Decriminalize Bodily Autonomy.
Everyone has the right to choose what to do with their body so long as it does not harm others. This is a basic human right. We criminalize this basic human right. We put people in prison when they choose to have sex. We put prison when they use chemicals to alter their mood. Neither of these harm others, and in many scenarios are totally legal. We only criminalize the most vulnerable with these laws.
Nobody goes to jail for drinking coffee, yet caffeine is a well known drug for altering brain chemistry. Caffeine is more dangerous than many criminalized drugs. The history and purpose of these laws are well documented as a tool of government racism. They are enforced that way today, despite the clear harms they cause. We know that criminalizing drugs makes them more dangerous and there are harm reduction programs shown to increase public safety. Stop this policy of human rights abuses and racism.
What I do with my body and why is a personal choice. The only concern the state should have is my safety, the safety of others, whether I am exploited, and if I pay my taxes. We have built a society that requires money to live, but workers are criminalized for working to live. We criminalize sex workers and endanger them and their partners. Instead of making sure sex workers can perform their jobs in sage conditions, we have made them easily exploited by their clients. They can't negotiate their safety because the state threatens it. They can't report crimes because they may be arrested. They can't form labor groups to protect against exploitation because the state it too busy exploiting them. They can't even pay taxes because we outlaw their source of income. Criminalizing sex work supports the spread of diseases, sex trafficking, and harm to our most marginalized. It is not your business who someone has sex with. It's your job to ensure that they can do so safely.
