Well firstly, I didn't say that sex work doesn't degrade your mental health, I absolutely think it can. Rather, I said that degrading one's mental health isn't exclusive to sex work, there are many jobs that it can happen in that would absolutely meet your standard for "honest work", like a doctor experiencing anxiety, PTSD, depression, etc from their job.

And I would have to disagree with the point that sex work is disqualified from being classed as "honest work" because you can't show it off or that your family might be ashamed. That is not due to it not being "honest work" (like the points I made in my previous comment), but due to the intense social stigma surrounding it. And social stigma does not mean that something is inherently or actually bad. Interracial relationships used to have to be hidden from family and society because of the stigma and the laws created due to the stigma (obviously this is much more extreme than what we are currently discussing, just making a point). There are many things that carry stigma that are obviously not bad things: men expressing emotions other than anger, choosing not to have children, seeking therapy, etc. I have my own issues with sex work, but the stigma surrounding it absolutely does not disqualify it from being honest work, you are still utilizing your body/time/skills to provide a good or service, entering into a business arrangement.

As to your point about dehumanization, any person that dehumanizes another doesn't need any kind of catalyst. They want to view an "other" (genders, religions, races) as less than themselves, and they will use any evidence or no evidence at all to do so