02/06/2026
A red umbrella can look simple. But the history behind this day is not.
On 2 June 1975, around 100 s*x workers occupied the Saint-Nizier Church in Lyon, France, demanding an end to police violence, criminalisation, stigma and unsafe working conditions. Their protest became a turning point for s*x worker-led organising around the world.
More than five decades later, the demands remain urgent.
Today, on International S*x Workers’ Day, we stand in solidarity with s*x workers and s*x worker-led movements demanding safety, dignity, healthcare, housing, justice, labour rights and protection from violence, without fear of punishment, outing, harassment or exclusion.
In the Balkans and our wider region, conversations about s*x work are still too often shaped by stigma, moral panic, poverty, patriarchy, q***rphobia and institutional neglect. For many s*x workers, especially those who are LGBTQI+, migrants, Roma, poor or otherwise pushed to the margins, the lack of protection is not abstract. It affects whether they can report violence, access healthcare, find housing, organise safely or be treated with dignity by institutions.
A rights-based approach means refusing harmful narratives that speak about s*x workers without listening to them. It also means being clear: fighting exploitation and trafficking must never be used as an excuse to further criminalise, silence or endanger s*x workers themselves.
International S*x Workers’ Day is not only a day of visibility. It is a reminder that protection must include the people most affected by violence, stigma and criminalisation.
