Can Men Make A Living Selling Sex?

The Sex Lives of Male Hookers
From: http://www.thedailybeast.com/blogs-and-stories/2009-07-06/the-sex-lives-of-male-hookers/

Can men really make a living selling sex? Male prostitutes talk to Tracy Quan about HBO’s new series, Hung, and how it measures up to their real lives. Hung, HBO’s new comedy series, is about a divorced dad who turns to prostitution after having an epiphany about his “winning tool.” But penis as plot device? If an HBO script were to address a call girl's anatomy in this way, it wouldn't be so funny.

The world of men who sell sex is hidden, even from women like me who think we know a lot about selling sex. A call boy I used to pal around with once told me that prostitution simplified his life by allowing him to work in a completely gay environment.

For male escorts who aren't gay, it’s more complicated. How do they feel about the premise of Hung, in which a well-endowed Michigan schoolteacher tries to solve his financial problems by servicing women? Can a guy really make “an indecent living,” as the ads for Hung put it, by catering to the female sex drive?

Damien’s sex partners are beautiful women in their 20s—and the men pay to watch.

At 17, David Sterry was trying to do just that in the Hollywood Hills and other affluent Los Angeles neighborhoods. Among his clients were “upper-class housewives flexing their sexual muscles, out-of-town business ladies looking for a straightforward romp, hippie chicks, unhappily married women who talked about how the maid was being mean to them.”

Sterry’s memoir, Chicken, is being developed into a series for Showtime, and he recently published an edgy collection of stories by “hos, hookers, call girls, and rent boys.”

“I’m sick of people with no experience of sex work recreating their own fantasies of that world. It would be like me fantasizing about Iraq." He objects to seeing customers portrayed as "these sad, pathetic buffoon wretches." At the same time, he's fond of saying that "Blondie wasn't playing in the background" when he was turning tricks—a reference to the overly slick soundtrack of Paul Schrader’s 1980 film, American Gigolo, starring a young Richard Gere.

The situation has changed for male sex workers, says David, "especially in the middle and lower end of the market." Because of the Internet, today’s practitioners have to specialize, find a gimmick. David gets nostalgic about pre-Internet technology—"I had a pager before those things were in vogue”—but says other forms of social change have altered the sex trade at a deeper level.

“It was the middle of the women’s liberation movement. Women didn't think it was pathetic to pay for sex. There was a post-Woodstock afterglow,” he recalls, and people felt different about money. A gentler, more creative attitude about the financial exchange has been replaced by something formulaic and harsh, more Wall Street than Woodstock. A general preoccupation with wealth and power, winners and losers, has made the American sex industry less playful—for buyers and sellers alike.

Andrew Rosetta began working in the late ’90s and stopped in the fall of 2008 when he was 29 or 36, depending on which calendar he’s using. (“Every escort shaves off five years,” he says.) Whatever She Wants, a hectic account of his 10-year career, focuses on women he serviced in Central London. But men make “better customers than women” because they're more likely to provide repeat business, so Andrew maintained two distinct Web sites, operating under two escort names.

Promote Safe Sex in China!

http://edition.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/asiapcf/06/19/china.aids.prostitutes/index.html
China tries to stop spread of HIV/AIDS among prostitutes

* Story Highlights
* Some people in China believe injections or a pill can prevent infection
* Some 700,000 people have HIV in China; about 50,000 new infections yearly
* About one in 200 sex workers nationwide currently has HIV
* As China's economy has boomed, so has the sex industry

June 21, 2009 -- Updated 2329 GMT (0729 HKT)
By Emily Chang
CNN

BEIJING, China (CNN) -- A 19-year-old prostitute working in an apartment that doubles as a brothel said she has up to eight clients a day.
A woman awaits customers at a Beijing barber shop in 2008. Sex workers also ply their trade in barber shops.

A woman awaits customers at a Beijing barber shop in 2008. Sex workers also ply their trade in barber shops.

Working in the southern boom city of Shenzhen, a special economic zone just north of Hong Kong, she told CNN she worries about getting AIDS, but has her own prevention measures.

"I always use condoms or take an injection. The medicine can prevent sexually transmitted diseases," she said. "Some girls do not use prevention measures, but we don't talk about that in public."

This young woman, who would not give her name, is part of a group that Chinese and international health authorities are concerned could potentially spread HIV and AIDS in the world's most populated country, so officials have stepped up efforts to educate them about the virus and dispel misconceptions about so-called "injections" that can prevent infection.

"I think sex work is probably one of the most important factors for the potential of HIV spreading in Asia and also in China. There is no doubt about it," said Bernhard Schwartlander, UNAIDS China Country Coordinator. "One of the things that we have seen in China is that knowledge about HIV/AIDS is very low in the general population and certainly also in the sex work industry. That is a big, big problem," Schwartlander said.

