MONTREAL — ManyVids has issued a statement applauding a sex worker’s recent legal victory in a nonpayment of services case, affirming the premium social media platform’s commitment to sex workers’ rights.
ManyVids issued the statement on Thursday through its Twitter account, saluting Brogan Sheehan’s unprecedented win in court last month.
In January 2022, Brogan spent an evening with a client, who afterward refused to pay her the agreed-upon fee, the CBC reported. Sheehan then “turned to small claims court to recover the money — in what advocates believe is the first time such a case has come before the courts in Canada — and won a judgment that she was entitled to the unpaid amount, plus interest and costs.”
“She and her advocates hope the decision will change the legal landscape for sex work in Canada,” the CBC report noted.
“It kind of opens the doors and sets the tone,” said Sheehan. “Any steps towards having more rights and it be recognized as work — I think is a huge positive.”
ManyVids' statement of support follows:
ManyVids firmly stands in support of sex workers and their right to safety, privacy, and fair treatment under the law. As such, we felt compelled to use our platform to applaud the recent legal victory for Brogan Sheehan in Nova Scotia, Canada where she successfully sued a client for nonpayment of services. This case represents an important step towards recognizing and enforcing the economic realities of sex work, offering sex workers a much-needed legal recourse against exploitation, and for governments to finally concede that sex work is, in fact, real work.
While we celebrate this victory for what it means to the community we represent, it's abundantly clear that society still has a long way to go. The criminalization of purchasing sexual services in Canada, while not criminalizing the sale of these services, places an undue burden on sex workers, who continue to face potential exposure and penalties within the justice system, even when seeking rightful compensation and basic protections afforded to all citizens.
We echo the sentiments of advocates like Brogan Sheehan and Sandra Wesley who call for further changes, particularly the decriminalization of sex work, to truly transform the industry and the lives of those working within it.
ManyVids believes in creating an environment where sex work is recognized as legitimate work, free from the risks of exploitation and accepted in society just like any other trade. We are committed to continuing to provide a more inclusive, understanding and just environment for all.
