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Teen Vogue is facing backlash for “promoting prostitution” after publishing an article which advertises sex work as “real work” to its audience, which is made up mostly of girls between the ages of 12 and 18.
In the piece, Dr Tlaleng Mofokeng argues for the decriminalization of sex work across the world, citing global efforts to ensure better labor rights for the women involved. The continued criminalization of sex work is “a form of violence by governments and contributes to the high level of stigma and discrimination” around prostitution, she argues.
Yet, large chunks of Mofokeng’s article come across more as an advertisement for sex work as a potential career path than a simple argument for decriminalization – with little said about the dire circumstances which often lead young girls into that world.
Mofokeng tells teen readers that people often “misunderstand” what sex work actually is, writing that “sex-worker services” can include “companionship, intimacy, nonsexual role playing, dancing, escorting and stripping.” She also suggests that relationships that started off as sexual could “evolve” into “emotional and psychological bonding.”
The idea of “purchasing intimacy” can be affirming for people in need of “human connection, friendship and emotional support,” the article says, seeming to promote prostitution as a kind of caring profession serving people in need.
Mofokeng even compares her work as a medical doctor offering advice and treatment for sex-related problems to sex work, arguing that she is not criminalized for her work, so “sex workers” should not be either.
I am a doctor, an expert in sexual health, but when you think about it, aren’t I a sex worker? And in some ways, aren’t we all?