It is estimated that some 700,000 people are living with HIV in China and there are about 50,000 new infections every year, according to the Chinese government and UNAIDS. The U.N. agency believes a significant number of those new infections include sex workers.

Prostitution is officially illegal in China, but very loosely addressed by the government. It is estimated that there are between two and four million sex workers in China. As the country's economy has boomed, so has the sex industry, especially in prosperous cities like Shenzhen. Many clients flock there from Hong Kong which is just an hour away, some of them businessmen with money to spend.
Condom use in China can range anywhere from about 20 percent to 80 percent, according to UNAIDS.

"There are misconceptions. People think that they can avoid HIV infections by taking a pill. People think that they are not at risk for HIV infections because they don't know anybody (who has it), because you can't see it, you can't touch it. And clearly, this is something that we have to change very rapidly," Schwartlander said.

Historically, HIV and AIDS have been taboo topics in China, another reason awareness can be so low. Prevention in the gay community has also been difficult because of traditional stigmas against homosexuality.

But the Chinese government is now conducting educational campaigns to inform higher risk groups, including sex workers, about how to prevent the transmission of HIV.

"After years of these campaigns, we found out through survey that condom use is constantly increasing, especially in urban areas, the condom use can reach 70 percent or even up to 80 percent," said Hao Yang, Deputy Bureau Chief of the Chinese Health Ministry's Disease Prevention and Control Bureau.

But other areas are proving difficult. In rural parts of the country, the proportion of condom use among sex workers is less than 50 percent, Hao said.

"When we go to investigate in rural areas, the proportion of people with this knowledge (of AIDS prevention) is still very low," he said. "In addition to that, the proportion of change in their activities is also very low, which means that the condom use rate is still low."

About one in 200 sex workers nationwide currently has HIV, Schwartlander said. But in one part of Yunnan province in the country's far southwest, seven percent of the sex workers -- or as many as 14 in every 200 -- have HIV, according to UNAIDS.

"The sex workers living in remote areas and rural areas have played an important role in AIDS spreading. We do not have a precise figure for the proportion that sex workers make up in it (the spread of AIDS), but we can say that they are making up a significant proportion," Hao said.

The government has a long-term plan to educate the general public and to strengthen intervention in the high-risk populations, particularly sex workers, Hao said.

When HIV initially began to spread in China, infections were concentrated among people who injected drugs, Schwartlander said. Campaigns among this group have been effective, while infections among other groups have risen.

One of those groups, Hao said, was men having sex with men, which accounts for 5.9 percent of infections, according to the Chinese Health Ministry.

A majority of the infections are concentrated among drug users, men having sex with men, and sex workers and their clients, Schwartlander said.

"Society and communities have been able to curb the spread of HIV, also in sex work, and that is what we have to do," Schwartlander said.

As China's economy grows, it is likely the sex industry will as well. Current estimates show that some 30 to 50 million people are at significant risk for HIV infection, Schwartlander said.

"China is a society which is in quite a significant transition. There is a huge increase in disparity of income between the rich and the poor, and all these are very well-known factors that drive the sex industry forward," Schwartlander said. "Clearly, in China, I think that the sex industry is a rising industry. We will see an increase in the number of sex workers due to these factors in the future."

A 22-year-old prostitute in Shenzhen, who did not want to give her name, said she knows the risk but needs the work.

"AIDS is the number one killer for my job. I cannot let this disease destroy my life. This is only a short-term business. I don't have any relatives in Shenzhen and can't borrow any money. I can only rely on myself."

Surrey Survival Arts

Well, Surrey girls have a bad rap

For fucking just any ol’ chap

And street guys are stereotyped too

For the criminal things that they do

But I say the girls are just smart

Yeah, they’ve learned the survival arts

And the boys are just makin' a livin'

Finding ways with the gifts they were given

Take a drive down East Whalley Ring Road

In the sidestreets, you’ll find all the strolls

The working girls strut in the shadows

Peering through all the driver-side windows

The police are around every bend

Pretending to be their best friends

Giving tickets they know won’t deter

Scaring off all the good customers

Desperate times and desperate measures

People who don’t realize they're treasured

Walking down the strip half awake

Counting the times they must break

But we love you Surrey girls and boys

We forgive all your devious ploys

We know you’ve been stabbed in the back

In a figure of speech and on track

Remember you are not forgotten

When the streets are treating you rotten

Remember you are not alone

So so many of us are your own

Naked Facebook

Taking the sex industry by storm is www.nakedtruth.ca, humourously referred to by many as “Naked Facebook” and even “Snatchbook.” Unlike Facebook, members are welcome to post erotic photos of themselves on The Naked Truth, and be rest assured that The Naked Truth will not use or share any of their photos without permission. Members retain ownership and rights to all content they publish on the site.

