[1] http://www.theguardian.com/society/2015/jan/06/child-prostitution-term-outdated-mp-ann-coffey
[2] http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/stockport-ann-coffey-child-prostitution-8387973

Also, I’m removing the word “erstwhile” from my description of Annie Sprinkle given that it doesn’t reflect the ongoing work she does for sex workers, and also carries unsavory connotations.”

Agreed! Calling us “workers” is messed up. While we definitely do work, we are not on a salary and not guaranteed to earn money on every shift. It is a weird thing, this sort of work. I “work” for an agency, meaning they take a cut of my earnings, they have rules that must be followed, etc in exchange for safety from both police and bad clients. However, if we don’t “break” during a shift, we dont get paid for just “going to work” like a salaried or hourly employee does. (“Break” means to get your first client of your shift, at least in my area)

I do actually regret using the Sprinkle/Fantasies That Matter Conflict as an example of former sex workers using “prostitute” against current sex workers now, since there were other more appropriate examples I could’ve used, and there was no need to use incendiary language and escalate the conflict that lingered from last summer.
I’ve since spoken to Carol Leigh about her experiences at the conference, and it seems things were a lot more complicated than they appeared to those of us who didn’t attend.
So readers looking for different perspectives on the conference besides the post by Lane Champagne I linked in which she comments on the Facebook discussion that follows the conference can start here by looking at this post by a German sex worker participant:
http://researchprojectgermany.wordpress.com/2014/08/26/guest-post-the-talking-whore/

In an issue of “Tits & Sass” dated March 11. 2013 Caty Simon and Jessie reviewed issue #1 of Pros(e) the sex worker anthology published by the Red Umbrella Project. I was one of twelve contributors to the anthology. The review was in the form of a conversation and took up nearly 2800 words. My piece was the final one reviewed and of the 800 or so words in the section , half were used to disparage someone who was not a contributor to the anthology. You used the review of my piece as a jumping off point from which to disparage the work of my best friend Annie Sprinkle. Now, in this P-word post, you’ve done it again.

When I read that review of Pros(e) at the time it was posted, I decided not to respond because while I found a few useful suggestions, I felt any response at the time would just gain you more readers. I am speaking up now because you have continued to use this blog to bully and vilify my best friend. Enough is enough.

From Tits & Sass, 3/11/13:
“Caty: I have to say I don’t like Annie Sprinkle’s new age approach, and I find her to be classist sometimes, but she did a lot for the sex workers’ rights movement.
Jessie: I appreciate the inclusion of sex work activism history. I was fascinated by the second part about (Vera’s) testifying in front of the Senate! I would have loved more focus on that!
However, Annie Sprinkle’s version of sex work activism is VERY well documented and almost constantly celebrated, even revered, in sex work activist communities. I feel like that focus comes at the expense of other voices and efforts. There were AIDS activists concerned with queer sex, porn, and sex work in the 80s as well, sex workers of color organizing, and there have always been sex workers involved in anti-racist and anti-poverty movements. I’m feeling burned out and seriously bothered devoting more time, space, and hero worship to the same people.”

And there’s more. Bottom line, 15% of the article was devoted to Annie Sprinkle, a person whom you already thinks gets too much press. It seems to me you are using Annie to call attention to your own agenda, a scramble for the top, which I find to be one that separates colleagues. Since that review, perhaps even prior, and certainly after, most notably this most recent post on the word Prostitute, you have continued to criticize and viciously condemn Annie Sprinkle at every opportunity. You use her name just as some trangender activists jumped on RuPaul to call attention to their feelings about the word “tranny.” Here, you use Annie’s name as a tag word and linked to an even more insulting article.
In the P-word article you also refer to Annie as an “erstwhile movement leader.” Much as you would like it to be so, in the minds and hearts of many, there is nothing “erstwhile” about Annie’s leadership. She still responds when called. For years now, she has focused her time on her own projects, but her work and her contributions to the sex workers’ rights movement are as you say “celebrated, revered and documented” and many sex workers see her as a mentor, respect and admire her. And that is something your words can never take away. In fact, you belittle yourselves in the attempt.
You can do better

That said, once it catches on isn’t it just going to be used in the same way “prostitute” is used now? The stigma is attached to the concept, not the syllables.