Sex Work: It's Just A Job zeroes in on a diverse group of New York-based sex workers and their political campaigns against criminalization. Individuals appear first as individuals reflecting on their own history, feelings, and experiences. But later, we meet some of them again as participants in a movement, protesting on the streets or lobbying for legal change. The film advances a strong political argument for decriminalization, acknowledging some of the difficulties facing sex workers (estrangement from families, rape, and widespread mistreatment by the police), while also highlighting a positive counter story about new families forged through a work culture, the way sex work provides a livelihood that saves people from the streets, pays for their apartment, and even allows some of them to finish law school.
The film is a must-see for anyone who yearns for a deeper understanding of the meaning of sex work and the movements for sex workers' rights. At the heart of the film are deep questions about policing and human rights in America.
(2025, 55m, Director: Tami Kashia Gold) + Q&A with Director Tami Kashia Gold and special guests