The Naked Truth was created for adult entertainers to connect with each other and allies of the sex industry, network with other industry members, maintain and nurture relationships with patrons, and keep each other informed.

Adult entertainers include male, female, and trans individuals who provide a sexual service for money (be it fantasy or reality) in the sex industry. While The Naked Truth was originally created for exotic dancers, it has grown to encompass all aspects of adult entertainment, including but not limited to: escorts, BDSM/Fetish workers, adult film actors, erotic writers, male and trans entertainers, street-based sex workers, webcam entertainers, and peep show dancers.

Similarly, coworkers of entertainers such as drivers, DJ’s, agents, business owners, photographers, costume designers, and others, are respected members of The Naked Truth.

The sex industry rights movement has been fortunate to receive a lot of help from community allies, such as family members, women’s organizations, feminist groups, legal societies, academics, and politicians. These supporters of adult entertainers are recognized on The Naked Truth as key players in the industry, making much-needed impacts on the working conditions of survival sex workers and the collective dignity of us all.

Last but never least, is our beloved benefactors – the patrons of the sex industry; male, female, and trans alike. The Naked Truth acts as a resource for patrons to learn how to engage adult entertainers, keep in touch with their favourites, and participate in creating a safer and healthier industry.

Privacy

Members have complete control over their own privacy levels. Some sections of the site are for members only for the safety and anonymity of entertainers. You can determine who will see your profile and who will see your activities in the activity feed (if anyone) among other controls you have over your own privacy levels.

Albums and Videos

You have the power to post and delete your own photos or videos at any time. The Naked Truth will not copy or keep copies of your photographs or videos. If there is ever a photo or video of you posted on The Naked Truth that you do not want to be there, contact an administrator and we will help you to delete it or get it removed ourselves.

Stalkers Not Welcome

While The Naked Truth cannot control who signs up as members of the community, we will respond immediately to any threats, stalking behavior, or general negativity towards any entertainers (or other members). The Naked Truth is dedicated to being a safe space for entertainers above all others. For that reason, criticism of entertainers is not permitted on the site – generally or specifically. This includes rating entertainers and making general statements about specific industry groups as a whole.

If a member behaves inappropriately on The Naked Truth, he or she will be asked not to behave that way. After reasonable attempts to remedy the issue, if the behavior does not change, he or she will be banned from the community. If a member has a past history of stalking or otherwise harassing an entertainer, he or she will be banned immediately once this information is revealed.

Be aware that we will only share information about entertainers with police that you have either given us permission to share, or if the police have produced a warrant requiring us to provide that information. However, information requested by police related to stalking / harassment of entertainers will be provided without notification or consent of the offending member.

Job Board

If you are a business owner who is meeting minimum health and safety standards and you have any job opportunities available that require adult entertainers or value the experience of adult entertainers in your hiring practices, please contact an administrator to have your job opportunity posted on the ``Income Opportunities`` page. Alternatively, everyone is welcome to post job opportunities in the Classifieds section of the site.

Classifieds

The Classifieds section of The Naked Truth allows members to sell their promo and movies, post jobs and wanted ads, sell costumes etc. You are welcome to post erotic services ads in the classifieds section, as well. Please read about screening customers and working the internet safely before booking any engagements.

Polls

You have the ability to poll other members of The Naked Truth – adult entertainers, coworkers, allies, and patrons – on anything you’d like. You can make some up for fun, or post a serious question. Because The Naked Truth is for adult entertainers, we are much more relaxed about the kind of content posted in the polls section.

Blogs

Likewise, the ability for members to blog is intended as a way for us to keep each other educated about the industry, health and safety, and more. Got an erotic story or poem you want to share? Post it in a blog. The Naked Truth is sex positive and values erotic talents of all kinds. Use the blog to post rants about injustices, share funny stories about work, or publish racy cartoons. It’s up to you.

Groups and Events

Similar to Facebook, The Naked Truth offers members the opportunity to create groups and events, and manage who can and cannot view, join, or attend. These options make organizing among industry members and advocates much easier. Invite all your adult entertainment industry friends on Facebook to join The Naked Truth. Networking and social movement will be revolutionized for adult entertainers if we can draw enough membership. It also allows patrons of the industry to support initiatives that improve working conditions for entertainers.

Forums

Probably the most accessed features of The Naked Truth are the forums. This is where all the discussion takes place. Entertainers share information about workspaces and job opportunities, as well as industry-friendly businesses (shoe repairs, tanning salons, plastic surgeons, etc). Rookies ask questions and learn from seasoned professionals. Agents post bookings. And entertainers educate their patrons. The forums are full of activity.

