AOC advocates for sex workers: ‘Sex work is work’

"Sex work is work. The federal gov has done almost nothing to help people in months. We must pass stimulus checks, UI, small biz relief, hospital funding, etc," Ocasio-Cortez tweeted.

"Keep the focus of shame there, not on marginalizing people surviving a pandemic without help," she continued.

Ocasio-Cortez linked to Rolling Stone article that referred to a New York Post piece which, according to Rolling Stone, "doxed" a healthcare worker for starting an Only Fans account.

Only Fans is an online platform where content creators can post content behind a paywall. The platform is most well known for being a hub for pornography posted by users who charge their followers for access to the content.

The New York Post's headline read "NYC medic helped ‘make ends meet’ with racy OnlyFans side gig." The piece then examines the healthcare worker's choice to Use Only Fans to make a living and quotes her as speaking directly to the NY Post in an on-the-record context.

Ocasio-Cortez has been a vocal supporter of the COVID-19 shutdowns, which have resulted in mass small business closures as well as joblessness, which has undoubtedly pushed more and more women in to the sex work field.

Ocasio-Cortez has shown support multiple times for decriminalizing sex work. She stood behind the SAFE SEX Workers Study Act, along with Sen. Bernie Sanders and Sen. Elizabeth Warren, which was sponsored by Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif.

The act will study the effects of two anti sex trafficking bills, the Stop Enabling Sex Traffickers Act and the Allow States and Victims to Fight Online Sex Trafficking Act, measuring how they relate to the accessibility of legal online pornographic platforms for online sex workers, according to Fox News. Some say the bills designed to fight online sex trafficking are hurting sex workers because online platforms they depend on are getting shut down.