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What Just Happened?

Writer's picture: Swop Behind BarsSwop Behind Bars

Over the past week, a whirlwind of political recklessness has unfolded, throwing marginalized communities—especially sex workers, trafficking survivors, and —under the bus. And let’s be real: they weren’t exactly riding in first class to begin with.


On January 28, 2025, the President announced a 90-day suspension of U.S. foreign aid to "assess" whether it aligns with his "America First" policy. Translation: He and his administration decided they needed at least a three-month pause on helping some of the most vulnerable populations on the planet. You know, because that’s how you demonstrate global leadership: by pulling the rug out from under millions of people, most of whom have never even set foot on U.S. soil, let alone posed a threat to it.


The consequences? Immediate. Devastating. Predictable.


Sex workers, trafficking survivors, and both in the U.S. and globally are now left with even fewer resources than the scraps they were already fighting over. But don’t worry, because government officials are “looking into it” (probably from inside a well-catered meeting room, very far removed from the people actually being affected).


CUT FUNDING, CUT LIVES: WHO’S SCREWED THIS TIME?

1. Sex Workers & Trafficking Survivors: Always the First to Lose and the Last to Be Considered

Sex workers and survivors of trafficking rely on community health clinics, harm reduction programs, and legal aid initiatives—many of which depend on federal funding or at least benefit from federally supported infrastructure. Now, thanks to this 90-day government temper tantrum, they are facing:


Clinic Closures: Programs offering HIV testing, PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis), STI treatment, and general sexual health care are already scrambling. And if history is any indication, when funding disappears, these clinics will be some of the first to go—because nothing screams “America First” like increasing the spread of preventable diseases.


Shelter Shutdowns: Transitional housing and shelter programs that offer refuge to survivors of trafficking and unhoused sex workers? Expect closures, long waiting lists, or worse—total elimination of these critical services. That’s right folks, because if there’s one thing we know about ending human trafficking, it’s that homelessness really helps.


Legal Aid on Life Support: Organizations that help survivors clear criminal records, secure immigration relief, or fight against wrongful convictions? Yeah, those groups are facing a funding cliff that may leave many survivors trapped in legal limbo.

And that’s just in the first week of the freeze.

WHAT THIS MEANS GLOBALLY: MORE CHAOS, MORE DEATHS, LESS ACCOUNTABILITY

The funding freeze isn’t just screwing people in the U.S.—oh no, that would be too small of a disaster. This move is also dismantling global programs that provide:


  • HIV/AIDS treatment and prevention services in developing nations

  • Field hospitals for war victims and refugees

  • Food aid for famine-stricken areas

  • Trafficking survivor support programs in Southeast Asia


For example, just a few days after the freeze, clinics at refugee camps in Thailand that provide shelter for 100,000+ refugees from Myanmar were ordered to shut down after funding to the International Rescue Committee was cut. So, in case anyone was wondering, yes—this policy is actively making the world a worse place and yes - the order includes stopping use on already-procurred drugs.


WHAT NEEDS TO HAPPEN NEXT

The government needs to fix this mess immediately—but let’s be real, they probably won’t unless they’re forced to. Here are the exact same 4 things we have been telling you would work forever.:

  1. Full Decriminalization of Sex Work. Enough with the criminalization—it’s time to treat sex work as work. Give sex workers labor protections, health benefits, and legal rights instead of treating them like criminals.

  2. Shift Funding to Harm Reduction & Worker-Led Organizations. The organizations that actually help sex workers and trafficking survivors? Give them money, not the carceral nonprofits that keep the status quo alive.

  3. Hold the U.S. Government Accountable. This funding freeze is proof that the government has never prioritized marginalized people. Time to demand real solutions—not just PR stunts disguised as policies.

  4. Dismantle Anti-Sex Work “Rescue” Models. Stop wasting resources on harmful interventions that arrest sex workers and call it “help.” Redirect that money to housing, healthcare, and community support.


FINAL THOUGHT: A MOMENT FOR RADICAL CHANGE

The funding freeze is catastrophic. But it also presents an opportunity—to shift power, expose hypocrisy, and push for a world where sex workers and trafficking survivors actually get the support they need.


Sex work isn’t the problem. Criminalization, stigma, and government neglect are.





It’s time to burn down the carceral “rescue” model and demand real, worker-led, survivor-centered change. Because let’s be honest: no one else is going to do it for us. Let’s get to work!

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