by William Dean
(04/06/05)

Before the World Wide Web, few sex workers had what might be called a "public voice." The most usual historical form was the tell-all autobiography, such as A House is Not a Home, by Polly Adler, published in 1953, and Xaviera Hollander's The Happy Hooker, in 1972. More recently, we have seen Michelle Tea's illustrated and autobiographical book, Rent Girl, Nelly Arcan's novel Whore, and Tracy Quan's Diary of a Manhattan Call Girl : A Novel. These books garnered both public acclaim and pseudo-scandalized reactions from media book panderers.

For more cogent and gritty information, these days, however, interested readers turn to those formidable WWW inventions, the blog and the e-zine. Why are sex workers becoming web-columnists, and what are they achieving?

Audacia Ray says it succinctly at her blog, Waking Vixen. "It's important to me to be outspoken, because I'm putting my cunt where my sex-positive mouth is. The combination of talking, writing, and doing is really the only way to destigmatize sex work, and diverse sexualities generally."

Jane Vincent's The Educated Slut blog puts the perspective this way: "I work as a sexuality educator, and research & write for a sexual health organization. Through my academic studies, I explore larger sexual themes of identity and experience. Sex work allows me to synthesize these fields. I love being a sex worker, and more specifically, I love being a whore. I am not ashamed of the work I do, as I believe I am improving my clients' quality of life (as well as my own) through our encounters."

Melissa Gira posts her thoughts, feelings, and issue-related info at Sacred Whore. Gira also does presentations at venues ranging from universities to community meeting rooms and non-profit organization storefronts. Thoughtful and funny, she asks, "What can we all learn from the Sacred Whore? Step into a modern-day temple to explore the myths & mysteries, as well as the pitfalls & practicalities, of being a Pagan and a sex worker. We'll call on members of the sex worker pantheon from diverse traditions, explore sacred whore spirituality for those within and without the sex industry, and plot magic & ritual that is wholly ho."

Magdelene Meretrix, a Clean Sheets staff emeritus, is another sex worker who emphasizes the sacred aspects of the profession at her Meretrix Online site and blog.

The dichotomy between profane and sacred, between business and spiritual issues, often seems pandemic among sex workers. It is not so much a justification of the practice as it is a re-enforcement of pride in the profession and its participants. There is also the important element of choice over non-choice. Enslavement for prostitution -- we know from world statistics -- is as rampant as it ever has been, particularly in Asian nations and the former Soviet countries. So on the one hand, exploitation by the corrupt and criminal is fueling harsh and repressive measures against prostitution, while on the other hand, sex work (as a chosen profession) is gaining a cachet of respect and even admiration.

Perhaps the most important benefit from the sex worker blogs is the more forthright communication. A new magazine is creating talk as well, titled $pread: Illuminating the Sex Industry. A co-editor, Raven Strega, tells us the purpose of the magazine: "We want the general public to become aware of issues such as the physical working conditions of sex workers and their health care and housing needs, and to start considering sex workers as real people rather than mythical beasts who only come to life when someone drops a quarter into a slot."

$preading the Word

Co-editors Rebecca Lynn & Raven Strega give us the lowdown on the hows and whys of $pread.

CS: While we see quite a few Web sites for and about sex workers, ranging from personal blogs to large-scale informational and review pages, the introduction of $pread seems unique. What exactly prompted you to formulate $pread and how will it serve the sex worker community?

$pread: A few of us were organizing a benefit for PONY (an NYC sex workers' organization) and wanted to continue the momentum after the event was over. Rachel, one of my co-editors, and I both had visions of creating a publication that would come from a sex workers' perspective and together came up with the idea for $pread. Rachel met Raven, our other co-editor, at a barbeque held by a PONY member, and it all sort of came together after that. Now, though, it's hard for some of us to believe, we have a magazine. Our hope is that $pread will serve the sex worker community by acting as a mouthpiece for those who have a story to tell.

CS: Although the principle and practice of sex work seem ageless (perhaps going back to prehistory), what, in your opinion, really seems behind the prohibition and criminalizing of such a time-honored profession?

$pread: I think the obsession with (controlling) sex is telling of the continued influence of repressive, Victorian ideals about sex on all of us. Religion and Christian morals also play a huge role in the public's view of sex work and sex-positive culture. When it comes down to it, openness about sex and sexuality is so discouraged that the sex workers, and for that matter, women, who embody this sort of openness really seem to threaten a lot of people.

CS: Sex worker's blogs appear to be the new "flavor of the month," with several bloggers going on to produce "tell all" books, such as Belle du Jour and Washingtonienne. Apart from gaining publicity and lucrative contracts, how are such books good and/or bad for sex workers generally?

$pread: It's not really surprising to me that books about sex work are receiving so much attention lately. The public is fascinated with sex, and we all know that's not going to change anytime soon. I think that books like those you've mentioned are powerful in their ability to give sex workers a chance to tell their own stories. Hopefully by doing so, these authors will help open the door for other sex workers to do the same.

