Closing Empire Spa Isn’t Protection — It’s Punishing Workers
I read The San Francisco Standard’s latest article “The city says this spa is selling sex. Its staff wouldn’t let us leave” with alarm, frustration, and deep concern for the people whose lives hang in the balance of this lawsuit. San Francisco officials describe Empire Spa as a brothel disguised as a relaxation business.
But let’s unpack what’s really happening—and who ultimately pays the price.
🚨 Criminalization Endangers Workers, Not Wellness
The city’s strategy is simple: shut down Empire Spa for a year, slap steep fines on the owners, and ban the site from ever again hosting massage services. But this isn’t about community safety - it’s about erasure. When legal redress is unavailable, workers can’t enforce contracts, call the police, or demand respect. Instead, they vanish into the shadows.
This is criminalization in action. It doesn’t protect— it isolates. It puts workers at risk of abuse, exploitation, and violence. The threat of closure doesn’t make unsafe services disappear—it just makes them invisible.
🛑 The Dangerous Pretext of “Blocking Exit”
A city inspector’s claim of being physically blocked from exiting the spa is troubling. But let’s not oversimplify. In many licensed businesses—bars, clubs, events—staff sometimes ask patrons to stay put until issues are resolved or management intervenes. It’s standard, not nefarious. We need clarity: was this coercion or a protective request in a tense moment? We deserve transparency before criminalizing an entire community.
🚨 We Need Labor Rights, Not Police Raids
I know this from lived experience. When I began as a massage worker, I didn’t have a permit, so I was terrified. Clients who didn’t pay, or worse, became violent, there was just nowhere to report them. I was one misstep away from losing my home. This is precisely why decriminalization matters: when workers are recognized as legitimate, they gain rights like labor protections, medical care, the ability to report assault without fear of arrest.
Criminalization—and civil suits that follow—don’t save sex workers. They continue to undermine any chance at fairness or safety.
✅ What San Francisco Should Do Instead
Decriminalize consensual adult sex work. No more raids, no more civil shutdowns. Allow workers to obtain licenses and work in regulated, safe environments.
Support worker-led oversight. Let massage workers form associations that set standards, vet clients, and provide community—lifting up professionalism instead of punishing it.
The lawsuit against Empire Spa treats sex work as a criminal offense, not labor. It assumes guilt and relies on outdated stigma to justify harm against workers. But closing spas won’t stop demand, only drive it underground, where no one can see what’s happening and no one can call for help.
I call on San Francisco’s leaders: end criminalization. Decriminalize consensual adult services. Recognize massage and sex work as legitimate labor deserving of rights and protections. Because without this shift, we’re not protecting anyone, we’re cementing a system that thrives on exploitation and silence.
