After years of mixed messages, New York City seems to be on the path to safe sex enlightenment (sexy Buddha would approve!).
Here's the lowdown: up until this week, the NYPD could select a "suspected sex worker," search her and charge her with prostitution if—get this—she happened to have condoms on her. Since prostitution is illegal (outside a few Nevada counties), legal repercussions could follow for, you know, practicing safe sex.
Even more infuriatingly, NYC hasn't been acting alone: a 2012 study found that police forces in Los Angeles, San Francisco and Washington D.C. adhere to similar procedures.
There are so many problems with this backwards practice, it's hard to know where to begin. Not only does it discourage prostitutes from having safe sex, but it attaches further negative connotations to condom usage. And it enforces the deeply stigmatizing message that woman who carry (or make) condoms are hookers.
Oh, and it promotes dangerous targeting. Though the numbers are shaky, it's clear that trans folk make up a significant slice of the prostitution pie in NYC. This doesn't even come close to encompassing all of the trans community, but it's enough to create a stereotype. There has been plenty of speculation that the NYPD specifically targeted the "T" in LGBTQ, though it's difficult to prove. Also at risk? Low-income women.
Then there's this wrinkle: New York hands out free condoms by the million every year. That's right, back in 2009 alone, this fine city gave away 40 million condoms like free puppies. So basically the city's confounding message was, please take free condoms—BUT DON'T CARRY THEM! That's like your dentist giving you free floss, then yelling at you for using it.
Luckily, New York has come around to the ridiculousness of its ways. In 2013, the state of New York proposed a bill to end this practice, and this week, it officially passed that initiative—becoming the first state to outlaw the practice outright.
So what about other places engaging in the practice? Here's where they currently stand on the same issue:
San Francisco no longer uses condoms as evidence.
Washington D.C. is quick to state that carrying three (or more) condoms is "not illegal," but it hasn't taken any official steps to combat the issue.
Los Angeles' stance is a bit unclear, but it doesn't appear that much as changed.
Here's hoping these cities get on the New York bandwagon and officially outlaw condom shakedowns. Because newsflash: safe sex is always a good idea. And slut-shaming doesn't belong in the job description of any police force.
Image: See? She had to hide it in her underwear out of fear. Courtesy of, ThinkStock