CS: What primarily will future articles and other contents of $pread cover or reveal that may surprise or help educate readers?

$pread: $pread will bring to light the sex industry from the workers' perspectives, including everything from interesting bits like tricks of the trade and sex worker style to news reports and first-hand accounts of sex work. There's an excellent article in the first issue by Jo Doezema, which is a personal memoir of returning to prostitution in London after a long hiatus spent pursuing a career in academics, that simultaneously tells the horrifying story of the deportation of some of her migrant co-workers. In future issues, you can look for an account of the effects of gentrification on trans sex workers in NYC, and a great piece on the ins and outs of 'working it' in the age-old British strip pub.

CS: Critics, so-called reformers, and censorship zealots always condemn sex work and workers in the strongest terms, yet these same people are often later revealed to be "customers/clients." Do you think, generally speaking, that this is simply because of the "lure of the forbidden," or does it relate to a deeper disrespect for sex workers and a need to abuse them sexually?

$pread: It's strange to me when the same customers who pay sex workers' salaries don't have the backbone to back these workers politically, and it happens all the time. There's definitely a 'lure of the forbidden,' but this idea that it's okay to acquire the services of sex workers' as long as you turn around and publicly denounce them sounds like a story of mixed-up politics. I think it shows a huge amount of disrespect toward sex workers, as well as selfishness on the part of the customers.

CS: Do you think it is really an "urban myth" that many people (male and female) turn a "blind eye" to their significant others engaging in activities with sex workers?

$pread: No, I think that many people ignore the infidelities and other forms of dishonesty demonstrated by their significant others all the time. On the other hand, there are also lots of couples that are polyamorous, or have other kinds of arrangements that permit each other to see sex workers or other people without having to do it behind their partner's back. Many couples have agreements that permit them to see sex workers, but not to date, or to only see sex workers when traveling, etc. There are about as many permutations of monogamy and non-monogamy as there are partnerships. Commitment means something different to everyone!

CS: As, in some cases, societies express a wider, more open view of sex work (particularly in some European and Asian countries), how has this produced social benefits while seemingly also reducing "crime?"

$pread: Open legal policy regarding sex work improves conditions by allowing sex workers to report crimes committed by customers and employers alike, and provides access to benefits given to other types of workers. Currently, many sex workers are denied access to these benefits and face dangerous conditions due to the illegal nature of their profession. Like with any kind of labor reform, legalization has its own issues, unique to each community and set of laws that regulate it. Of course, that's far too detailed to get into here, but suffice it to say that any policy that facilitates workers' abilities to work openly and seek support from legal and social institutions that are available to the public at large, is better than the dangerous obscurity of illegal work.

Sex workers' rights advocates in the US are working at improving conditions for sex workers. Activists in California recently made efforts to pass a proposal called 'Measure Q', which would have decriminalized prostitution across the state. Exotic dancers have formed unions in California and Alaska, and others from across the country are moving in a similar direction. I think our government is a long way away from implementing legal and social policies that are fair to sex workers, but there is a strong and growing movement built around challenging the status quo.

CS: Will there be material in future issues of $pread that will appeal to general readers, or is it specifically for sex workers?

$pread: $pread is for anyone working in the industry, anyone who has interest in the sex industry, and anyone interested in social change and labor issues. Those categories include a lot of people. Basically, the magazine wants to foster a sense of community, and break the isolation so many people in this industry feel, as well as de-stigmatize the work and get the general public interested in issues that pertain to sex work. It is important to remember that this industry is both vast and largely underground, so although many people don't realize it, these issues affect someone they love, even if they don't pertain to themselves directly. Everybody knows someone who is working in this industry.

CS: Do you foresee an international readership for $pread, particularly as sex workers are a global community?

$pread: Absolutely. $pread already includes a number of internationally focused articles. We have received submissions from authors in Thailand, England, France, Israel, and Palestine. Even in these early stages, we have subscribers as far away as Australia, Finland, and Hong Kong. We undoubtedly hope to continue in this international direction as the magazine develops and grows.

CS: What is the most important message $pread hopes to get across to sex workers?

$pread: The most important message that we would like to get across to sex workers is that their stories, experiences, ideas, and artwork are valuable. We want sex workers to know that $pread is a resource available to them, and we hope they will make use of it. We hope sex workers will find a source of support and encouragement to assert their rights, fight for the changes they see as important, and resist isolation and marginalization. We hope this magazine will serve as a vehicle for forging community in what is a vast industry staffed by a diverse body of people. The most useful act $pread could perform for this industry is to print articles that are as diverse and powerful as the population of sex workers themselves.

Check it out - Sex Worker Blogs and Zines:

Waking Vixen - Audacia Ray

The Educated Slut - Jane Vincent

Sacred Whore - Melissa Gira

Meretrix Online - Magdalene Meretrix

$pread magazine