If you are involved with the adult entertainment industry as a coworker, an ally, or a patron – The Naked Truth will welcome you. If you are an adult entertainer – The Naked Truth was made for you.

The NEW Naked Truth!

Due to a miscommunication between me and my former and current web hosting providers, The New Naked Truth website was launched much sooner than expected. It is now a social community, much like facebook, except it is for adult entertainers (read "sex industry"), industry members, allies, and patrons.

In just a few short days, the site is already quite active with 95 members and growing. You are all invited to become members on The Naked Truth. And guess what, there's even a classifieds section.

xo

The Naked Truth strives to encourage, support, inform, and advocate for adult entertainers through connecting community members and allies; challenging stereotypes; providing ethical employment opportunities; and collaborating with other businesses for a thriving adult entertainment industry.

The Naked Truth is a resource and advocacy website for adult entertainers that was created by an exotic dancer in 2001. Annie Temple started it when she recognized a need in her community for a resource and support network. She believed that a website could meet those needs because exotic dancers travel a lot, and the work can be very isolating.

In The Beginning

It is very common to show up at an out-of-town gig and be completely blindsided by rules or accommodations that you weren’t made aware of when you got booked there. Annie wanted to create a website that would enable entertainers to share information about what to expect at different clubs around the world.

It would not only be a resource and support system for exotic dancers, but it would challenge stereotypes and serve as an advocacy site as well. It was a big idea that started very small.

Within a very short amount of time, The Naked Truth rose in popularity among exotic dance industry members and patrons of the industry alike. It also became obvious that many exotic dancers work in other aspects of adult entertainment, such as webcam or modeling. Hence, the term “adult entertainer” is used to be more inclusive of members.

For Adult Entertainers

On The Naked Truth, entertainers are encouraged to post their experiences at different gigs around the world and share what to expect with other entertainers. We’ve built a support system to counter the stigma we experience in our day-to-day lives – from the community in general, and from our loved ones as well.

To give you an idea of the kind of emotional support we are able to provide, adult entertainers are often falsely assumed to be drug addicts or sexually promiscuous. As an entertainer, you can’t usually talk about your job with your family or significant other because they get angry or insulting.

While entertainers are all quite aware that our jobs are just our jobs, everyone else seems to think otherwise. So it is a comfort to us all when we can discuss the ups and downs of this work with people who understand our experiences.

Similarly, we can empower ourselves and each other by acknowledging that no matter what the “moral majority” might say, we know what we are doing is not bad. Theories that insist exotic dancing is inherently exploitive are merely theories served up by people with no exotic dance experience. Reality is very different.

The Naked Truth

We feel empowered through our work, not degraded. In fact, most of us admit to feeling much more degraded in mainstream occupations such as administration, service and hospitality, retail, and more.

The majority of our customers are decent, respectful, and courteous. They are not evil, woman-hating exploiters. Evil, woman-hating exploiters don’t last long in the upbeat, fun atmosphere of a strip club.

In The Naked Truth forums, we find solidarity. We support each other’s right to enjoy our jobs, offer advice on how to handle different challenges, and share each other’s sadness when things in our personal lives turn sour.

We basically provide the kind of friendship we usually only receive in the change-rooms from one week to the next working in isolation all over the world. On The Naked Truth, we are a family.

Community Building

In 2004, when a former entertainer and close friend found out she was terminally ill with cancer, we planned an elaborate fundraising event in her honour to cheer her up.

All the organizing was done as a group through The Naked Truth forums. It brought our community together for a bigger purpose and gave us all an opportunity to take part in reducing the harm of cancer in the world. Jocelyne died later that year, and Exotic Dancers for Cancer became an annual event in her memory.

We also hold an annual “Best Places to Work” contest and post the results on the website, so that patrons can choose ethical businesses to spend their money in and entertainers can acknowledge our favourite employers.

The Naked Truth has become a widely recognized industry resource all over the world, but especially in Canada. As founder of the site, Annie Temple is frequently contacted to address issues that impact exotic dancers in Canada.

Reporters often interview her for stories related to the industry. Organizations like Vancity have contacted her to discuss their policies around businesses associated with the industry. And hundreds of people have emailed her praising the efforts of The Naked Truth community to raise awareness and funds for cancer initiatives.

Through community discussion in The Naked Truth forums and collaboration with the British Columbia government, Annie successfully lobbied for revisions to the regulations in the Liquor Primary Licensee Guide pertaining to exotic show lounges. Her efforts resulted in regulations that - are less vague and outdated, increase safety of entertainers, and allow tipping and distribution of promotional items during shows.

