Conference votes on sex industry liberalisation
17 March 2002
The Green Party conference voted overwhelmingly in favour of a radical motion on decriminalising the sex industry to protect those working within it.
The Green Party's spring conference in Scarborough considered proposals backed by top Greens regarding the decriminalisation of all aspects of the sex industry involving consenting adults.
The Greens will go into the next general election with the most radical policy of liberalisation of the sex industry ever offered by a major UK party.
Vanessa Hall, the Green Party's Spokesperson on Womens Issues proposed the motion: "The law should not seek to regulate consensual sexual activities between adults where those do not affect others. Prohibitive laws have always failed to stop prostitution, yet have left prostitutes vulnerable to abuse and often violence."
Ms Hall continued: "There should be zero tolerance of coercion, violence, sexual abuse or trafficking - all of which are, ironically, made easier by the current criminalisation of much of the sex industry."
The policy proposed the legalisation of licensed brothels, and the decriminalisation of street prostitution. Issues of nuisance will be dealt with under nuisance laws, rather than under a special category of laws.
The debate considered issues of discrimination and exploitation with concern raised over the sexism in pornography. Darren Johnson, Green Party GLA member argued that "Sexism in pornography is in the attitude of those consuming it. It is imperative that we change the law to protect sex workers from exploitation".
