Rally for Decriminalization of Sex Work Held in Brooklyn Thursday

A rally was held in Brooklyn Thursday outside of the federal court building in support of seven employees of the gay escort website Rentboy.com who are being charged with prostitution. Demonstrators are calling for a change in the laws that affect sex workers.

The New York Daily News reports that there were about 70 protesters, both men and women who came out to demonstrate for the legalization of prostitution.

"This is consensual sex, no one is being trafficked or exploited," said Andy Humm, the television host of "Gay USA" who once served as a city rights commissioner under former mayor David Dinkins.

"Tell me why this happened now when Rentboy.com has been around 18 years and had a float in the Gay Pride Parade that the police commissioner and the mayor attended," Humm continued.

The charges against male escort website Rentboy.com, which has been in operation for close to 20 years were investigated by both the NYPD and an arm of the Department of Homeland security.

"This case started under Loretta Lynch," Humm said "Is this the policy of the U.S. government? Is this what we're going to spend Homeland Security resources on?"

Newsday notes that the raid on Rentboy.com has triggered complaints of anti-gay bias, calls for decriminalizing sex work and claims that online sites are safer than street hookups.

Many are comparing the Rentboy.com raid with the Stonewall riots in 1969 that triggered the modern gay rights movement.

"This is an updated, digital raid, just like Stonewall," said protester Allen Roskoff. "Now they don't have to go to our bar; they just go online."