Three years ago, at this very time of year, this post came across my Tumblr dashboard. It was the first time I had seen anything like it and I was staggered. Stripper tumblr (strumplr?) was outraged, and though responses began with the intent of being educational, they devolved quickly as the original poster, Kelly, blasted… Continue reading The Gr8 Pole Deb8: PoleCon Edition
Category: Sex Work Sells
What Does Amalia Ulman’s Instagram Art Mean for Sex Workers?
‘Up-and-coming’ no longer describes Argentine-born Amalia Ulman. Her recent work– a secret Instagram photo series mimicking the online persona of an L.A. sugar baby–made some huge waves. Ulman is quickly gaining ground as an artist whose accomplishments extend well beyond speaking at the respected Swiss Institute and showing at Frieze and the 9th Berlin Biennale.… Continue reading What Does Amalia Ulman’s Instagram Art Mean for Sex Workers?
It’s Not About Me: Responsibility In Sex Worker Writing
New sex worker writers often justify their sex work with respectability politics. I did it. I fucked up with my very first piece, in a big venue, the Guardian, contrasting my sex work to that of hypothetical trafficked workers, so-called “miserable slaves.” Even after taking feedback about that mistake, it took me a while to… Continue reading It’s Not About Me: Responsibility In Sex Worker Writing
Why You Shouldn’t Study Sex Workers
This is an edited version of a post originally published on Lime Jello’s blog autocannibal. Before I finished my B.A., I encountered a social worker who was working on her M.A. Her politics were generally pro-decriminalization, but she also liked to trade in horror stories about women whose vaginas fell out from having too much sex.… Continue reading Why You Shouldn’t Study Sex Workers
Peta Brady’s Ugly Mugs—An Analogy
As a writer, a former sex worker, and someone who has been quite vocal in my writing about the industry, I’ve been approached quite a number of times to write about the play Ugly Mugs by Peta Brady. I’ve declined each time. Firstly, because I have not seen the play. I’ve only read about it online and read sex… Continue reading Peta Brady’s Ugly Mugs—An Analogy