European Sex Workers' Rights Alliance |
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Justice & Policy | Digital Rights | Health | Community News & Opportunities |
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Dear Friends, Supporters & Allies,
Before all else, we want to call your attention to those in our community who are currently being imprisoned amidst the political crackdown against LGBTQI+ community in Türkiye. ESWA denounces their unjust detention and calls for their immediate release. Please read more about what’s happening in Türkiye below.
This month ESWA traveled to The Global Gathering in Portugal to talk about censorship of sex workers, queer, and BIPOC creators and attended the People Vs. Big Tech retreat in Paris. ESWA also announced the launch of a very exciting new project called SNACC, which is dedicated to growing artistic connections across our community! We also want to wish a belated Happy Sex Workers’ Pride Day, September 14th, to all of you!
As always, thank you for your ongoing support.
In solidarity,
ESWA Team
Justice & Policy |
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By Elizabeth McGuinness (she/her), Newly introduced French legislation seeks to criminalise online sex work In the French Parliament on Monday, September 21st, lawmakers began debating Bill 3106, which was introduced on August 11th, 2026. If passed, the bill would expand France’s current model of client criminalisation to include online sex work and it would view platforms such as fan sites and camming sites as third parties. This bill echoes what we saw in Sweden last summer with the passing of new legislation to criminalise online sex work. Strass- Syndicat reports that Article 1 of the bill denies sex workers’ consent. Article 25 criminalises online sex work. Article 47 lifts medical confidentiality, meaning that health workers would be able to report to authorities those individuals who they viewed as “at risk,” without the consent of the individuals themselves. Article 26 conflates pornography with revenge porn under the regulation of image rights. Lastly, they underscore that Articles 8, 13, 16 and 17 of the proposed legislation all reflect a “purely punitive vision,” rather than the “application of labor law,” in respect to sex workers. “STRASS calls on parliamentarians to reject this deadly vision and finally listen to the expertise of those most directly affected.” Read Strass-Syndicat’s full breakdown of the proposed law here.They have also provided an open letter template here for community members to write to MPs against the bill. Icelandic Government presses ahead with legislation imposing potential prison sentence for purchase of sexual services, despite opposition from sex worker community. In July 2026, the Icelandic government published a proposal for an amendment to its criminal code, seeking to introduce a potential prison sentence of up to one year for purchase of sexual services from consenting adults. In response, Red Umbrella Iceland, alongside the European Sex Workers’ Rights Alliance (ESWA), put together a letter writing campaign urging the Government of Iceland to reject the proposed amendments to the penal code, and move towards a rights-based approach. Despite opposition from Icelandic sex workers and their allies, the Icelandic Government is pressing ahead with legislation shown to be detrimental to sex workers’ health and human rights. The government has chosen to ignore both the Icelandic sex worker community, as well as the presentation of scientific evidence brought forth by ESWA, and endorsed by over 42 organisations across Europe and Central Asia, including Aids Action Europe, European Harm Reduction Network, European Centre for Human Rights, ILGA Europe, and La Strada International. Furthermore, the Government provided a window of merely 14 days for the second stage of review (closing October 2nd 2026), a substantially shorter period than is common in such cases. This undermines the democratic decision making process and signals that the Government is uninterested in ensuring the voices of the Icelandic public are adequately heard. Instead, the Government has opted to expedite the process of passing legislation it is aware to be controversial, in order to avoid scrutiny. By doing so, the Government has shown that its supposed commitment toward equality, as well as protecting victims of human trafficking (the alleged aim of the proposed legislation), are little more than a public spectacle. For example, as a result of our campaign efforts, the Ministry of Gender Equality invited the sex worker community to a meeting in mid-August, during which a representative assured that sex workers’ perspectives would be taken into account in consideration of the reform. Despite hearing directly from sex workers about their fears of the immense harm that would be brought about by the proposed penal reform, the Government has chosen to prioritise their own agenda. This has left us with little choice than to name and shame the Icelandic government’s tactics. Should the Icelandic government press forward in imposing imprisonment associated with purchase of sexual services, it is sex workers,’ and particularly, those most marginalised who will suffer. Stay tuned, for a petition for Icelandic residents put together by ESWA and Red Umbrella Iceland to express their support for sex workers’ rights, and demand the Icelandic government reject the draft bill. |
Digital Rights |
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ESWA brings Sex Workers' rights to the Global Gathering
Right after our summer break, ESWA’s Digital Rights Policy Officer Ana Ornelas and our Executive Director, Kali Sudhra, travelled to Portugal for 2026’s edition of the Global Gathering. The event brought together digital rights defenders from around the world.
