In February, I conducted what I believe to be the first usability-type survey ever done for web sites promoting sex worker issues.  I did this survey because I wanted to look at sex workers' rights web sites through fresh eyes, and to hear from all sorts of people what they think sex workers' rights activists in the USA are doing right, and what they're failing to communicate or provide.  This is a two-part blog post to try and make the information not look so frighteningly long, and this is the shorter of the two.  This subject probably isn't interesting to my more casual readers, but if you're involved in sex workers' rights activism or want to become involved, it's a good read.

My survey involved 64 participants, 50 percent of whom considered themselves average people who knew little or nothing about sex work.  34 percent identified as allies, clients, or people who already followed sex workers' rights issues.  The remaining 16 percent were current and former sex workers.  I was happy that half of my survey participants gave me outsider views, and the other half shared more informed opinions on the issues.  I found my respondents through Twitter, my blog, and emailing a few friends. Most respondents were Americans, with some Australians, Brits, Canadians, and Europeans thrown in.

My biggest surprise with this part?  A high number expected sex workers' rights web sites to include a state-by-state breakdown of exact laws and information about where it's best to be what type of sex worker, and which areas are known for being easier for (illegal) work.  It hadn't crossed my mind to do something like that, and I'm not even sure how to research such a thing, or how to stay within the bounds of state and federal statutes against advising people on how to commit crimes.  (I personally wouldn't feel comfortable publishing, "_____ is known for not enforcing their laws against solicitation, so go work there!")

Here are the response summaries to my three starter questions.  Many answers were similar, so I paraphrased/combined into single list items for easier reading.

What would you like to know about sex workers' rights issues, especially in the USA? (This question was for the "civilian" participants, not sex workers.)

- How is "sex work" defined?
- How are people supposed to change the laws?
- Information on how people can support the cause, publicly and anonymously.
- Timely hot topics and action alerts.
- Explanation of obstacles and what sex workers are fighting against.
- How much money is wasted enforcing anti-sex worker laws?
- Is there anything to protect sex workers from bad clients or bad employers?
- Who are the leading figures in the movement?
- Resources for clients, such as how can clients try to avoid being arrested.
- A history of sex work and activism and landmark legal cases.
- Personal stories about how people get into sex work.
- A breakdown of legal rights and issues by industry.
- Voting guides, a track record of statements made by politicians about sex work.
- Issues that affect queer and trans sex workers.
- What sort of public education is going on?
- What are the current campaigns and key legal battles in different areas?
- What do academics say about sex work?
- When are upcoming events?
- Information about how to stop sex trafficking.
- What laws actually protect sex workers and when has the government sided with sex workers?
- When and where are sex workers unionized? How can there be more sex worker unions?
- Is there any employer-sponsored healthcare for sex workers?
- How do do the laws affect different genders differently?
- Are there and reliable statistics that show how big the industry really is?

What do you feel like are leading misconceptions about sex work?

- Sex workers are addicted to drugs.
- Sex workers are the victims of sexual abuse and violence.
- Sex workers have been brainwashed or oppressed, and have no agency or free will.
- Sex workers are only doing the job because they are poor and desperate.
- Sex workers are dumb.
- Sex workers are perpetual victims.
- Sex work itself is a form of rape and abuse.
- Sex work is dangerous, shady, and spread diseases.
- Sex workers need saving or curing.
- Sex work is not really work.
- Sex workers have no morals or ethics and are generally bad people.
- Sex workers who are killed, raped, robbed, or assaulted were "asking for it."
- Sex worker means prostitute.
- Sex workers are sluts who will have sex with anyone.
- The gender dynamic of sex work is inherently females being hurt by males.
- Sex workers have low self-esteem and want attention and validation.
- If you try one kind of sex work, it will function as a "gateway drug" to all types of sex work.
- Sex workers enter the industry at a very young age or as runaway teens.
- Sex work can't be done independently; sex workers are controlled by the mafia and pimps.
- Sex workers are trafficked, tricked, coerced, or forced into it by others.
- There are only two types of sex workers: drug-addicted street workers and high-end "happy hookers" that serve the wealthy/famous.
- Sex workers had bad childhoods and bad parents.
- Sex workers aren't "real", and are totally different from other people.
- Sex workers harm women, the community, and set back women's rights.
- Sex workers hate men, and their jobs.
- Sex workers love their jobs and feel empowered/liberated by it.
- Sex workers fit the image of young, thin, and gorgeous; they conform to rigid gender stereotypes.
- Sex workers have mental or emotional problems, and are damaged human beings.
- Sex workers cannot have healthy (unpaid) sexual or romantic relationships.
- Sex worker are lazy and make tons of money.
- Supporting sex workers' rights means you don't care about trafficking or violence.
- Sex workers break up marriages.
- Only women do sex work.
- More privileged sex workers deserve more consideration; "higher class" workers are acceptable, street-based workers are not.
- Sex workers are all trying to escape their jobs.
- Sex work is only a temporary job option, no one does it for long.
- Sex workers are trafficked foreign sex slaves; sex workers are poor foreigners.

What information would you expect to find on a web site about sex workers' rights activism and news?

- Updates on new and pending legislation/policy/NGO statements that affect sex workers.
- Harm reduction guides.
- A clearly-stated mission and information about what the group does.
- Upcoming events and projects.
- Links to relevant academic works.
- Why people should care about sex workers.
- A history of sex workers' rights campaigning, discussion/critique of successes and failures.
- Information based on reality rather than intellectual theories.
- Context framing news so new readers can understand why it's important.
- News about arrests of sex workers.
- Profiles of successful sex workers.
- Ability to find other groups by region.
- Links to other human rights groups.
- Materials that make sex workers appear normal and sympathetic, not weird.
- Video and audio content.
- Blacklists and information on bad clients.
- How people put sex workers out of business through over-regulation.
- Information about sex workers that's not framed in a sexy/titillating way to grab attention.
- How to help people who have really been victimized or want to leave sex work.
- An "about us" that explains who runs the site and their experience level with sex work.
- An email list for site updates and new campaigns.
- Understandable breakdown of why decriminalization is better than legalization.
- Resources for sex workers to find friendly healthcare, financial, and legal services.
- Information on the laws that relate to sex work and how to change them.
- Easy, basic content for people who are totally new to sex work issues.
- Information on how to get involved in sex work; employment advice; business tips for sex workers.
- First-person stories and blogs from sex workers; material that humanized sex workers.
- Printable posters and fliers for people to distribute.
- Legal advice for sex workers, your rights in the event of arrest, information on jail/prison (reform).
- Not too much depressing/bad news and articles about murdered sex workers.
- A private spaces for sex workers to talk to each other and build community and get support.
- News that relates to sex work, including immigration, labor, and reproductive healthcare issues.
- Information about government and police crackdowns and abuse of sex workers.
- Mainstream news articles, good and bad.
- Statements from public figures and well-known supporters of sex workers' rights.
- International news and how things are going in other countries.
- Debunking of myths around sex work.
- How allies can help, both financially and otherwise.
- A breakdown of laws state-by-state, including where it's best to be a sex worker.
- Information for queer sex workers.

The cool thing about these questions alone is that they show how much work there is to be done.  I'm not taking on all of these items for SWAAY, but it would be great to see more people doing more of them.  I'll be posting part two of the survey next, which gets into reviews of specific web sites.