Critical Trafficking and Sex Work Studies | Centre for Feminist Research

Members of this research cluster engage in research that: examines sex workers’ experiences of labour, management, migration, advocacy, regulation and criminalization, stigma, and discrimination; problematizes the conflation of sex work, labour exploitation, trafficking, and migration; and supports, consults or is co-produced with sex workers and other people harmed by campaigns against sex trafficking. It is premised on the argument that efforts to combat human trafficking and prostitution are informed by assumptions about individual vulnerability to exploitation rather than analyses of complex socioeconomic dynamics and problems. In particular, the research conducted by members of this cluster is aimed at disrupting common misconceptions about sex work and human trafficking from intersectional, critical feminist, and inter-disciplinary perspectives while also situating the Canadian experience and evolving legal and policy frameworks within racialized and geopolitical hierarchies that structure contemporary labour policies and practices.

Faculty and students in the group come from York University, but also share affiliation with other institutions and organizations in Canada and abroad. They represent a variety of related fields such as: women’s studies, social science, socio-legal studies, geography, public health, and political science.

Members of the research cluster espouse the following goals and principles:

Conducting critical empirical research that centres the agency, experiences and understandings of people working in diverse sectors and locales of the adult entertainment and sex industries.
Critically examining discourses of “modern-day slavery” in the context of globalization and human rights.
Advancing research and policy development and providing tools and resources to communities concerned with and/or directly affected by anti-prostitution and anti-trafficking interventions.
Disseminating research outputs and hosting events that educate policymakers, researchers, service providers, students and members of the broader community about the impacts and implications of regulations and discourses that portray people involved in the sex industry as risky/victims.

International Day to End Violence Against Sex Workers

International Day to End Violence Against Sex Workers is held annually on the 17th of December. The Critical Trafficking and Sex Work Studies Research Cluster is launching the video recordings from our fall event titled: Beyond the Interface: Critical Perspectives of Sex Work and Sextech. We share these resources in solidarity with sex workers in Canada and globally, in memoriam of those surviving violence, or who are no longer with us. We invite all to explore our archive and rich volume of qualitative perspectives, shared with permission, that reflect both theory for development and the social reality of the lived experiences of sex workers.

Conference Recordings

The organizers of the Beyond the Interface: Critical Perspectives of Sex Work and Sextech Conference, would like to invite you to our December 17 event in memoriam on The International Day to End Violence Against Sex Workers. The event is organized by the "Beyond the Interface" conference organizing team and will be hosted virtually on December 17 from 12-12:30pm EST. Please feel free to join us through this Zoom link for a candle-lighting ceremony to commemorate sex workers and ongoing, collective efforts to fight back against whorephobia and deadly violence.

About the Project: Erobotic Futures is a unique study which will examine the socio-economic impacts of AI erobotics, virtual reality (VR), and global sextech, on human sex industries in Canada. This study will lay the groundwork to open feminist discussions about the regulatory frameworks of commodified sex while supporting alternative sexualities; digisexual intimacy and pleasure; human, sexual and labour rights; commerce and the economy; technology; health and safety; privacy and security.

If you would like more information, please email kcherri@yorku.ca

About the Researcher: Kathleen Cherrington is a fourth-year PhD student in Gender, Feminist, and Women's Studies at York University. With 15 years of community-based outreach experience, she focuses on marginalized communities, including chronically homeless individuals struggling with mental health and addictions, HIV+ prisoners, and sex workers. Her research explores critical trafficking and sex work studies, sexual rights, and feminist sex tech theories. Passionate about sexuality studies, sex-positive feminism, and the societal impacts of sex tech, she investigates the ethical, legal, and socioeconomic implications. She is committed to bridging academia with real-world issues and strives for inclusive societal change through engaged scholarship and knowledge mobilization.

De Lisio, A., & Bretas, T. (Translators/Editors). (2025). Putafeminista: A manifesto of sex worker feminism (M. Prada). The Feminist Press at CUNY. https://www.feministpress.org/books-overflow/putafeminista

De Lisio, A., & Dantas Lobato, B. (Translators/Editors). (2025). (So what) if I'm a puta? Diaries of transness, sex work, desire (A. Moira). The Feminist Press at CUNY. https://www.feministpress.org/books-overflow/so-what-if-im-a-puta

Gallant, C., & Lam, E. (2024). Not your rescue project: Migrant sex workers fighting for justice. Haymarket Books. https://www.haymarketbooks.org/books/2258-not-your-rescue-project

O'Doherty, T., & Cherrington, K. (2023). Commodified BDSM services: Professional dominatrices' views on their work and its criminalization. Archives of Sexual Behavior, 52(3), 1285–1298. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10508-022-02490-6

Pietrangelo-Porco, E. (2024). The sex work historian. New Sociology: Journal of Critical Praxis, 5, 1–10.

