In honor of #internationalwhoresday—a day for solidarity among sex workers and allies, a call for decriminalization, and a protest against stigma and violence against SWers—we’ve collected our 10 favorite Slutever articles by sex workers about sex work.
1. On Being A Fat Woman in the Industry
“We are told that men who are attracted to fat women are perverse, deviant, that it’s something you should be embarrassed about. Fat women are told that men are doing you a favor by having sex with you anyway, because who else would? The sexuality of fat women is often portrayed as out of control, over the top and grotesque, as are their appetites in general. We are too much. So what does this mean for the fat sex worker—failing to control her body in the two most crucial ways?”— Here, Amelia Swann examines how working as an escort has changed the way she sees herself and navigates the world as a fat woman.
2. Four Sex Workers Discuss What SESTA-FOSTA Means For Their Lives
The United States Congress recently passed two bills, SESTA and FOSTA, which claim to diminish sex trafficking, but in practice is censorship legislature that will make sex workers’ lives more dangerous and their futures uncertain. Here, four sex workers discuss life in the wake of the bills’ passing.
3. On Breaking Up With a Client
“Boundaries are necessary to maintaining healthy relationships. In the context of sex work, clearly communicated and enforced boundaries—what is and what is not negotiable to you—are vital to taking care of yourself, your business and your clients. For sex workers, navigating sexual, personal and professional boundaries requires mental fortitude when dealing with clients who can’t take no for an answer, or take it as personal rejection, or who think explicitness kills the magic. Money does not equal consent. Shared intimacy does not negate your right to privacy. Taking care of another person’s needs does not have to come at the cost of your own physical and emotional comfort.”—Here, Fiona Lutalica contends with breaking up with a long-term client.
4. A Dominatrix Discusses Her Worst Client Ever
“BDSM is about control, it’s about trust, and yes, it’s about punishment and reward. But what it is not about, ever, is fear.”—Read about her terrible client Here.
5. One Woman Discusses the Bond Shared Between Women Working In A Brothel
“The whore’s living room is a rare pearl in the world—there’s no another environment where sexual autonomy is empirically explored with such candor and celebration. Between fucks and naps there’s dialogue around sex in our world and how it is infiltrated by shame and fear; the education and experience of sex workers assists in redefining what it means to be a slut and the beautiful power of the word.”—Here, Casey Cleaver muses on the importance of the brothel living room.
6. A Male Escort Recalls His Kinkiest John
“My jobs are usually bears on business trips that want a nice piece of eye candy for the night—dinner, drinks, and some nice consensual sex at the end of the night. Often pretty hot, rarely anything that would shock even the minimally open-minded. But there was one “John” of mine, whom I will call Mr. X, that I will certainly never forget.”—Here, a male escort tells his story.
7. One Woman Documents Her Search for the Human Lottery Ticket Known As The “Sugar Daddy”
“I keep hoping that I will sooner or later — and, let’s be real, sooner would be just peachy — attract a multimillionaire who will be speechlessly dazzled by my non-generic approach to this shit (I seem to endlessly fuck myself over by actually being myself at all times [which my therapist has dubbed “radical genuineness”], despite the knowledge that they really want a fantasy, even if they insist they want the “real you”).” —Here, Maidenfed reflects on her search for the perfect sugar daddy.
8. Two Former Cam Girls Talk Camming
“Prostitution is the world’s oldest profession, and camming is merely its newest incarnation in this digital age. It deserves an open discussion, an open mind and an open laptop.”—Here, two former camgirls discuss their experiences with the work.
9. The Lost Hooker
“Last month, I showed up at 2pm on a Wednesday at the beautiful St Regis hotel in Midtown. A lot of clients (i.e. “sugar daddies”) won’t send you their photos before you meet them, for purposes of discretion, so it usually means there’s this awkward moment on the first-meet where you have to walk into a hotel or a restaurant, not knowing who you’re looking for. I’m a 5’10” redhead, and tend to be wearing bright red lipstick and something body-con, so when I show up alone at a hotel and start smiling at every man in a suit with one of those “is it you?” looks, I might as well be holding a giant sign that reads LOST WHORE, PLEASE HELP.”— Here, Claire, a sugar baby/escort, recounts an eventful day with a client.
10. A Dominatrix’s Threesome Gone Awry
“I take a moment to process my terrible oversight and Bob now clocks the situation as well. We look at each other knowingly and he excuses himself. I sit alone with the can of Crisco on the bed as I hear a hushed argument ensue.”—Here, dominatrix Mistress Eva tells the story of a husband-domme-wife threesome gone awry.