When I first got the idea of writing about feminism, I had a number of issues in mind that I wanted to address in the twelve weeks of doing the project. I also had one issue that I decided I wouldn’t write on- the sex industry. The reason for this being that I felt my opinions were too divided for me to be able to provide any sort of useful take on the issue.
I had always thought that the sex industry (porn, prostitution, stripping and “escort services”) was simply an exploitation of women- nothing more. Then, for one of my classes last year, we had a lecture on it which changed my view.
In the lecture, we were told about how the sex industry is good for women- that it is all about women embracing their sexuality, holding power over men, and having fun. We watched clips of porn stars talking about how empowered they were and how they relished having the right to exercise their choice and use their sexuality to get them what they want.
In doing my own research for this blog, I also found a lot of support from sex workers for this view.
“I do miss the work, because of the power I had over men, to control men as they are weak.... like hunters we prey our victims..."tricks".
“If you have no problem having sex with random men I would encourage you to do this. Have sex and get paid, duh! No brainer”
“Sex is one of the most important things in my life and I get paid for it. Great stuff!”
“There's nothing quite like those airport bars! Always a selection of unattached men who already have a hotel room handy. If you're discrete not a bad way to make a few dollars while enjoying your favorite hobby!”
After this I didn’t really know what to think. On one hand, I still felt like the women were being exploited, but on the other hand it seemed like the sex industry was helping to give power BACK to women.
My research also revealed a lot of firsthand accounts of “the dark side” of the sex industry.
“During my first encounter with prostitution he raped me and told me that no one would ever care because I was nothing but a "******" hooker now. After that I entered a depression and began to use marijuana everyday and tried crack cocaine for a time.”“Eventually, the glamour wore off for me and I found myself hating myself more than ever. I have always had issues with men, and thought that by getting paid for men to come and sleep with me- that I was in control of them finally. Well, in reality the money was in control of me and it just became a continuous cycle for 2 years. Besides the money there is nothing glamorous about being a prostitute (you never will be Julia Roberts in "Pretty woman"). I do have to say that I have come across some great clients, but the ******** and disgusting creeps by far outweigh that. It was never fun having to spread my legs or suck some older man off and be treated like a piece of **** for 2 years”“I hate it. I find intercourse repulsive, especially by mouth (which clients want of me most of the time). I feel polluted. I hate myself for selling my body, for turning into what they always said I was in order to escape from them”
Once again, The Equality Illusion (2010) also provided an interesting insight. Research has found that 68% of sex workers have post-traumatic stress disorder as a result of their work. This rate is comparable to that of rape victims. As many as 82% of sex workers have been abused in childhood and up to 70% of sex workers began working in the sex industry before the age of 18. Sadly, the cause of 50% of the deaths of sex workers is murder.
Kat Banyard also described the sex industry in the following way:
“A person (usually a man) can access a sexual interaction with someone (usually a woman) who doesn’t want to have it with him”
Finally, I’ve been able to make up my own mind: The women working in the sex industry aren’t doing so because they love sex. If that was the case, men wouldn’t have to pay them for it. Women are working in the sex industry because they need money, or drugs, and because they have been made to think that sex is the only thing that makes them worth something. Many, if not most, have survived horrific childhoods and abusive relationships. They turned to the sex industry to take back some of the power, only to find themselves more powerless than ever.
Many feminists support the sex industry because they support women making their own choices, but what they don’t acknowledge is that women caught in the trap of the sex industry really don’t have any choice. I feel like we’ve all been brainwashed to accept the view that the sex industry is a good thing for women and feminists alike- but I’m not buying it anymore.
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