FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

July 2, 2018

Illinois Green Party

Secretary@ILGP.org

Green Party Rejects Sex Work Decriminalization Platform Plank; Doubles Down on "Nordic Model"

Proposal authored by Green Party sex workers fails to pass: "That's it for me" says one.

USA – At the close of voting on Sunday, a proposal to change the Green Party of the United States (GPUS) platform position on voluntary sex work to a decriminalization stance failed to pass. The party will retain its current platform language, which conflates voluntary sex work with human trafficking and calls for the "Nordic model" of criminalization.

Although a majority of delegates on the 160-member National Committee supported the move to a decriminalization stance, the 73-66 vote fell short of the 2/3 threshold, with 6 delegates casting an "abstain" vote and 15 non-voting delegates.

Sex worker members who helped draft the proposal reacted with disappointment, and with rejection of the party: "That's pretty much it for me," said a Chicago-based sex worker and Green Party member who wished to be identified only as T. "The Nordic model means my life right now is illegal. If that's the Green Party position on what my life should be, I don't want to be a Green."

The Nordic model has been criticized by sex workers, researchers, and health officials for increasing the risks of sex work and for treating mutual aid and support between sex workers (such as sharing room costs or client lists) as "pimping."

Decriminalization is widely recommended as a policy position on sex work by health and human rights groups that have studied the issue, including Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, the ACLU, Anti-Slavery International and the Trafficking Policy Research Project, and by health organizations such as UNAIDS and the World Health Organization. Green Parties and elected Greens in other countries, including Brazil, Germany, France, Austria, Ukraine, Canada, England & Wales, Scotland, Ireland, Northern Ireland, Australia, and New Zealand, support decriminalization as well

Discussion on the GPUS National Committee (which does all official business via a roughly 350-member email listserv open to delegates and their appointed alternates) was dominated by a handful of "no" voices. More than a quarter of all messages related to the proposal during the mandatory four-week discussion period (roughly 150 posts and over 50 new email threads above and beyond the official discussion thread) came from three members opposed to the proposal, all white men with no experience in the sex industry.

The Illinois Green Party was one of five states co-sponsoring the measure, along with the party's Youth and LGBTQ+ caucuses.

The Green Party's decision means that the Libertarian Party will remain the only major United States political party to support sex work decriminalization (neither the Democrat nor Republican Party platforms address the issue).

The full roll call of the vote follows. For further information, contact the Illinois Green Party Secretary at secretary@ilgp.org or 773-809-4547.

Delegation Vote Delegate Black Caucus Abstain James Lane Louisiana Abstain Morgan Moss Jr Massachusetts Abstain Joanna Herlihy Missouri Abstain Ron Burch Washington Abstain Jody Grage West Virginia Abstain Frank Young Arizona No Claudia Ellquist Arkansas No Robin Rumph Black Caucus No Joy Davis California No Josefina Aranda California No Marla Bernstein California No Susan Chunco California No Sanda Everette California No Mike Feinstein California No Richard Gomez California No Lisa Hsu California No Tarik Kanaana California No Peggy Koteen California No Genevieve Marcus California No Bob Marsh California No Cordula Ohman California No Linda Piera-Avila California No Luci Riley California No Cynthia Santiago California No Phoebe Anne Sorgen Connecticut No Owen Charles Delaware No Bernie August Delaware No David McCorquodale District of Columbia No Jenefer Ellingston Florida No Henry Lawrence III Georgia No Qadija Tatum-Aamir Hawaii No Budd Dickinson Hawaii No N. Nikhilananda Indiana No Monica James Iowa No Florence Boos Iowa No Holly Hart Kansas No Nick Blessing Kansas No Paul Krumm Latinx Caucus No Tony Affigne Latinx Caucus No Darlene Elias Louisiana No Anika Ofori Maine No Jacqui Deveneau Maine No George Hamilton Maine No John Rensenbrink Maryland No Tim Willard Michigan No Linda Cree Michigan No John Early Michigan No LuAnne Kozma Michigan No Jennifer La Pietra Michigan No Jessica McCallie-Arquette Minnesota No Barb Huning Minnesota No Deanna Murphy Mississippi No Nekita Gandy Mississippi No Jan Hillegas Montana No Cheryl Wolfe Nebraska No Charles Ostdiek New Jersey No Craig Cayetano New Jersey No Kim Meudt New Mexico No Stephen Verchinski New York No Gil Obler Ohio No Philena Farley Ohio No Logan Martinez Oregon No Suzia Aufderheide Rhode Island No Nick Schmader Tennessee No Elizabeth Dachowski Tennessee No Howard Switzer Texas No Wesson Gaige Texas No Laura Palmer Utah No Dee Taylor Washington No Kathryn Lewandowsky Wisconsin No Bruce Hinkforth Women's Caucus No Ann Link Alabama Yes Tyler Henderson Alabama Yes Rebecca Saxon Arizona Yes Angel Torres Arkansas Yes Ryan Giglio California Yes Rodolfo Cortes Barragan California Yes Jose Trinidad Castaneda California Yes Darryl Cherney California Yes David Cobb California Yes Angelica Duenas California Yes Meleiza Figueroa California Yes Jared Laiti California Yes Erik Rydberg California Yes Jesse Townley Colorado Yes Vronique Bellamy Colorado Yes Stephen Molyneux Connecticut Yes S. Michael DeRosa Connecticut Yes Joshua Kelly District of Columbia Yes Justin McCarthy Florida Yes Robin Harris Florida Yes Elijah Manley Georgia Yes Preston Thacker Illinois Yes David Black Illinois Yes Chris Blankenhorn Illinois Yes Geoffrey Cubbage Illinois Yes Aaron Goldberg Illinois Yes Gini Lester Illinois Yes Mary Jane Oviatt Illinois Yes AJ Reed Illinois Yes Sheldon Schafer Illinois Yes Holly Scholz Kentucky Yes Kris Smoot Kentucky Yes Andi Wojciechowski Lavender Caucus Yes Mish Chavez Lavender Caucus Yes Margaret Elisabeth Maine Yes Lyn Maravell Maryland Yes Margaret Flowers Massachusetts Yes John Andrews Massachusetts Yes David Gerry Massachusetts Yes Juan Sanchez Michigan Yes Mike Zubas Minnesota Yes Andy Schuler Missouri Yes Alison Baldree Nebraska Yes Shane Fry Nevada Yes Teresa Frene New York Yes John Baldwin New York Yes Dani Liebling New York Yes Gloria Mattera New York Yes Michael O'Neil New York Yes Craig Seeman New York Yes Anya Szykitka North Carolina Yes Tommie James North Carolina Yes Michael Trudeau Ohio Yes Kevin Fay Oregon Yes Paul Loney Oregon Yes T. Oliver Pennsylvania Yes Christian Banchs Pennsylvania Yes Stuart Chen-Hayes Pennsylvania Yes Kristin Combs Pennsylvania Yes Beth Scroggin Rhode Island Yes Justin Lee Rossi South Carolina Yes Bill Kreml South Carolina Yes Jessica Lazenby South Carolina Yes David Whiteman Texas Yes Alison Bittick Texas Yes Adrian Boutureira Texas Yes Herb Gonzales Texas Yes Aaron Renaud Utah Yes Brendan Phillips Virginia Yes Montigue Magruder Virginia Yes Tina Rockett Women's Caucus Yes Jennifer Sullivan Youth Caucus Yes Zack Looney Youth Caucus Yes Natalia Schuurman

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