Could Prostitution Soon Be Legal in Illinois?

As of this writing, the only state in which prostitution is legal is Nevada. That could change very soon if a recently introduced bill makes its way through the Illinois House and Senate.

This week, Illinois State Senator Celina Villanueva and State Representative Will Guzzardi introduced legislation that would decriminalize prostitution in the Land of Lincoln. The bill was even backed by Reyna Ortiz, a former prostitute, who serves as a board member on Equality Illinois and is chair of the Sex Worker Advisory Group (SWAG), per WANE 15.

Ortiz said in a news conference that she worked as a sex worker in Chicago for 20 years. Throughout that time, she lived in fear of violence, and believes that passing this legislation would absolve the fears many sex workers have when it comes to trying to safely and effectively do their job.

The bill would effectively remove criminal penalties for legal adults engaged in consensual paid sex. It would also clear arrest and conviction records for prostitutes, as well as establish a sex workers' bill of rights. Ortiz added that, in essence, prostitution is a transactional agreement at its core.

This isn't the first time decriminalizing prostitution has been pushed in Illinois. Back in May 2024, Equality Illinois, the state’s oldest and largest advocacy group for LGBTQ individuals, urged lawmakers to consider such a move. Per WANE 15, State Representative John Cabello of Rockford pushed back, bluntly stating "it's the drugs, the lifestyle, and the pimps" that make prostitution so dangerous, and decriminalizing it wouldn't eliminate those factors.

A measure passed by the Illinois General Assembly last week replaces the word "prostitute" with "person engaged in the sex trade" in Illinois state statues. It's currently awaiting the signature of Governor JB Pritzker.

If any state is going to legalize/decriminalize prostitution, it's going to be either California or Illinois. On the surface, I totally understand the apprehension and the fears of those who say that certain overarching factors of prostitution would still exist regardless of whether or not the law was on the books or not.

That being said, Illinois has legalized sports betting and marijuana this decade alone. Both have been wildly successful, beneficial industries for not only the state but the general public as well. I wouldn't rule out prostitution being decriminalized within the next five-to-ten years.

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Read more on WANE 15's website.