A bill has been signed into law by California’s Governor Gavin Newsom. It will put a stop to arrests made for loitering for prostitution in that state.
Although the bill won’t legalize prostitution, supporters think that it will lower the instances where police harass sex workers.
“To be clear, this bill does not legalize prostitution. It simply revokes provisions of the law that have led to disproportionate harassment of women…it also disproportionately affects the transgender community, as well as, Black and Latino women, in particular,” the governor stated.
To add, anyone who has been convicted or currently serving time can request a dismissal. They can also ask a judge to seal the record of conviction.
“For far too long, California law has been used to profile, harass, and arrest transgender and gender-nonconforming people. This is for simply existing in public places,” stated a spokesperson for LBGTQ rights.
The ACLU has said that workers who are fearful that they will be apprehended for loitering “are more vulnerable to exploitation and violence. They also face greater barriers to accessing safe housing and legal employment.”
