Arizona Dem running for Congress backed legal prostitution to help for trans people

An Arizona Democrat running to unseat Rep.Juan Ciscomani has supported decriminalizing prostitution to help transgender people earn living.JoAnna Mendoza, who is running in one of the most competitive races in the country, was asked by Michael Soto, then-executive director of Equality Arizona, whether she would “decriminalize sex work” in order to help “trans folks, especially trans women of color,” given that “discrimination is so pervasive in the formal employment sector.” “Right.

Yes.And that’s, you know, once again, it’s important to ensure that there’s access to the resources, the support networks, the social services, access to health care,” Mendoza said in the 2020 interview.“You know, eliminating the discriminatory practices and laws so that every individual has the opportunity to be able to provide for themselves.” Mendoza, a Marine veteran who identifies as bisexual, added that “we need to sop criminalizing people for their situations.” “And, you know, folks don’t want to go down that path, but (inaudible) no other choice and they have to,” Mendoza said.

“It’s heartbreaking to me that folks find themselves in these situations that they have no way out of, and so to me I would definitely want to see more social services and resources and support networks in place for the LGBTQ community so that they can have access to employment that would allow them to live their best lives.”The video obtained by The Post has since been removed from Equality Arizona’s social media page. The Democratic congressional candidate also responded “yes,” when asked if she would “decriminalize petty crimes” like “not crossing at the crosswalk or spitting.”“Yes.You know, I think that in the past, especially Arizona, has a history of trying to enact these practices that target specific groups, right? And so we need to ensure that we’re protecting folks from discriminatory practices (inaudible) that would create th...