In 1984, Norma Jean Almodovar sat in a Los Angeles jail cell, facing a solicitation charge that would change the course of her life. A former LAPD traffic officer turned sex worker, she saw firsthand the hypocrisy of a system that criminalized women like her while protecting powerful men. That moment didn’t break her – it fueled her.
Decades later, the papers documenting her fight for sex worker rights have found a permanent home at UNLV’s Special Collections & Archives, ensuring that her story – and the stories of those she championed – will not be forgotten.
“I was always hopeful that the work of me and my organization would someday lead to changes in laws to criminalize police corruption and decriminalization of sex work,” said Almadovar, who has recently retired and relocated to Las Vegas. “By donating this collection to UNLV, it will be accessible to researchers and activists who will carry this work forward.”
The Norma Jean Almodovar Papers, covering the years 1918 to 2022, document her decades of advocacy for sex worker rights and include materials from her personal life, activism, and the nonprofit she founded: the International Sex Worker Foundation for Art, Culture, and Education (ISWFACE). The collection encompasses 83.71 cubic feet of materials, comprising 125 boxes, 5 oversized boxes, 3 flat files, and 1 roll. It represents one of the most extensive archives related to sex work activism in the United States.
Almodovar’s papers are one of the founding collections in UNLV’s new Sexual Entertainment and Economies collecting initiative, a partnership between UNLV Special Collections & Archives and the Department of Interdisciplinary, Gender, and Ethnic Studies in the College of Liberal Arts.
“We are deeply honored that Norma Jean Almodovar chose UNLV as the home for her papers," said Sarah Quigley, director of Special Collections & Archives, a division of the UNLV University Libraries. “Her collection is not only rich in history, activism, and personal courage – it’s also one of the very first to shape our new collecting focus on sexual entertainment and economies.
"Norma Jean has spent her life challenging stigma and fighting for the rights of sex workers, and we’re incredibly grateful she entrusted us to help preserve and share that story. Her legacy will be a powerful resource for researchers, students, and anyone seeking to better understand the complex realities of sex work and social justice.”
Founded by Almodovar in 1997, ISWFACE served both as a resource center for sex work scholarship and as an artistic platform to showcase the cultural contributions of sex workers. She led the organization until her retirement in 2023.
The collection is now fully processed and available for researchers to access in Special Collections & Archives, located in Lied Library.
“This collection showcases Almodovar’s dedication to her former profession and her solidarity with sex workers worldwide,” said Landon Paljusaj, accessioning and processing archivist for Special Collections & Archives. “The materials highlight decades of Norma Jean’s tireless research and activism in sex worker rights and intersectional topics including criminal justice system reform, occupational safety, and gender inequality, among many more."
The connection between Almodovar and UNLV was made possible by Barb Brents, recently retired professor of sociology, internationally recognized sex work scholar, and co-editor of the new book, Sex Work Today: Erotic Labor in the Twenty-First Century. Brents, who has long documented the politics and realities of the sex industry, recognized the significance of Almodovar’s archive and helped facilitate the donation to UNLV.
“The Norma Jean Almodovar Papers are an extraordinary resource for students in gender and sexuality studies,” said Brents. “In addition to documenting the lived experiences of a woman who defied societal norms, the collection includes decades of material on police practices and the sex worker rights movement. It is one of the most extensive archives of its kind in the world. Having access to this kind of material allows students to engage deeply with questions of power, stigma, legal reform, and activism in ways that textbooks alone can’t offer. It brings the history of sex work and its politics to life.”
Launched in 2023, the Sexual Entertainment and Economies collecting initiative aims to preserve the history of sexual entertainment, culture, and economies in Southern Nevada and beyond.
For more information on the initiative, visit the Special Collections & Archives website.
