For many people, the word “NHI” means nothing more than an acronym. It does not illustrate or symbolize victimization, injustice, marginalization, or a complete disregard of humanity in life and death. “NHI” or No Humans Involved is a designation that was used by police, politicians, and judges when dealing with prostitutes and other marginalized communities. This paper will mainly look at the effects of NHI in regards to women sex workers. NHI is an example of the institutional oppression that Tracey E. Ore’s Maintaining Inequalities: Systems of Oppression and Privilege addresses. By designating crimes against sex workers as “NHI,” police, politicians, and judges are accepting the continued violence against sex workers, and the belief that sex workers are unworthy of human rights. The main problem of society is the clashing of ideologies, defined as a system of beliefs. It is important that for oppression and thus, the oppression of sex workers, to end, ideologies of individuals must be dynamic to ideologies of other individuals. In other words, we need to be able to have our ideology, but still be willing to learn, change, or adapt to those ideologies of others.
A Journal of Community-Engaged Writing and Rhetoric