At the event, ESWA brought the perspective of sex workers into the digital rights discussions. We facilitated two circles: One in partnership with Medecins Du Monde about the censorship of sex workers, queer, and BIPOC creators in social media and another looking at how strategic litigation can be a means of dealing with the suppression of Big Tech.
In all our conversations during the Global Gathering, we looked at lessons of resistance from other organisations and communities to draw inspiration from.
We also had our very own ESWA booth, in which attendees could read and download our research on deepfakes and sex work, play with our tarot cards and take home some ESWA stickers (a smash hit!)
Call to Action: Help Stop Illegal Chat Control!
It seems like the European Parliament is hell-bent on snooping around people’s private communications. After the proposal for Chat Control failed to pass, the parliament has brought it back with a 2.0 version that explores a loophole. Even if the proposal has new clothes it still has the same ideas: Mass surveillance of private chats.
By introducing “search plans” the proposal just gives authorities a mandate to indiscriminately snoop around people’s private chats. This is an incredibly dangerous deal that puts sex workers at imminent risk, and it’s sadly moving at lightning speed within the European Parliament.
So what can we do about it? Please help spread the word through your communities - the vote on this proposal comes on September 29th. In this website folks can find templates to send email and pressure individual MEPs: https://fightchatcontrol.eu/
News from the Commission: The EU Kids Act and the hyperfocus on protection of minors
Last week the European Commission’s president Ursula van der Leyen gave her traditional State of the Union speech and the focus was very much on the digital sphere. There was some more pushing the sovereignty agenda in the AI spaces, but the piece that called the most attention is the proposal of the new EU Kids Act.
The proposal limits access of minors to social media platforms according to age brackets and only allows those under 13 to be online with parent supervision. We observe this with concern, as the protection of minors continues to be the excuse used to ramp up invasive digital practices, and things like age verification are discussed without clear ideas on how to make it safe or inclusive. One thing that becomes clear is that the protection of minors agenda is the absolute priority for digital rights at the moment.
CampaigningBy Wszebor Sienkiewicz (he/him), ESWA Director of Communication and Campaigns
ESWA Launches SNACC (Sex Workers' Network of Artists, Creatives and Communicators)!
Sex workers are exceptionally creative. But due to oppressive systems, our art rarely makes it to galleries, our writing to libraries, our movies to the cinemas. Meanwhile, creators from outside the community often advance their careers by using sex work - our culture, our stories, our lives - as a trope, driver of shock value, or a pretense of societal commentary. To address these issues, ESWA is launching a new initiative to support and amplify sex workers' presence in arts and culture: Sex Workers' Network of Artists, Creatives and Communicators (SNACC). ESWA and sex workers' rights at the Climate Justice Knowledge Hub Berlin 
ESWA Director of Communications and Campaigns represented ESWA at the Climate Justice Knowledge Hub in Berlin, Germany, and facilitated a workshop on working with personal stories to craft effective advocacy. The presentation included examples from ESWA's campaigns, and opened the conversation about the intersection of sex workers' rights and climate justice. |
Would you like to write for the ESWA blog? Email [email protected] with a brief description of your idea!
Human rights organisations all over the world are shutting down due to lack of funding.
If you believe sex workers' rights are important, please consider showing your support with a donation, so that ESWA can continue working towards a fairer, safer, and kinder world for all in 2026 and beyond.
Community Spotlight
In this section we share news and initiatives from our members that stood out to us this month. Would you like to be featured in the next Community Spotlight? Message [email protected].
