NOW disavows anti-sex worker flyers at Florida convention

The National Organization for Women and Florida NOW have disavowed flyers distributed at the group’s August 2026 Florida convention that promoted criminalizing sex work. Advocacy groups are praising the acknowledgment but are pressing NOW to release the investigation findings, name responsibility and set deadlines for next steps.

Why it matters: - The dispute centers on whether a major feminist organization will treat sex workers as part of feminist advocacy, or as a target of criminalization. - The materials distributed at the Florida NOW convention reportedly reached attendees alongside NOW-branded flyers, raising questions about event oversight and accountability. - The response matters beyond one convention because criminalization affects arrest risk, housing access, client screening and the ability to seek help without facing charges.

What happened: - National Organization for Women and Florida NOW issued a joint letter on Oct. 15, 2026, disavowing flyers distributed at the Florida NOW convention in August 2026. - Several flyers carried NOW’s logo and promoted criminalizing the purchase of sex. - The flyers described sex work as inherently violent. - The handouts were distributed with a packet that accused sex worker rights groups, including SWOP, of being front groups for sex industry owners. - The letter said the materials were not approved by either organization. - The letter said the people who distributed the flyers were not authorized to use NOW’s logo. - The letter said the handouts violated Florida NOW’s published operating rules. - The letter was signed by NOW President Kim Villanueva and Florida NOW President Julie A. Kent. - The letter apologized for the harm caused by the flyers. - The letter acknowledged “aggressive and hostile statements” by the people distributing the materials. - The letter said those same individuals confronted conference attendees. - The letter said NOW was not prepared to protect the people who were accosted. - The letter said sex workers belong in feminist spaces.

The details: - The letter was released two months after the convention. - The letter did not name the people involved. - The letter did not describe what the flyers said in detail. - The letter did not say who produced or distributed the flyers. - The letter described the confrontations as “reported” and still “under investigation.” - The letter gave no timeline for the investigation. - The letter gave no commitment to make the findings public. - SWOP Behind Bars said the acknowledgment is a start, not a remedy. - Maxine Doogan of Erotice Service Providers Legal, Education and Research Project said an apology that does not describe the harm removes the evidence. - Doogan said people were treated with hostility at a feminist convention for being sex workers or for standing with sex workers. - Doogan said those people deserve to know what NOW found and what happens to the people responsible. - The letter framed the conflict as a matter of “policy disagreements.” - SWOP Behind Bars and ESPLER said criminalization is not abstract for people living under it. - SWOP Behind Bars and ESPLER noted that NOW has historically published policies supporting the removal of criminalization for prostitution.

Between the lines: - The acknowledgment appears to be an attempt to contain internal fallout while preserving the organization’s broader feminist credibility. - The groups pushing back want more than a repudiation; they want a public accountability process. - The demand to “name what happened” suggests the current letter is seen as too vague to repair trust. - The debate also highlights a larger split inside feminist and advocacy spaces over sex work, criminalization and who gets included in movement politics.

What's next: - SWOP Behind Bars and ESPLER Project are calling on national NOW and Florida NOW to publish the investigation findings on a stated timeline. - The groups want NOW to identify responsible parties, or explain why it will not, and to spell out consequences under NOW’s and Florida NOW’s rules. - They want NOW to adopt and publish an enforceable conduct and materials policy for conventions and chapter events. - They also want real-time response protocols for future incidents. - The groups want sex workers involved directly in drafting those policies and in ongoing NOW discussions about decriminalizing sex work. - Andrews said NOW should start by telling the truth about what happened in August.

The bottom line: - NOW has acknowledged harm, but advocates say accountability will not be complete until the organization releases the facts, names responsibility and sets enforceable standards for future events.