Montreal's Defund Fest: rethinking sex work and repression

The fourth edition of the Defund La Police Festival took place on September 21, 2025, at the École de Danse et Culture Chinoise in Montreal, after political interference from Projet Montréal forced organizers to relocate from Sun-Yat-Sen Park. The bilingual, community-centered festival gathered close to 100 participants, including activists, residents, and allies, to reflect on policing, housing, sex work, and collective struggles for justice.

This year’s edition held particular weight, as it coincided with the third anniversary of Ronny Kay’s death at the hands of the SPVM on September 19, 2022. Kay, who was remembered for his involvement in the community, was honored with a moment of silence. Organizers emphasized that his family had been consulted during preparations, ensuring that his memory remained central to the event.

Among the day’s panels was a conversation featuring Stella, l’amie de Maimie, a Montreal-based organization by and for sex workers. Panelists highlighted the challenges of countering dominant narratives about sex work, often shaped by media, moral panic, or accounts of violence used to justify more repression. They noted that stories of those who exit sex work are amplified, while ongoing workers’ perspectives are erased, drawing parallels with narratives around substance use.

Speakers stressed that sex workers should not be required to “humanize” themselves to gain respect, and that much of the stigma and repression they face is enabled by criminalization. Language, they argued, plays a protective role, with terms like “sex worker” resisting labels such as “prostitute” or “victim of exploitation.” They also located sex work within broader landscapes of policing and state control, underscoring that the struggle is not only about individual rights but also about systemic forms of repression.