We Demand the Release of SWAN Committee Members and Queer/ Sex worker community in Türkiye
SWAN board member, Janset Kalan and other community members are still being held in Sincan Prison in Türkiye, where they are facing torture, ill- treatment and solitary confinement. They were arrested as part of the “My Family is Safe,” Ailem Güvende, operations which are targeting LGBTQI+ community activists and human rights defenders in Türkiye. These raids were coordinated, involved seizure of electronic devices and restrictions were placed on social media and websites of LGBTQI+ organisations, as well as unjust detentions. Turkish authorities have also weaponised charges of prostitution as a means to imprison LGBTQI+ and human rights defenders. We echo SWAN’s statement that,
“LGBTQI+ people are not a threat to families or society. Supporting the human rights of sex workers does not promote prostitution. Solidarity is not a crime. Speaking up for equality causes is not a crime. Defending human dignity is not a crime.” Read SWAN's full statement here.
Around the globe, protests are happening outside of Turkish consulates and embassies to demand their release. We also call on all our ESWA members to denounce the crackdown happening in Türkiye and amplify the call for the immediate release of all those imprisoned!
Pembe Hayat is also hosting a roundtable on the ongoing crackdown this Wednesday: Queer Lives Under Pressure: Voices from Türkiye and the Diaspora, 30 September 2026 | 18:30–20:00 CET
Scotland for Decrim Deplatformed, sign up for their Newsletter!
Scotland for Decrim has been deplatformed. We are awaiting the outcome of an appeal but we would greatly appreciate it if anyone who was following our instagram before could sign up to our email newsletter here in the meantime.
You can also report a problem on Instagram by going to profile, the three 3 lines in the top right, click help (below more info and support) and tap report a problem. From there you can tell Instagram that the scotland4decrim page has disappeared.
Thank you, Scotland for Decrim
Red Umbrella Sweden hosted the first ever RUS member retreat in September!
Red Umbrella Sweden shares with our broader ESWA community that this past month they held a spectacular weekend filled with community, laughter, crafts, plotting activism, photoshoots, & resource, knowledge, & skill sharing. They describe that, “It is historic & radical for our community to gather in this way and it was a weekend that brought renewed energy, inspiration, and an even stronger sense of community!”
Opportunities
If you have news you would like us to share in the next newsletter, send them to [email protected]
Queer Lives Under Pressure: Voices from Türkiye and the Diaspora
Following the recent wave of police raids, detentions and arrests affecting LGBTQIA+ communities, organisations and spaces in Türkiye, we invite you to join us for an online round table to share experiences, make sense of what is happening, and reflect collectively on its impacts in Türkiye and across the diaspora.
Featuring independent trans activists based in Türkiye, Pembe Hayat LGBTI+ Solidarity Association, and Collective Şahmaran (Geneva).
30 September 2026 | 18:30–20:00 CET
Online
Languages: English & FrenchRegistration is required. The connection link will be sent by email to registered participants.
Call for Research Participants for the collaborative PhD project “Sex Work, Digital Rights and Freedoms: Creating Safer Online Working Environments Across Europe.”
I am looking for sex workers living and working in Belgium, France, or both to take part in research exploring how advertising platforms and national laws affect sex workers’ privacy, safety, and digital rights.
If you are interested please fill out a short survey, and I will get in touch with you soon. Participation involves a confidential 60-minute online interview with a €30 voucher offered as thanks. I will send a full Participant Information Sheet to those who express their interest and fill out the survey
Recommendations
Hand picked books, videos, articles and podcasts, recommended by ESWA staff and members. Tell us your recommendations to be featured in the next newsletter!
Owning the narrative: a roundtable discussion on sex work, stigma, and resilience in the Baltics
“Produced in collaboration with two sex workers' rights organisations - the Sex Workers Alliance, based in Latvia, and Sex Workers Rights Lietuva, based in Lithuania - this paper focuses on Baltic sex workers' everyday realities, the issues they face, and their collective struggle for safer working conditions and for the destigmatisation of their work. Our work uses a roundtable methodology to explore the complexity of sex workers' experiences within the unique intersection of stigma, flawed legal frameworks, and economic precarity in the Baltics.”
