Sex work is an inclusion and equity issue: A call for destigmatising sex work in intersectionally-informed workplace diversity, equity and inclusion policies


Gazel Manuel, Egale Canada; Andrea Sterling, Egale Canada

Diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies are nothing new, however, the extent of which DEI policies have been incorporated as an integral part of company policies is a relatively recent phenomenon that coincides with growing awareness and open discussions about social and political issues in mainstream society. Correspondingly, it is increasingly becoming commonplace to see employers incorporate intersectionality in their DEI policies. While there have been great strides to make DEI policies more inclusive, many populations are still left unaccounted for, such as those who have a prior history of doing sex work wishing to enter the paid labour force. Indeed, sex work remains highly stigmatised in Canadian society, and those with a history of sex work are more likely to experience barriers to employment or experience workplace discrimination stemming from stigma surrounding their work history. Sex workers in Canada comprise of mostly women (Kennedy, 2022), along with a sizeable portion of racialised, 2SLGBTQ+, and disabled people reported to have engaged in sex work at some point. The number of people reported to have engaged in sex work increased dramatically during the COVID-19 pandemic (Nelson, Yu and McBride, 2020), with a huge shift towards virtual forms of sex work, such camming or content creation (e.g., OnlyFans). Virtual sex work is considered to be a more safe option for 2SLGBTQ+ people to participate in sex work that allows them to have greater control over their work environment, mitigate workplace stressors (e.g., sexuality and gender-based microaggressions and discrimination in the workplace), and engage with a larger network of affirming and supportive 2SLGBTQ+ sex work online community (Trujillo, 2020). In particular, those who experienced employment precarity during the pandemic were more likely to consider or engage in virtual sex work to make ends meet. With increased cost of living expenses and growing economic uncertainty, virtual sex work is increasingly becoming a more common and viable option for many people to earn income as part of the “gig economy” (Miles, 2023), making it more likely to encounter somebody has done sex work. From a business standpoint, employers can benefit by adopting a more open and progressive approach to sex work by drawing from a larger pool of talent, as many virtual sex workers operate as a business, with many possessing desirable skillsets such as social media marketing, customer service, video editing, and graphic design. With the growing trend of people delving into virtual sex work, there will be a need for employers to have DEI policies that critically consider their stance on sex work and work towards that destigmatisatising of sex work, especially if the aim is to have an inclusive and equitable workplace.

This paper will be presented at the following session: