The Covid-19 pandemic has affected people across all walks of life, among them sex workers. In this essay based on their SSRC-funded research, Denton Callander, Étienne Meunier, and Mariah Grant examine how the pandemic has impacted sex workers in the United States, analyzing the role stigma plays in heightening the health, social, and economic threats posed by the pandemic. To ameliorate sex workers’ conditions, the authors argue for decriminalizing sex work and providing long-term support.
Mariah Grant
Mariah Grant (she/her) is a human rights and migration specialist based in Washington DC who focuses on migrant and sex workers’ rights, freedom of movement, and labor exploitation. As the Research and Advocacy Director of the Sex Workers Project of the Urban Justice Center, she oversees advocacy efforts and development of original research.