Sex-work policy has leapt from the margins to the main stage of NYC’s 2025 mayoral race.
Behind the headlines lies a deeper split over agency, protection, and who defines “safety.”
Verify before you amplify.
- Zohran Mamdani (D) once backed full decriminalization (Cecilia’s Act).
- Andrew Cuomo (Ind) now aligns with the Equality Model—decriminalizing people in prostitution but penalizing buyers and pimps.
- Curtis Sliwa (R) stays with a law-and-order frame, rejecting both legalization and decriminalization.
Three models are on the table:
1️⃣ Legalization – sex trade as regulated labor
2️⃣ Full decriminalization – consensual adult work without penalties
3️⃣ Equality Model – survivor-centered; buyers/pimps prosecuted
All three avoid prosecuting women.
What divides them is who gets blamed, who gets funded, and whose voice defines safety.
The larger story: NYC is renegotiating women’s agency, labor, and dignity under new cultural and political light.
This isn’t just a policy debate—it’s a mirror of how societies design power.
Signal Takeaway: Verify positions. Name the model. Follow the money — not the outrage.
You must be logged in to post a comment.