Daniel Holtzclaw, Black Women, And The Myth of Police Protection

Content warning: this piece contains general discussion of rape. On his 29th birthday, December 10th, former Oklahoma City Police officer Daniel Holtzclaw, who targeted low income, criminalized Black women and girls for sexual assault while on duty, was found guilty of 18 of the 36 charges brought against him. He now faces up to 263… Continue reading Daniel Holtzclaw, Black Women, And The Myth of Police Protection

Charlie Sheen Is No Poster Boy

(Image by Cesar Mascarenhas via Flickr)

In his Today Show interview revealing his HIV diagnosis, well known actor Charlie Sheen insisted that he no longer feels the stigma associated with HIV. In a predictably hypocritical manner, he made this proclamation mere minutes after he perpetuated the stigmatization of sex workers—interviewer Matt Lauer quoted the open letter he’d posted to his fans… Continue reading Charlie Sheen Is No Poster Boy

Not Good For Me: An Interview with Suzy Favor Hamilton

Suzy Favor Hamilton. (Courtesy of Favor Hamilton)

In 2012, former Olympian middle distance runner and motivational speaker Suzy Favor Hamilton was outed as a Vegas agency escort. Recently, Favor Hamilton published her memoir, Fast Girl: A Life Spent Running From Madness, telling the story of her childhood, her athletic career, her stint escorting, her family life, and her struggle with bipolar disorder.… Continue reading Not Good For Me: An Interview with Suzy Favor Hamilton

“You’re So Brave!”: Pro Sub Stigma And Its Discontents

(Image by CarpesTreasures via Flickr)

Working as a professional submissive often makes you feel like an outsider. Pro-subs and pro-switches are a relatively rare breed of service provider, which makes our work feel pretty esoteric from the get go. For every one of us, there are many more vanilla, in-person, indoor workers. In part, this could be because the need… Continue reading “You’re So Brave!”: Pro Sub Stigma And Its Discontents

Fast Girl: A Life Spent Running From Madness (2015)

Suzy Favor Hamilton’s autobiography, Fast Girl: A Life Spent Running From Madness, catalogs the Olympic runner’s experience with mental illness, her career shift from professional mid-distance running to high-end escorting, and her eventual outing and diagnosis as bipolar. Following the birth of her daughter and her retirement from running, Favor Hamilton found her career path… Continue reading Fast Girl: A Life Spent Running From Madness (2015)