Imagine at the age of 16 being sex trafficked by a pimp named “cut-throat.” After days of being repeatedly drugged and raped by different men, you were purchased by a 43-year-old child predator who took you to his home to use you for sex. You end up finding enough courage to fight back and shoot… Continue reading Cyntoia Brown and the Commodification of the Good Victim
Why The #NYCStripperStrike Is So Relevant And So Long Overdue
A slightly different version of this piece was originally posted on Akynos’ blog, blackheaux, on November 8th A personal history of being a Black stripper It’s about fucking time! That’s all I can say about this stripper strike organizing. I am excited to see more and more gentlemen’s club/exotic dancers taking this business seriously enough… Continue reading Why The #NYCStripperStrike Is So Relevant And So Long Overdue
The Eros Raid Means None of Us Are Safe
Three days ago, Eros-Guide’s call center in Youngsville, North Carolina, was raided by the Department of Homeland Security. On Tuesday morning at 10:30 AM, a dozen black government vehicles converged on parent company Bolma Star Service’s office and data center, beginning a search and seizure operation that would last into the night. They confiscated computers,… Continue reading The Eros Raid Means None of Us Are Safe
Velvet Collar, The Rentboy Raid Inspired Comic Book
Velvet Collar is a comic book series written and produced by worker Bryan Knight and drawn by queer comic artist Dave Davenport. It depicts the lives of five male sex workers. In the course of the series’ narrative, an escort listing service is shut down by the feds—a thinly-veiled representation of the Rentboy raid and… Continue reading Velvet Collar, The Rentboy Raid Inspired Comic Book
Whitewashed And Stole: Marsha P. Johnson, Reina Gossett, and David France
On Friday, October 6th, I settled in for a night of Netflix. But this night of Netflix would be epic, because Netflix had just released the documentary The Death and Life of Marsha P. Johnson, directed by David France. The film follows the investigation into pioneering sex working black trans activist Marsha P. Johnson’s 1992… Continue reading Whitewashed And Stole: Marsha P. Johnson, Reina Gossett, and David France