Different Forms of Feminism

Many women have condemned the sex industry in the name of feminism. Feminists still exist today that work to abolish all forms of sex industry work at the expense of other women’s incomes and dignity. Feminist theories about objectification and porn equalling violence have pushed their ways into mainstream rhetoric, conditioning people to believe these theories are facts.

This leads to internalized oppression. In other words, even though we look at our work as something empowering and enjoyable, we’ve been conditioned to be ashamed of our work and to consider ourselves “bad girls” for doing this work.

We may even start asking ourselves questions like “Am I a dancer because I come from a broken home?” Or saying to ourselves, “I am a dancer because I was sexually abused as a child” or other stereotypical assumptions people make about people in the sex industry. No one ever says, “I am a doctor because I was sexually abused as a child.” The correlation is ridiculous, as it is with being an adult entertainer.

The fact is that, like any other industry group, entertainers come from every kind of background you can imagine (not just horrendous ones) and usually get into the work for a few different reasons but particularly for the money.

Once in for the money, we find out that there are lots of other perks. Choosing when and where to work. Taking time off whenever we want. Travelling. Writing off expenses at income tax time. Using our creativity and skill to build our shows. Camaraderie with other women. The power and attention that we become accustomed to, and more.

There are different reasons for continuing to choose this work. And most entertainers find it very hard to leave. Not just because of the gap in the resume but because they can’t find jobs they like more.

Most entertainers will go back to sex industry work after they’ve left because they realize they enjoy it far more than any other job they get. And some of these jobs are lucrative. But they just aren’t as fun.

Being an adult entertainer doesn’t make you automatically a victim despite what many feminists say. They say straight out that dancers are too degraded and incompetent to speak for themselves or to even realize their own degradation. This is women oppressing women.

They are so caught up in their own victim mentalities that they can’t see how they are re-creating the oppression they claim to oppose.

The Naked Truth gives permission to entertainers to enjoy their jobs, consider themselves feminists if they’d like, and stop internalizing the shame that is forced upon them by others.

Adult entertainers are people just like every other person in the world, with one distinct difference! They are comfortable with their sexuality.

Information for Our Beloved Benefactors

The Naked Truth is also a tool to teach customers how to treat entertainers. Many of them want to say and do the right thing, but just don’t know what the right thing is. So, we tell customers what we like and don’t like.

For instance, please don’t blow on the entertainer’s cookie. Please don’t say vulgar things. Do give compliments. Do clap after every song. Do tip. Don’t touch the entertainer or pull her blanket towards you. Do smile at the entertainer. Do buy posters. Do know that we appreciate politeness and sincerity.

About Annie Temple

Annie’s decision to start The Naked Truth catapulted her into a career of advocacy and activism.

Although she retired from stripping in 2004 to be home more for her children, she continues to work towards stabilization of the sex industry. She received the Raven Bowen Ho of the Year award in 2008 for her dedication, passion, honour, commitment, courage and strength to create change for sex industry workers.

Annie is currently working on a fantastic project to create health and safety guides for sex industry members across British Columbia. The guides will have invaluable advice for anyone considering a career in or already involved in sex industry work.

This guide will be available on The Naked Truth site when it is complete.

Craigslist to drop "erotic services" ads

By Jason Szep

BOSTON (Reuters) – Online classified site Craigslist will replace its "erotic services" ads with a new adult category following pressure by state authorities after the murder of a masseuse who advertised on the site.

The "erotic services" section will end within seven days and be replaced by an "adult services" category where advertisements will be individually screened by Craigslist staff, Craigslist said in a statement on Wednesday.

The measures could set a precedent for similar sites, said Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal, who led a 40-state task-force on Craigslist and campaigned publicly for tighter controls on the San Francisco-based service.

"Closing the erotic services section, a blatant Internet brothel, should lead to other blocking and screening measures, and set a model for other sites, if Craigslist keeps its word," he said.

Craigslist's sex-service listings have faced intense scrutiny since the April 14 murder of 25-year-old masseuse Julissa Brisman, who advertised on Craigslist in Boston.

Philip Markoff, a 23-year-old Boston University medical student, was charged with killing Brisman and with attacks on two other women who he met through Craigslist ads.

Craigslist, a 14-year-old online bazaar that generates more than 20 billion page views per month in 50 countries with a staff of just 28 people, is partially owned by online auctioneer eBay, which bought 25 percent in 2004.

Along with free listings for everything from apartments and furniture to jobs and cars, Craigslist.org carries one of the largest and most controversial sex-service listings. Its rapid growth and low-cost business model have hurt newspapers by siphoning away advertising revenue.

