Hugh Hefner: Rapist And Revolutionary

Content warning: this post contains brief references to rape and abuse.  Hugh Hefner died. Of course he did. Dude was 91. When my castmate announced it after rehearsal, I didn’t feel shock at the news. Hefner may as well have died when he stopped being the editor of Playboy magazine. Or when The Girls Next… Continue reading Hugh Hefner: Rapist And Revolutionary

When Feminism Is A Brand

(Photo by Toban B. via Flickr)

This piece was originally posted by the author on Medium. Content warning: the links in this post lead to articles detailing the rape and sexual assault of sex workers. We need to talk about the ever increasing number of men like James Deen who utilize feminism as a marketable identity to cover up their abusive… Continue reading When Feminism Is A Brand

Who Can We Trust? Vulnerability, Whorephobia, And Fundraising For Heather

One of the more difficult aspects of living as a sex worker is never knowing exactly whom you can trust. Sometimes even allies can say offensive things or break confidentiality. In the wake of such indiscretions, it’s sex workers themselves who are left to navigate that broken trust and the increased vulnerability that comes along… Continue reading Who Can We Trust? Vulnerability, Whorephobia, And Fundraising For Heather

Actually, My Hand Feeds Me: A Message To Annie Sprinkle

Annie Sprinkle: a woman who needs to get back in touch with her movement rather than speaking over it (Photo by Creatrix Tlara, via her flickr and the Creative Commons)

As a general rule, I absolutely love being called “adorable.” It reaffirms a lifetime of well-intentioned cheek pinches and makes me feel like I still look youthful as I approach 30. But being an adorable person is a very different thing than being part of an adorable movement. So when Annie Sprinkle took to Facebook… Continue reading Actually, My Hand Feeds Me: A Message To Annie Sprinkle

Labor of Love

(Image via Melissa Gira Grant's twitter account)

You might recognize this sentiment: the sex workers’ rights movement is funded by “the industry.” We are “the pimp lobby,” whether we’ve ever been in any sort of management role ourselves or not, let alone whether we’ve abused or exploited other workers. You might think it’s pretty easy to laugh at that sort of thing,… Continue reading Labor of Love