As with many taboo topics, it can be hard to decide how to handle the conversation around sex work when it comes up. Between bills restricting porn access and stories on the news about prostitution stings and brothel raids, discussions are happening more and more within families and friendship groups who would ordinarily avoid discussing sexual matters.
Category Archives: Language
Stop Saying “The World’s Oldest Profession”
I am tired of hearing this racist phrase repeated by people who should know better. This phrase has a deeply racist origin and sex workers have no need to be legitimized through appeals to the age of the profession.
Is It Okay To Say Whore?
Since so many people are called whores to insult them through comparison to sex workers, many people feel as though they can reclaim the word or that it’s been reduced to meaning anyone promiscuous. Let’s talk about the reclamation of whorephobic slurs.
Sex Work Slogans
If you pay any attention to sex workers’ rights advocacy, you’ll know that there are certain slogans which are used to draw attention to the movement and our demands. Here’s a short breakdown of some of the more popular ones.
How to Talk About Minors Selling Sex
Even referring to minors as being capable of “selling sex” is going to be controversial to a lot of people. A person selling sexual services and being raped or abused are not mutually exclusive – saying minors can sell sex does not minimize that their clients are raping them.
Applying the Label “Sex Worker” to People Selling Sex Throughout History
When it comes to researching historical prostitution, it is incredibly difficult to find accounts which come directly from people selling sex. The further back in history we go, the more true that is. Since the term “sex worker” is a recent invention, coined in the late 70s, and most works will use euphemisms or derogatory terms, there is often debate over whether it is appropriate to retroactively call people sex workers if they sold sex.
Zine: What Terms Exist for Sex Workers?
Paid subscriber only: A zine about what terms exist for sex workers, the context those labels are used in, and the situations in which certain words for sex workers are ideal or not.
Don’t Say “Sex Work”
When it comes to the topic of prostitution and censorship of discussion about it, terms like “sex work” are often banned whilst words like “prostitution” or “sex trafficking” are not.
Responsible Reporting on Sex Work
A lot of people are being undervalued for their contributions in journalism or other forms of written media. Journalists and other writers should have solidarity with the sex workers they interview and seek to make the process as easy and safe for them as possible, rather than being a part of the machine which exploits us.
“I’d be an escort if not for…”
Sometimes clients will tell me that if they were attractive women, they would be escorts. This comes with the assumption that if they were women, they’d be attracted to men and have a high sex drive. Usually, when I prod carefully at this idea, it becomes clear that they have this imagined idea of whatContinue reading ““I’d be an escort if not for…””
Jack Talks About Sex Work 