Majority of New York Residents Favor Legalizing Prostitution, According to Survey
In a recent poll conducted by Public Policy Polling for Decriminalize Sex Work, the issue of decriminalizing prostitution in New York City has sparked a heated debate among voters.
The survey, shared exclusively with City & State this week ahead of its release, revealed that the Democratic nominee Zohran Mamdani leads the New York City mayoral race with 39% support. However, Mamdani's lead in the poll is several percentage points below other recent polls, indicating a tight race.
Mamdani, a Democratic Socialist candidate, has been vocal about his support for the decriminalization of prostitution. His stance on the issue has attracted strong support among progressive voters, but it has also drawn criticism from some mayoral candidates, including Andrew Cuomo and Eric Adams.
The survey found that 44% of New Yorkers think prostitution between consenting adults should be legal. However, 51% of respondents opposed the idea of legislation that would make it legal for adults to sell sexual services, but buying sexual services would still be illegal.
Sonia Ossorio, Executive Director of the National Organization of Women, criticized Mamdani in a recent op-ed, arguing that decriminalization would fuel human trafficking and sex tourism while also compounding other social issues like drug sales, violence, and gang activity. Ossorio stated that "nothing could be further from the truth."
On the other hand, Melissa Broudo, legal director at Decriminalize Sex Work, argued that decriminalization not only protects sex workers from exploitation and abuse, but also allows law enforcement to focus on real threats to public safety. Broudo stated that the poll results indicate that New Yorkers are increasingly ready to move away from criminalization and towards a more compassionate and pragmatic approach.
The survey also found that 18% of New Yorkers said they knew someone who had sold sex, and 25% said they knew someone who had purchased sex. Another 33% of respondents think prostitution should be a crime, while 24% of New Yorkers surveyed said they were not sure about legalizing prostitution.
Just 10% of respondents said they supported the measure to legalize selling sexual services but not buying. This suggests that while there is support for decriminalization, there is also a concern about the potential for exploitation and abuse in the sex trade.
The survey of 556 registered New York City voters was conducted between Sept. 4 and 5, and had a 4.2-point margin of error. The poll found that the issue of decriminalizing sex work is a divisive one, with many voters unsure about the proposed legislation and concerned about the potential consequences.
As the New York City mayoral race heats up, it will be interesting to see how the issue of decriminalizing prostitution continues to shape the candidates' platforms and the voters' opinions.
