I have come to the conclusion that nobody is serious about wanting to stop trafficking.

Posted on November 1, 2008 by existentialhedonist

Because if they were, they would listen to logic. They would see articles like the ones posted here on the matter, along with ones written elsewhere, like this excellent article by Marjan Wijers. (However, maybe I give too much credit to those responsible for such policy.)

Perhaps logic isn’t really what they are all about. Perhaps instead they are all about self-aggrandizement (ya think?). Perhaps they want to impress the anti folks (’cause that Farley is one sexy momma! Now there’s a research paper…the politico-erotic appeal of the antis. Honestly, in all of my years in the industry I have never read such sexist, disgusting, degrading crap as I have read in the works of those like Farley, Dworkin, Jeffreys, Mackinnon, etc. And these anti-leaning politicians tend to be Christian right extremists- all self-flagellators on some level- and probably take the anti literature to bed with them as masturbatory material. Or at least in the bathroom where their wives (or husbands) can’t see them). (Am I being naughty? Oops.)

We know politicians court the citizens they feel are highest in numbers to reelect them.

That’s why we need to use our votong power. How many sex workers and supporters are out there? How can we galvanize a voice? We need SWOP-PAC!! We need numbers to prove to them that we are an effective and significant voting population who will vote in our own best interests. We need to educate each other about the importance of paying attention to politicians and their policies. We need to write more letters, lobby Washington more, camp out on the doorsteps of our representatives. And garner more support among other Americans who are interested in bodily freedom and privacy rights.

How can we do this?

Filed under: Politics, Sex Worker Rights, trafficking | 11 Comments »

My response to Farley on Freakonomics- Should prostitution be Decriminalized?

Posted on October 29, 2008 by existentialhedonist

I wrote and submitted this last night, but no new comments have appeared since yesterday afternoon, so it may yet go up. If not, however, I am posting it here. I also resubmitted it today without the jabs at Ms. Farley, in case that was the issue.

Continue reading →

Filed under: Human Rights, Sex Worker Rights | 14 Comments »

The media, gender, and representation

Posted on March 14, 2008 by existentialhedonist

Yegads!

I was recently reading the comments on a post here, and noticed one that Amanda made:

“Someone needs to dig up some of Spitzer’s childhood friends.”

And then it hit me: in this entire media circus, not once has anyone ever brought up Spitzer’s childhood.

But that seems to be all they can manage to talk about when it comes to Kristen. They all talk about how she came from a broken home, had substance issues, and so on. They tsk tsk about how she “fell into the wrong line of work,” how she must have been abused as a child, and that perhaps if she had been able to properly attend to the various psychological issues her childhood had wrought upon her, she may not have been a prostitute today. And that once she attends to them, she should be just fine- she’ll become enlightened and can finally get out of this line of work (because loads of us are eager to leave a job that pays $4300 an hour to have sex with powerful men). They wonder where it all went wrong. (Again- what’s wrong with a job that pays $4300 an hour to have sex with powerful men??)

But what about Spitzer? Why is his childhood and homelife not of interest to the media? Perhaps he had some “childhood abuse issues” which led him into the “wrong line of work.” Perhaps there was something in his childhood that created some disconnect whereby as an adult he came to see no wrong in busting escort agencies with one hand while taking advantage of their services with the other. I mean, this stuff has to come from childhood issues around self-righteousness, propriety, and entitlement.

I think the media’s obsession with Kristen’s childhood ties directly into the prohibitionists’ habit of using the term “girls” when referring to sex workers who are between 18 and 28. It seems to be a form of infantilizing women when they exercise their sexual and economic autonomy. It reminds me of the Swedish model, and it makes me want to wretch.

How about talking about her strength in overcoming a challenging youth to grow up and land a job that paid her for one hour more than most of her critics will see in a month? How about talking about her strength in the face of this onslaught of media attention and scrutiny? How she hasn’t cowered off into some corner- how she has kept her myspace page up, and how so many of the comments there are full of love and support in the face of this?

Kristen deserves to be seen for the amazing and strong woman she is. The obsession with her childhood is simply a cheap ploy to diminish the inherent fortitude of a person who faces challenges head on and rises above and beyond to become a creative entrepreneur beholden to nobody but herself. This is the hallmark of successful sex workers everywhere, and something that must be quashed by society lest more of us become such entrepreneurs.

I think it is important for the media and people like Farley to portray us as broken and weak people. It is ironic that some of them actually do this in the name of “feminism.” The truth is that the “abused girl” thing has to be played up to create a smokescreen to hide the reality: sex workers like Kristen don’t need you or anyone else to validate them. That is power. And that is dangerous.

Sex workers continue to be the strongest, wisest, and most resourceful humans I know. They have no bosses but themselves, and they are truer to their convictions than anyone in any other profession I have ever met.