Pietrangelo-Porco, E. (2024, November 19). Why Canada’s sex work legislation hasn’t changed (but should). Active History. https://activehistory.ca/why-canadas-sex-work-legislation-hasnt-changed-but-should/

The International Day to End Violence Against Sex Workers

Date: December 17, 2024
Time: 12:00pm - 12:30pm ET
Location: Online
Link to Join: https://yorku.zoom.us/j/99540821459?pwd=yUzpeheZvHElJvVAqdDUpC00svjdQH.1#success

Beyond the Interface: Critical Perspectives on Sex Work and Sextech

Date: October 17-19, 2024
Program: https://www.yorku.ca/cfr/wp-content/uploads/sites/255/2024/10/Final-Conference-Program_Beyond-the-Interface-Oct-17-19-2024-.pdf

Our groundbreaking 3-day inaugural virtual conference, "Beyond the Interface: Critical Perspectives of Sex Work and Sextech" was a succes! We explored the intersection between sex, technology, and society with nearly 40 captivating presentations and 11 panels, covering the hottest topics in the field, including:

Legal and Ethical Debates: Navigating the complex legal landscape and ethical considerations surrounding sextech and sex work.
Inclusive Erotic Spaces: Examining representation and inclusivity in virtual realms and exploring how to create more equitable online experiences.
Global Power Dynamics: Unpacking the impact of neoliberal globalization and neocolonialism on digital sex work.
Wellness and Safety Online: Addressing the critical issues of health and safety in online environments.
Technological Innovation and Social Change: Exploring how technology is shaping the future of sex work and social justice.

Featuring speakers from around the globe, including South Africa, France, Colombia, Japan, Germany, the United Kingdom, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Ireland, Australia, the United States, and Canada, the conference was a diverse and thought-provoking experience. Together, we pushed the boundaries of knowledge to create a more equitable and inclusive future.

Check out the available recordings by clicking the button below:

Conference Recordings

We want to extend a big thank you to all of our sponsors: Vice-President Research & Innovation Scholarly Events and Outreach Fund; York University Graduate Student Association (YUGSA); York University's Liberal Arts & Professional Studies Research Events Fund; OPIRG York; the Jack & Mae Nathanson Centre; Global Labour Research Centre; Graduate and Global Affairs, Faculty of Environmental & Urban Change; Robarts Centre for Canadian Studies; School of Health Policy and Management; Faculty of Graduate Studies Academic Excellence Fund; Centre for Feminist Research; the Harriet Tubman Institute; Graduate Program in Film/Cinema & Media Arts; the Graduate Program in Communication and Culture; the Resource Centre for Public Sociology; the Department of Sociology; and the School of Gender, Sexuality & Women’s Studies at York University.

On behalf of the cluster,

The Beyond the Interface Conference Organizing Team.

Straight Work Curious Support Group

Date: Tuesday, September 24, 2025
Time: 5:30pm - 7:30pm ET
Location: Virtual
Registration: https://yorku.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJAtf-ysqj0pE9c2G8HvLBmw3mx8uAe2X6Qe#/registration

This event is for sex workers only (inclusive of escorts, strippers, alternative/erotic massage providers, street-based workers, etc.). Registration is required to protect everyone’s privacy and in support of a safer space.

Hosted by Maggie's, Work Safe Twerk Safe, and the Critical Trafficking and Sex Work Studies Research Cluster in the Centre for Feminist Research at York University & facilitated by a career stripper who is transitioning into nonprofit/legal clinic work.

Critical Trafficking and Sex Work Studies Research Symposium

On November 18, 2023, we hosted the Critical Trafficking and Sex Work Studies symposium, bringing together sex workers, academics, activists and allies to discuss recent books, research activities, and mobilizing efforts in Canada and abroad. The event featured recently published academic works by Lyndsey Beutin (McMaster University/Princeton University), Kamala Kempadoo (York University), Elena Shih (Brown University), Juana María Rodrígues (Berkeley, University of California), Tuulia Law (York University), and Katrin Roots (Wilfrid Laurier University) in conversation with workers, activists, legal experts, and organizers.On November 18, 2023, we hosted the Critical Trafficking and Sex Work Studies symposium, bringing together sex workers, academics, activists and allies to discuss recent books, research activities, and mobilizing efforts in Canada and abroad. The event featured recently published academic works by Lyndsey Beutin (McMaster University/Princeton University), Kamala Kempadoo (York University), Elena Shih (Brown University), Juana María Rodrígues (Berkeley, University of California), Tuulia Law (York University), and Katrin Roots (Wilfrid Laurier University) in conversation with workers, activists, legal experts, and organizers.

