From whoring the knowledge to whoring the law: co-creating activism within a sex workers’ collective

Abstract This paper examines the intersection of socio-legal research and activism through my ethnographic work with the Tulipas do Cerrado collective, a group of sex workers in Brazil. It explores the dynamics of knowledge production and the transformative potential of collaborative research that prioritises the reflections and experiences of marginalised communities while recognising the importance of legal expertise. Drawing on the concepts of ‘whoring the knowledge’ and ‘whoring the law’, the article highlights how sex workers reclaim their narratives and creatively navigate legal frameworks, demanding that researchers enhance both academic and activist relevance of their endeavours. First, I discuss relevant literature on ethnography within sex workers’ activism, introducing recent key studies on Brazilian sex work as examples of having the knowledge whored. Then, I detail the ethnographic approach employed in my research, which was inspired by the preceding three studies. Ultimately, the work analyses how reciprocal engagement between sex work activists and scholars is a consequence of a demand that researchers adopt a bolder and more creative way of thinking and living. Furthermore, from a socio-legal perspective, these exchanges present an opportunity to rethink the role of law within these communities and to foster concrete social transformation. I propose the concept of ‘whoring’ the law, suggesting that both activists and socio-legal scholars can identify and build new pathways for dealing with the law.