'Sex Workers' say GTA normalises violence

Author: Joe Martin
Published: 18th December 2007

The Grand Theft Auto series has been accused of normalising violence against sex workers.

Even if you did know that today was the fifth annual International Day to End Violence Against Sex Workers, which is unlikely, then you'd probably not want to admit it. Still, today is the day though and representatives of the Sex Workers Alliance of Toronto are eager to make sure you don't forget it in a hurry.

Anastasia Kuzyk, in an attempt to explain why violence against sex workers is becoming even more of an issue nowadays, was quick to lay blame at the feet of computer games, specifically the Grand Theft Auto series.

"There's a video game out there where you can run down prostitutes and kill them and beat them up and take their money. It feeds into the whole subculture of allowing the violence to continue. Violence against sex workers should not be normalised, but it is." She told the Toronto Sun

"Sex work is a job, and violence isn't in the job description"

The Sex Workers Alliance is a movement which originally started in Seattle to support victims of the Green River Killer, a murderer who attacked mostly sex workers and killed 48 women in total.

The fact that players can beat up and prostitutes in the Grand Theft Auto game is something which has drawn repeated criticism to the series. The fact is though that you can beat up pretty much anybody you want in the game, regardless of their occupation.

It begs the question though; does art imitate life or does life imitate art? Does GTA even count as art? Let us know your thoughts in the forums.