Is Oregon Ready to Decriminalize Sex Work?

We talk to Bianca Beebe, a sex worker who left the United States for New Zealand, where the profession is decriminalized.

Portland skyline from the Benson Hotel (Angelo DeSantis/Wikimedia Commons)
By Hank Sanders

You know how they say, “Don’t judge a book by its cover”? Well, maybe you shouldn’t judge an arrest by its press release, either.

Back in April, a man who was one of the biggest names in Oregon’s Democratic Party was arrested in what police described as a human trafficking sting. The actual case is more complicated, and less sinister, as reporter Karina Brown explains in this week’s cover story.

Underlying this case is a debate over how sex work should be treated in Portland. In this week’s Dive podcast, we discuss the intricacies of the issue with Brown. We also talk to Bianca Beebe, a sex worker who left the United States for New Zealand, where the profession is decriminalized.

We don’t stop there. We also bring you the biggest stories of the week. Never miss a second of news.

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