Sex Workers Rule!

Filed under: Academia, Allies, Assholes, Clients, Farley, Feminism, Media, Politicians, Spitzer, The Biz | 8 Comments »

They all want to talk to us now…

Posted on March 12, 2008 by existentialhedonist

My in-box and those of my friends have been inundated with media requests for comments on the Spitzer scandal. New York Times, MSNBC, ABC, CBS, FOX 9, NYC…and so on. They seem to have found us from various ads we have posted on the web.

What these media people don’t seem to understand, however, is that none of us wishes to be “Kristen.” None of us wants a spotlight shown on our lives, exposing for all of mal-intent our vulnerabilities in this legally ambiguous profession in which we have chosen to engage.

As was pointed out in Audacia’s post, they’re not really interested in our plight, or understanding who we are as people, or why we do what we do, or how they can help us. They are only interested in how we can help them– how a comment by a true whore will appeal to the prurient interest of the public and thus increase their ratings. They have no concept that their scoop could be used against us, to ruin our lives and take away our children, homes, and assets.

Sure, they say they are willing to disguise our voices, our faces, etc., but what story are they after? One who contacted me was simply interested in knowing (according to his email) if I had seen Spitzer, and what he was like. Another wanted to know if I’d worked in DC, and what that was like. But how willing would they be to portray us as real humans with all the same issues that other humans face, rather than one-dimensional whores? Seeing the nasty results of speaking to the press in the past, I, for one, don’t trust ’em.

So, media folk, show us your stuff. Spend more time on our needs and wishes in the media- portray us honestly and not just sensationally, take us seriously when we speak, and we’ll be much more willing to talk to you.

Filed under: Audacia Ray, Ethics, Harassment of Sex Workers, Media, Politicians, Sex Worker Rights, Spitzer, The Biz | 12 Comments »

Amsterdam closing down sex industry?

Posted on February 11, 2008 by existentialhedonist

This article makes me sad.

Turn Out the Red Light?

Amsterdam plans to close down its most famous district, citing sleaze, criminal activity and human trafficking. Not everybody is happy about it.
By Thijs Niemantsverdriet

http://www.newsweek.com/id/109373

Filed under: Announcements | 4 Comments »

Prostitute auctions sex for charity

Posted on November 29, 2007 by existentialhedonist

Prostitute auctions sex for charity

Wed Nov 28, 3:37 PM ET

A Chilean prostitute has auctioned 27 hours of sex to raise money for the country’s largest charity during an annual fund-raising campaign.

Maria Carolina became an overnight celebrity in the conservative Roman Catholic country, making news headlines and appearing on talk shows since she made her unusual donation to the televised charity event, which runs for 27 hours starting on Friday evening.

“I’ve already auctioned off the 27 hours of love,” Maria Carolina told Reuters on Wednesday, saying she had raised about $4,000. “One of my clients already paid. It seemed like a good deed to him.”

Adult prostitution is legal in Chile. Chile’s two-day Teleton fundraiser is endorsed by television stars and aims to raise funds for poor, disabled children.

Speaking about Maria Carolina’s unusual donation, campaign organizer Mario Kreutzberger said he would not encourage “immoral” activities, but said he would accept her pledge.

“Everyone can do what they want, but if someone tells me that they’ll do something immoral … I’m not going to encourage it,” Kreutzberger, who as “Don Francisco” hosts the long-running “Sabado Gigante” program on the U.S. Spanish-language Univision network, told local media.

But Maria Carolina, who advertises her services on the Internet, defended her money-raising scheme.

“There are people who are going to be donating money that’s a lot more questionable than mine,” she said. “The only thing I did was publicize it.”

(Reporting by Antonio de la Jara; writing by Lisa Yulkowski; Editing by Cynthia Osterman)

Filed under: International | 1 Comment »

Photographs

Posted on September 18, 2007 by existentialhedonist

The cover of Melissa’s book depicts a brothel that looks to the uninitiated viewer like a photograph of a prison, and like others must be, I was horrified to think that brothels actually had fences like that to keep women inside. But the closer I looked, the more I realized that the placement of the barbed wire actually looks like it is meant to keep people out rather than in. Which would, of course, make more sense to someone who lives in Las Vegas and has friends who’ve worked in the brothels. Imagine the peeping toms that must come along! I know if I were working at a brothel, I wouldn’t want the possibility of someone peeping into my wndow to see what I might be up to at any given time, so I think I would like the security such a fence offered for my protection.

But below I have pasted a photograph of a fence around an actual prison. The barbed wire part, you’ll notice, is facing inwards– to prevent people from getting out. That makes much more sense to me.

Continue reading →

Filed under: Announcements, Farley, Legal Brothels, Politics, The Biz | 12 Comments »

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