Did you know sex workers consider the term “prostitution” derogatory?
Carol Leigh (aka “Scarlot Harlot”) was a sex worker activist who coined the term “sex work” in the 1970s. She did so to recognize the agency of sex workers, the legitimacy of adult consensual services as labour, and to destigmatize and validate the experiences of those in the sex work industry.
The term “prostitution,” however, is derogatory. It is associated with criminalization and moral judgment, and some argue that it reduces people to a single act rather than acknowledging the broader context of their work and lives.
While it has been reclaimed by some in the industry, replacing terms like “whore” and “prostitute” (especially by non-sex workers) with the term sex worker gives sex workers the respect they deserve.