Who We Are

We’re a group of people who work in the sex industry and adult entertainment, together with allies who support our aims.

We believe that everyone in the industry, whether they are there through choice, circumstance or coercion, deserves the same human, civil and labour rights as other citizens.

We’re a grassroots organisation, founded by a migrant who worked in a range of jobs in the sex industry. The organisation brings together people from all sectors – people who sell sexual contact or BDSM services, people who work for or run agencies, websites or brothels, strippers, erotic dancers and glamour models, porn actors and film makers, phone sex workers and web cam models; men, women and transgender people; straight, gay and bisexual.

The organisation is lead by people with personal experience of working in the industry, who can say what it’s like on a day to day basis, and know firsthand the ways in which social attitudes and the law impact on our rights, safety and well-being.

We are the people who will live with the consequences of ill-informed or ideological policy making.

The IUSW gives voice to current, active sex workers. The IUSW offers a unique source of expertise and experience from people who see reality of the industry day to day: sex workers are the experts on our own lives.

Our principles and practise are born from our experience, the experience of real people within the sex industry.