LONDON — ManyVids is circulating a petition to have legal sex work added to the U.K.'s Equality Act to protect current and former sex workers against discrimination in housing, banking, schooling and the workplace.
“ManyVids believes it’s evident and plain that not including sex workers in the Equality Act violates the spirit and the intent of the act,” the company’s petition reads.
This is the text of the company's statement:
ManyVids is a global community of creators and fans, and their stars and members in the United Kingdom are a vital part of what makes MV so special. But the U.K., like so many other countries (too many other countries), is still a society that often devalues beautiful, powerful and entrepreneurial people who have chosen sex work as a career.
In 2010 the U.K. passed the Equality Act, which protects those in the U.K. workforce from discrimination relating to race, belief, age, disability, gender identity and sexual orientation. What it does not protect is adult creators, sex workers and former sex workers. That is, if you’re a sex worker with a part-time job that’s not in the adult industry, it’s completely legal to fire you. Or if you’re a former adult entertainer and your past work is discovered, it’s entirely legal to fire you.
And that’s not all. Banks and online financial services can refuse to do business with sex workers just because of their jobs, landlords can deny housing on the basis of an adult entertainer’s line of work, universities can kick out students just for having worked in the adult business, and that’s only a few examples!
A fair and equitable society would not allow such discrimination, and ManyVids believes it’s evident and plain that not including sex workers in the Equality Act violates the spirit and the intent of the act.
That’s why ManyVids has started an online petition, that is directed to the U.K. Government through their official online petition portal, to include occupation as a protected characteristic in order to safeguard adult entertainers from discrimination in the UK.
And this change would not only apply to adult entertainers but to any occupation, so no one can be fired or denied a public service because a present boss doesn’t like a job one used to have. Sex workers' rights are human rights and fighting this fight ensures a more just and fair society for everybody.
So, if you’re a U.K. citizen (even if you’re not currently living in the U.K.), you can sign the official petition now and do your part to make your country and the world a better place.
Once the petition achieves 10,000 signatures, the government is required to discuss this in parliament. They have no choice. That means that if you sign, you would be the reason they are changing the law in the U.K. This is an incredible thing to do and think about.
Click here now to sign and be sure to share it with everyone you know who cares about creating a more just society.
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