Postings to the "erotic services" section will no longer be accepted, Craigslist said. Postings to the new section, which opened on Wednesday, cost $10. Once they are approved, they will be eligible for reposting at $5, the website added.

In April, Blumenthal asked Craigslist officials to eliminate photographs in the "erotic services" and similar sections of the site, hire staff to screen ads that violate Craigslist rules and offer incentives for people who flag and report prostitution advertisements.

"We will be monitoring closely to make sure that this measure is more than a name change from erotic to adult and that the manual blocking is tough and effective to scrub prostitution and pornography," Blumenthal said.

Tabloids dubbed Markoff "the Craigslist killer."

The murder followed the killing of George Weber, a New York reporter knifed to death after responding to a personal ad he placed on Craigslist in March, and the early-April sentencing of Michael Anderson, a Minnesota man convicted of killing a woman who responded to a babysitting ad.
(Editing by Helen Popper)

In response to the above article, several organizations joined to create this release:

PRESS RELEASE: “Erotic Services” Denied: Craigslist and Attorneys General Are Putting Sex Workers At Risk

This is a collaborative press release - please distribute and repost widely!

Contact:
Dylan Wolfe - Sex Workers Action New York (SWANK), swank@riseup.net
Will Rockwell - $pread Magazine, will@spreadmagazine.org
Audacia Ray - Sex Work Awareness (SWA), aray@sexworkawareness.org
Susan Blake - Prostitutes of New York (PONY), pony@panix.com
Michael Bottoms - Sex Workers Outreach Project - New York City (SWOP-NYC), info@swop-nyc.org

With Craigslist’s recent announcement that its Erotic Services category will be discontinued within the week, hundreds of thousands of erotic service providers will become more vulnerable to dangerous predators. Eliminating erotic listings as Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal and others propose will only drive us further underground.

Policing the masseuses, phone workers, pro-dominants, and escorts using Craigslist fails to protect those of us who are coerced into the sex industry. Preventing the use of Craigslist advertisements also eliminates the advantage of screening clients online, which makes for a safer work experience by filtering out potentially dangerous individuals. Furthermore, keeping us offline hinders police investigations of violent crime. In the Boston murder of Julissa Brisman, it was online tracking that enabled the police to identify the suspect. One has to wonder: are the Attorneys General examining the evidence or simply enforcing their moral values?

“Removing the erotic services category from Craigslist does not help prevent violence against escorts and other sex workers. It only pushes me and people like me out of the places where advertising is available,” said Jessica Bloom, a sex worker from Sex Workers Action New York (SWANK). In the face of increasing criminalization, we insist upon respect. As mothers, daughters, brothers, and members of your community, we claim that sex work is real work, work that we are entitled to conduct in safety. As such, we must be accorded the human right of full protection under the law.

Antonia Zerbisias - My New Hero

I love this article, which was forwarded to me by FIRST.

In defence of women who want to sell sex

http://www.thestar.com/living/article/633275

In defence of women who want to sell sex

Columnist says book tells only half the story

May 13, 2009 04:30 AM

Antonia Zerbisias
Living Columnist

Victor Malarek is practically shouting over the phone.

Maybe it's because he's talking on his mobile, on his way to satisfy a craving for strawberries and ice cream.

More likely because the investigative reporter, formerly with CBC's the fifth estate and now with CTV's W-FIVE, is frustrated with my objections to his new book, The Johns: Sex for Sale and the Men Who Buy It.
It's a follow-up to his The Natashas: The New Global Sex Trade.

It's not that we disagree on many points. Human trafficking is, indeed, very wrong. Child prostitution is horrifying. Sex tourism is disgusting. What happens to women who hit the streets, where they fall prey to drugs, violent clients, brutal pimps, corrupt cops and even serial killers, is unspeakable.

As for the misogyny online, where Malarek found 16 "johns" he interviewed and "five thousand posts" he analyzed, well, tell me something I don't know. Cyberspace is one-handed nirvana for misogynists who cruise degrading porn and talk trash about women.

What I object to is Malarek's contention that all sex work is wrong; that there is, for all intents and purposes, no such thing as, to use his words, a "happy hooker.''

Which infuriates "Ginger,'' one of several women I know, maybe even the mom next door to you, who love their escort jobs.

A fortysomething divorcée with two teens, she stumbled into the trade through a friend 10 years ago. When she discovered that she could support her family working only a few days a week – with NHL players, touring rock stars and even (former) provincial premiers – she quit her social services job and never looked back.

"(Malarek) just cannot see anyone choosing to do this," Ginger tells me, echoing other professional escorts. "It's a very paternalistic, patronizing attitude he has and he chooses to ignore all the women – I know women are talking to him. I know women are saying, `Listen to me' – and he brushes them off as the happy hooker contingency."

