The EMMA Coalition
Boston, MA
The EMMA Coalition is a survivor-led, statewide effort that works to dismantle systems of violence against prostituted people through legislative advocacy. We are proud to be led by survivor-led programs in Massachusetts: Safe Exit Initiative (SEI), My Life My Choice, Ready Inspire Act Inc (RIA Inc), Amirah Inc, and the EVA Center. These organizations work directly with prostituted people and survivors, and our work is led by those directly impacted by the sex trade.
Our Legislation, An Act to Strengthen Justice and Support for Sex Trade Survivors (The Sex Trade Survivors Act - H.1597 / S.983), is a survivor-led, comprehensive, and proven approach to reducing commercial sexual exploitation and systems of prostitution. This bill ends the criminalization of people being bought and sold in the sex trade — overwhelmingly women and girls, and disproportionately BIPOC and LGBTQIA2S+ individuals — while still upholding current anti-trafficking laws. Additionally, it expands access to critical resources for the majority of those who are seeking to exit the sex trade.
The Sex Trade Survivors Act will achieve the following:
- End the Criminalization of People in the Sex Trade: Repeals the crime of selling sex, including common night walking and streetwalking.
- Advance Criminal Justice Reform: Expunges the criminal records of prostituted people and sex trade survivors for all previous prostitution charges, thereby removing barriers to housing and employment. Fines collected from buyers will be directed to the Massachusetts Office for Victim Assistance (MOVA).
- Establish an Interagency Special Commission: This commission will publish recommendations on existing programming for survivors and current prevention efforts. This report will recommend ways to improve access to housing, healthcare, education, job training, legal assistance, and compensation for survivors, provide strategies for education and prevention campaigns, and recommend ways to increase organizations’ ability to support survivors