Legislators’ alarming proposal to transform NYC into the ‘Sin City East’ by legalizing prostitution

Albany lawmakers are hastily working to legalize prostitution before the legislative session ends on June 6, with no public discussion or hearings taking place.

They have already legalized marijuana, approved Big Apple casinos, and rolled back penalties for most crimes through criminal justice reforms. Now, they are aiming to further degrade the city by paving the way for legalized prostitution without allowing critics to voice their concerns beforehand.

This move is extremely outrageous.

Politico reports that State Senators Liz Krueger (D-Manhattan) and Julia Salazar (D-Queens) are supporting competing bills to “reform” the illicit trade.

Krueger’s bill aims to protect “sex workers” and target only the “johns,” while Salazar’s bill seeks to legalize all aspects of the industry.

Salazar, a Democratic Socialist, sees sex workers as both independent entrepreneurs and victims of traffickers and prosecutors.

Just like with the failed marijuana legislation, neither senator has proposed a plan to oversee, license, and regulate the sex work industry, which would compound the issues if their bills pass.

In 2021, Governor Andrew Cuomo initiated legislation reform by signing a bill to permit “loitering for the purpose of prostitution.”

He justified the repeal as a way to end discrimination against black and transgender sex workers who he claimed were unfairly targeted by law enforcement.

Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez had stopped prosecuting individuals arrested for sex work in 2020, and the following year dismissed 262 prostitution-related warrants dating back to 2012. Queens DA Melinda Katz quickly followed suit.

The “Market of Sweethearts,” a thriving illicit sex market along Roosevelt Avenue in Queens has continued to be a problem.

While victims of sex trafficking deserve justice and support, proponents of legalizing prostitution ignore the exploitation and dangers of the trade.

Normalizing this harmful practice without public hearings is unacceptable.

Officials are also pushing to expedite casino licensing in the city, following botched marijuana legalization and crime increases due to reforms like Raise the Age and cashless bail.

Despite all the bright lights in Times Square, New York City can never become the Las Vegas of the East, and pursuing this path will only bring more decadence and suffering.