Petition · past parliament
Make sex work a protected characteristic under the Equality Act
Closed
96 signatures
What the petition asks
The 2010 Equality Act does not include sex workers e.g. escorts, strippers, and porn actors, as a protected characteristic. Former sex workers can be discriminated against at work e.g. teachers may be fired if their past is exposed, despite it not impacting their ability to do their job.
A large number of sex workers are also women, LGBT+ (particularly transgender), disabled or belong to an ethnic minority. While these characteristics are protected, the fact that a disproportionate amount of sex workers belong to vulnerable groups means that they are still indirectly disadvantaged in the workplace.
For more info on sex work in the UK: http://prostitutescollective.net/
The Equality Act and discrimination:
https://www.gov.uk/discrimination-your-rights/types-of-discrimination
For more info on sex work in the UK: http://prostitutescollective.net/
The Equality Act and discrimination:
https://www.gov.uk/discrimination-your-rights/types-of-discrimination
Timeline
| 25 Aug 2016 | Petition opened for signatures |
| 25 Feb 2017 | Closed to new signatures |
Key facts
Signatures
96
Status
Closed
Opened
25 Aug 2016
Closed
25 Feb 2017
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Source: the official petition page. Last checked 15 Jul 2026.