The Critical Trafficking & Sex Work Research Cluster Meet and Greet

On May 1, 2023, we hosted an informal coffee chat with sex workers, activists, artists, and academics that work in the realm of Critical Trafficking and Sex Work Studies. The afternoon allowed us to facilitate needed connections for research and other forms of straight work as well as more non-academic creative projects. We are incredibly thankful for the dedicated folks at York University and beyond that attended and were so generous with their expertise, experiences, and insights. With their support, we submitted a brief for the for the Study on Human Trafficking of Women, Girls, and Gender-Diverse People in Canada as commissioned by the Standing Committee on the Status of Women. Soon, our brief will be available in English and French on the Parliament of Canada website.

Sex Worker Justice: Student Solidarity and Action at YorkU

On November 21, 2022, the Social Work Student Association (SWSA) at York University, in collaboration with Butterfly: Asian and Migrant Sex Workers Support Network, hosted an event at Founder's Assembly Hall (Rm. 152, Keele Campus). The event welcomed members of the York University student population, staff, and faculty to listen to and learn from migrant and Asian women detrimentally impacted by the criminalization of sex work. Often portrayed as trafficked victim, migrant and Asian women spoke directly to their realities of stigmatization, discrimination, and state violence in the GTA. The event was well-attended with more than 50 students, predominantly from the Faculties of LAPS (Liberal Arts and Professional Studies) and Health.

Book Launch: White Supremacy, Racism, and the Coloniality of Anti-Trafficking

On November 11, 2022, we proudly hosted the launch of White Supremacy, Racism and the Coloniality of Anti-Trafficking (edited by Kamala Kempadoo and Elena Shih) at the William Doo Auditorium (45 Willcocks Street, M5S 1C7). The book is available to purchase now at Another Story Book Shop.

Municipal Bylaws and Anti-Asian Racism from Past to Present

On May 30, 2022, the Critical Trafficking and Sex Work Studies Research Cluster at the Centre for Feminist Research hosted an event to share insight and provide context to the recent implementation of a new accreditation process in the Town of Newmarket for people in alternative massage. To view the recorded panel and/or read a summary of the event, see Feminist Dispatch: Municipal Bylaws and Anti-Asian Racism From Past to Present.

Learn More

Kamala Kempadoo is a Professor in York’s Department of Social Science, and a founding member of this research cluster. She has developed and taught courses in Sex Work Studies, Critical Anti-trafficking Studies, Caribbean Studies, and Black Radical and Black Feminist Thought and is a former director of the Graduate Program in Social and Political Thought. She has published extensively on the global and Caribbean sex trade and anti-trafficking discourses, including Global Sex Workers: Rights, Resistance and Redefinition (edited with Jo Doezema), Sexing the Caribbean: Gender, Race and Sexual Labour, and Trafficking and Prostitution Reconsidered: New Perspectives on Migration, Sex Work, and Human Rights (edited with Jyoti Sanghera and Bandana Pattanaik). She is the recipient of the Distinguished Scientific Award of the Society for the Scientific Study of Sexuality and the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Caribbean Studies Association.

Tuulia Law is an Associate Professor in the Criminology Program at York University. She is also appointed to and supervises students in the Socio-Legal Studies, and Gender Feminist and Women’s Studies graduate programs. She has been involved as a researcher and member in various sex worker advocacy organizations for more than a decade; she currently works with a Toronto-based strippers’ social and advocacy group called Work Safe Twerk Safe. Her previous research has examined: third party work and management in indoor sex and adult industry venues; sex workers’ creative problem solving and security strategies; racialized, gendered and classed tropes of sex work and management. Her current projects explore stripper-management relations and tensions, and strippers’ engagement with provincial labour and human rights protection mechanisms.

