Sophia Leone’s Death Should Wake Us Up to Violence Against Sex Workers

You probably saw the articles. Maybe you innocently skimmed past like so many of us do. Or perhaps you impulsively clicked after seeing the salacious words “porn star” in the thumbnail.

Popular adult film performer Sophia Leone died earlier this month after she was found “unresponsive” by family members, as first reported by The Daily Mail. The death of the 26-year-old, now being investigated as a potential home invasion and homicide, according to her talent agency, is part of a disturbing trend of violence against sex workers.

A “sex worker” can be anyone who provides erotic professional services, such as acting in adult films, full-service sex work (formerly called “prostitution”), domination and fetish work, exotic dancing, erotic massage, nude modeling, and more. Some of these are criminalized; others are not. Full-service sex workers, in my experience, often share higher incidences of violence as they have the added layer of criminalization to worry about. Adult film performers and dancers, however, are just as vulnerable to client violence, stalking, and harassment.

Read more at The Daily Beast.