To Malarek, those who lobby for the decriminalization of prostitution are "bozos'' who are "unrelenting and vociferous shills for the sex industry" and "staunchly defend women's rights to sell their bodies and men's rights to buy them.''

Well, as a supporter of this "happy hooker lobby," I must say that most of the groups he lists do not represent men at all, except for those men who work in the sex trade.

Instead, what the groups, such as SPOC (Sex Professionals of Canada), do is fight for the rights and safety of adults – mostly women – who choose to work as "call girls.''

After all, sex is not illegal here. Neither is buying a woman a drink and/or dinner and getting consensual sex in return. And neither, for that matter, is prostitution.

What is illegal are the means that protect sex workers from harm.

Canada's Criminal Code, for example, prevents the keeping of a "bawdy house." That means women can't set up shop together. Isn't there safety in numbers?

It also prevents people from "living on the avails'' of prostitution. That means, if you're working to put your live-in teenage son through college, he could be construed as a "pimp.''

(Note that, in Ontario, SPOC is fighting a legal challenge against these laws.)

Malarek's book really doesn't get into the legal details, except to rant against how legalization – which he conflates with the very different decriminalization – has been a failure in other countries.

But where is his research? His footnotes? His citations?

Instead, he relies heavily on American clinical psychologist Melissa Farley, whose work is subsidized by a group that equates sex work with human trafficking.

But, if there's so much human trafficking in North America, how come there haven't been mass arrests? Why do abolitionists such as Malarek (and Farley) focus only on street workers and sex slaves?

As Ginger points out: "There aren't data on average mainstream sex workers because they don't get arrested, don't have drug problems and don't fall within statistics. The only thing I do that's illegal is that I work for an agency."

An agency that supplies drivers to keep an eye on things, maintains "bad client lists'' and takes about $45 from every $200 one-hour "call." All sex is "covered'' – i.e., safe – and, according to Ginger, who has never had a bad experience, makes up only a few moments of the typical hour.

But Malarek ignores such escort services – which are legion – to complain that "in the world of prostitution, there is no such thing as safe sex. It is a world prone to violence, drug addiction, degradation, disease, depression, vulnerability.''

No argument there, with one caveat: That usually happens only when sex workers are treated like criminals, pushed to the margins and have no rights.

In fairness, Malarek reserves his harshest judgment for men who, in his opinion, should never have a reason to buy sex, no matter what. Even if they're infirm, socially awkward or butt-ugly.

"They can get a relationship!'' he shouts into the phone.

To him, it's simple. Go after the "male urges.'' Punish the johns.

But to Ginger, that's simplistic.

"I think the abolitionist theory is dangerous," she insists. "You're not going to abolish it, first of all. So that makes the book profoundly unrealistic.

"The problem is, if you punish the johns, if you go by the Swedish example, the only customers you lose are the good ones, the ones with good jobs and lives who are afraid of infringing on that with criminal charges. The ones who stay are the bad guys who don't care.''

And, as Malarek insists, there are enough bad guys buying sex as it is.

Raising Funds by Shaving My Head...Maybe

I'm collecting donations for a family on Vancouver Island with a 2 yr old boy named Jove who has leukemia. He, his parents, and his twin older siblings (5 yrs old) have to travel to the mainland for treatments and it has been financially trying for the family. They are a super-positive, strong, happy family who do not see the cancer as something bad, but as something that brings new experiences.

Exotic Dancers for Cancer will be held in Victoria at the Fox Pub at the Red Lion Inn on May 24th and Jove is the recipient of the fundraiser.

To help raise funds and just for the fun of it too, I'm taking donations from people who think I should shave my head and also those who think I should NOT shave my head. Whichever envelope has more money in it by the evening of May 24th (guests at the event can also contribute) - will decide the fate of my hair.

I looked into donating it for wigs but they don't take coloured hair unfortunately. So, if it is off with my locks? I will have a wig and a few cute hats on hand for the occasion. LOL

Let me know if you want to make a donation to one of the envelopes. xoxo

annie@nakedtruth.ca

Feminist Porn Awards Winners

Good For Her is proud to announce the winners of the 2009 Feminist Porn Awards!

Toronto, ON, April 27, 2009: On Friday April 24^th, feminist pornographers from Canada and the United States came together at The Berkeley Church Heritage Event Venue for a steamy and x-rated celebration of feminist porn. Twelve awards and five Honourable Mentions were handed out in categories ranging from Most Deliciously Diverse Cast to Hottest Kink Movie at this annual event, now in its fourth year.