Amanda De Lisio is an Assistant Professor of physical culture, policy and sustainable development in the School of Kinesiology and Health Science and Executive Member of the City Institute at York University. Her research is predominantly focused on urban and health inequities in mega-event host cities. She previously collaborated with Coletivo Puta Davida in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, to examine the impact of FIFA/Olympic construction on women and gender-diverse people in feminized, sexual labour. More recently, she is interested in feminist solidarities fomented in response to state violence and abandonment—namely, the collective action of women and LGBTQIA+ people in Rio de Janeiro and im/migrant Asian women in Toronto. Her work has been funded by the Economic and Social Research Council in England, Mitacs Canada, and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada, and published in academic and popular presses in English and Portuguese.

Elene Lam is an activist, community organizer, educator, and human rights defender. She has devoted herself to organizing, defending the rights of, and empowering marginalized communities - particularly sex workers, migrants, and precarious workers - for over 20 years. She is the founder of Butterfly (Asian and Migrant Sex Workers Support Network) and has used diverse and innovative approaches to advocate social justice for migrant sex worker, e.g., leadership building and community mobilization. She has made transformative contributions to the migrant sex workers’ movement in Canada by being a unique and compelling player in sex worker rights, migrant justice, labour rights, and in gender justice circles. She holds a Master of Laws and Master of Social Work. She is the PhD candidate at McMaster University (School of Social Work) and studying the harm of anti-trafficking movement. She is also the recipient of Constance E. Hamilton Award for Women’s Equality (City of Toronto).

Kathleen Cherrington is a 5th-year PhD candidate at York University whose research explores the intersections of commercial sex, artificial intelligence, and digital technologies. Focusing on sex-positive feminism, she examines the evolving dynamics of intimacy, labour, and technology. Kathleen’s work bridges academia and marginalized communities, advocating for ethical engagement and equity in research. With extensive experience in community engagement, media outreach, and academic leadership, she is committed to mentorship, student advocacy, and fostering interdisciplinary dialogue. Her research and professional activities reflect a dedication to inclusivity, innovation, and amplifying underrepresented voices in both academic and public spheres.

Evania Pietrangelo-Porco (she/her) is a PhD candidate, sex worker ally/accomplice, trained historian, and blogger. She focuses on Canadian, feminist, North American Indigenous, and contemporary sex work history. Evania won the Joseph-Armand Bombardier CGS-Master’s Scholarship (2019) and the SSHRC Doctoral Grant (2022). She holds various professional affiliations, contributes to multiple journals, and has been published in New Sociology, Active History, Canada Watch, the Canadian Historical Association and the Journal of International Women’s Studies. Most significantly, Evania has worked with folks in the sex work community, including the BC Coalition of Experiential Communities (BCCEC) and Sex Workers Outreach Project LA (SWOP LA).

Sonja Moroz has a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) from Queen’s University, a Post-Graduate Certificate in Project Management from Humber College, and is currently pursuing the Fundraising Certificate Program at George Brown College. Her overall motivation in life is to support causes that help marginalized and vulnerable populations in Canada and around the world. Sonja has a strong passion for social justice work and is thrilled to be a part of the Beyond the Interface project team and supporting with its project coordination and fund development/fundraising. She has worked in these capacities for large organizations such as the UNDP Bangladesh and UNICEF Canada as well as local groups such as Rainbow Faith and Freedom (RFF), a grassroots organization that aims to end religious based LGBTQ2S+ discrimination, homophobia and transphobia. Her degree in Global Development Studies at Queen’s included a term at the University of Havana studying Cuban culture and development. She also completed a research program in Shanghai, China at Fudan University in the School of Social Development and Public Policy. Her research here addressed the systemic and political barriers faced by migrant workers integrating into Shanghai society. Sonja loves trekking; past highlights include Taktsang monastery in Bhutan and Tiger Leaping Gorge in Yunnan, China.

Sylvie Côté (she/her/hers) is a PhD student at York University in the Gender, Feminist, and Women’s Studies program. Her research examines the relationship between substance use, addiction, and harm reduction in the Toronto EDM/rave community. She also explores romance, erotic literature, sex trafficking, and BDSM, focusing on consent, power, and agency in both real-world and fictional contexts. Finally, Sylvie's hobbies include flow dancing, painting, and hiking.

Sam Saunders is a PhD candidate at the University of Essex’s School of Philosophical, Historical and Interdisciplinary Studies (PHAIS). Her research centres on sex workers’ rights and critical visual theory, examining how advertisements produced by sex workers can challenge existing narratives about the sex industry, their (mis)representation and lived experiences. Her methodological framework adopts critical visual analysis and feminist theory to locate agency in sex workers' self-promotion as a marginalised community in British culture. In addition to her research, she has delivered modules on Feminist Debates and Activism, and Sexuality and Social Control at Anglia Ruskin University (UK).

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