers Say "Yes"
2.10 Sex Work (LP Platform)
The Libertarian Party supports the decriminalization of prostitution. We assert the right of consenting adults to provide sexual services to clients for compensation, and the right of clients to purchase sexual services from consenting sex workers. https://t.co/ZbA9nRYTWJ— Libertarian Party (@LPNational) March 1, 2019
Whether it's gun rights or gay rights, sex work or immigration, taxation or property rights: the Libertarian Party supports all of your rights all of the time. pic.twitter.com/NswyiLMD3Z
— Libertarian Party (@LPNational) March 26, 2019
I've never smoked weed in my life! I do support open borders, drug legalization, legalizing for-profit blood/plasma/egg/sperm donating, & legal sex work though. ..Pretty sure Mitch McConnell and Nancy Pelosi would both be equally opposed 😉
We aren't centrists, we're libertarian https://t.co/4eaAyvBSfl— Liberal, Not Lefty (@liberalnotlefty) November 1, 2019
Podcast: @enbrown tells @nickgillespie why the war on sex work is the new war on drugs & why libertarian feminists are “anti-sexism & anti-statism, pro-markets & pro-choice” cc @feministliberty https://t.co/bA4FqQfTfA
— reason (@reason) June 15, 2018
The #Libertarian party has not now, or EVER, supported or endorsed the Nordic model for sex work. Our platform clearly states we support the full decriminalization of all consensual adult sex work. https://t.co/jJCdicTeZ9
— Mistress Scarlet (@WIMissScarlet) January 11, 2020
Today is #sexworkersagainstsextrafficking Day. There’s a reason sex workers are clamoring for full decrim, because it will reduce trafficking and abuse rates. If people are against sex trafficking why are they not attacking law enforcement for not actually doing anything.
— Libertarians For Decrim (@LDecrim) January 11, 2020
Header image source: Libertarians For Decrim



Just leave the state out of the process. Again, prostitution is no business of the state.