"Good For Her began organizing the Feminist Porn Awards to celebrate the growing diversity of porn that really does exist," said Alison Lee, manager of Good for Her and the event's organizer. "Porn has expanded to include women and marginalized communities, and many people don’t know about the hot and artistic movies that are being made with a feminist sensibility. We are proud to promote these filmmakers, and excited about directing people to their work”.

The 2009 Feminist Porn Awards were hosted by Proud FM DJ and well known MC Deb “Dirk” Pearce, and more than 400 guests gathered at the Berkeley Church to toast those creating porn that offers a relief from the mainstream.

Starting in 2008, the Good For Her Feminist Porn Awards added a second night to their celebration: Feisty Feminist Porn on the Big Screen, giving audiences a chance to see more of these incredible films as well as a chance to engage with filmmakers in a panel discussion and Question and Answer period. Held this year at the Royal Theatre in Toronto, over 350 people gathered to watch selections from five Feminist Porn Award winning movies and upcoming films including Perversions of Lesbian Lust Vol. 1 by Madison Young, Roulette by Courtney Trouble, Man of My Dreams by Mimi Balfour, Doing it Ourselves by Tobi Hill-Myer and the documentary Women Will Come: Feminists Re-Defining Pornography by Joanne Loton.

The 2009 Good For Her Feminist Porn Award winners are:

Hottest Kink Movie

Perversions of Lesbian Lust Vol.1 | Madison Young; Madison Bound Productions

Steamiest Trans Scene

Crash Pad Series 2- Unlocked | Shine Louise Houston; Pink and White Productions

Sexiest Straight Movie

Intense Desires | Eli Cross ; Lennox Films

Hottest Mature Couple’s Movie

Bill and Desiree: Love is Timeless | Tony Comstock; Comstock Films

Most Sensual Softcore

& Golden Beaver Award for Canadian Content

Man of My Dreams | Mimi Balfour; Cleopatra Productions

Steamiest Educational Series

Red Hot Touch Series | New World Sex Education

Sexiest Dyke Movie

One Night Stand (Pour Une Nuit) | Emilie Jouvet; Hyst Productions

Most Deliciously Diverse Cast

Roulette | Courtney Trouble; Nofauxxx Productions

Heartthrob of the Year

Dylan Ryan | For work in Strap-on Motel, Sex Mannequin, Crash Pad Series Volume 3, Champion, Perversions of Lesbian Lust: Volume 1 and Lesbian Life: Real Sex San Francisco.

Heartthrob of the Year

Tyler Knight | For work in Chemistry 4 and Intense Desires

Indie Porn Pioneer

Madison Young

Movie of the Year

Champion | Shine Louise Houston; Pink and White Productions

Honorable Mentions:

· Voluptuous Biker Babes | Carlos Batts; Adam and Eve Pictures

· Matinee | Jennifer Lyon Bell; Blue Artichoke Films

· Couch Surfers: Trans Men in Action | Trannywood Pictures; Brazen Garage Squad Productions

· Skateboard Kink Freak | Maria Beatty; Bleu Productions

· Barcelona Sex Project | Erika Lust; Lust Films

About Good For Her: Since 1997, Good For Her, located on 175 Harbord Street, has been creating a uniquely comfortable environment where women and men can feel comfortable learning about sex and pleasure. Good For Her provides quality sex toys, erotic and educational books and DVDs and education that empowers and celebrates the diversity of women’s sexuality.

About The Feminist Porn Awards: The Good For Her Feminist Porn Awards started in 2006 to honour the independent spirit and sex-positive outlook of a new crop of pornographers and covers two nights – the Feminist Porn Awards and Feisty Feminist Porn on the Big Screen.

The Good For Her Feminist Porn Awards & Feisty Feminist Porn on the Big Screen took place

Friday April 24^th at the Berekely Church Heritage Events Venue – 315 Queen St East/ $18 advance $20 door. Feisty Feminist Porn on the Big Screen took place at the Royal Theatre at 608 College Street, $12.

Images can be found at http://www.flickr.com/photos/feministpornawards .

Exotic Dancers for Cancer in the News

We were spoken of quite nicely in the Province on Sunday. Thank you, Dan Murphy! But no mention of The Naked Truth. :(

We'll be in 24 hours on Thursday.

And the Straight listed our event as they do every year. Thank you, Straight!

Tomorrow morning, to get publicity for ed4c, Ryann is going live on-air at 7am.

They are loading up the CFOX 99.3 station vehicle with some dancers and Ryann's portable pole and giving the streets of Vancouver the finest morning commute in years. Maybe some pole action at the skytrain stations, construction sites, the police station, etc.

As it is in public there will be NO nudity. I wish I could be there! Just call me Surrey, suburban mom. I'll be getting my kids ready for school at that time. lol