Kamala Harris backed decriminalizing prostitution while San Francisco DA, state senator: report

During her 2020 presidential campaign, Vice President Kamala Harris advocated for the decriminalization of prostitution, which she had previously supported as San Francisco's district attorney and a California state senator. 

The Democratic nominee last expressed her opinion on the legality of "sex work" for consenting adults during a 2019 interview with The Root, the New York Post reported. When asked in 2019 whether she thought prostitution should be decriminalized, Harris responded: "I think so, I do."

"I think that we have to understand, though, that it is not as simple as that," Harris continued. "There's an ecosystem around that, that includes crimes that harm people. And for those issues, I do not believe that anybody who hurts another human being or profits off of their exploitation should be ... free of criminal prosecution."

Harris, in particular, was more interested in catching the "pimps" and "johns" than arresting the prostitutes, she claimed, which is something akin to the Nordic Model, where prostitution is decriminalized but using prostitutes is illegal. "We should really consider that we can't criminalize consensual behavior as long as no one is being harmed," Harris added, expressing her support of sex work for adults.

Additionally, the NYP reported that Harris also advocated for sex work in 2003 during her campaign for San Francisco District Attorney. Harris stated at the time that she believed prostitution was interconnected with violent crime and victimization, and that she was dedicated to the prosecution of "rapists" and "sexual abusers."

"Consensual sex between consenting adults should not be a subject of prosecution," Harris said, according to an article in the now-defunct AsianWeek publication.

"I don't think there should be a blanket approach one way or another to the issue of prostitution, in particular when we deal with the prostitution of children, and we know that in San Francisco, we have a real epidemic with that," the VP said at the time.
 

However, Harris opposed Proposition K in 2008, a referendum measure that would have decriminalized prostitution in San Francisco by prohibiting police from utilizing public resources to investigate it. The proposition failed with 59 percent of voters opposing it.

"I think it's completely ridiculous, just in case there's any ambiguity about my position," Harris said regarding the referendum, as per the New York Times. "It would put a welcome mat out for pimps and prostitutes to come on into San Francisco."

The 2024 Harris campaign has not responded to inquiries about the VP's current stance on prostitution.