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Saturday, June 23, 2012

Guest Post: 30 Years As A Sex Worker & Proud


The following is written by Mrs. Robinson, who has worked as a sex worker for almost 30 years. She is still working as a sex worker, and speaks out actively for sex worker's rights.

I think we can all agree the reason prostitution has always existed and always will, is because of poverty. We are living in a recession where our system is set up that you’re lucky to find a job paying 8 to 10 bucks an hour. Sex workers are not willing to work for wages that don't begin to cover their basic expenses. 1 out of 5 families in the US are on food stamps, which proves we are not being paid wages that cover basic living expenses. We have thousands of homeless and unemployed and all we have done for years is cut services and increase the number of non-violent prisoners; with the war on weed and prostitution. This is a HUGE business for law enforcement, and people like Dr Farley who make their living by collecting donations for victims, while providing these victims with no services. Then we allow the justice dept to fund 30% of Dr. Melissa Farley's fraud scheme, by creating public hysteria about teens being exploited. We have uncovered that this was all JUNK SCIENCE and a complete fraud, and still even the media refuses to print the truth.

In 2010 we spend 250 million for law enforcement to stalk and arrested 80,000 people for prostitution. Less than 1% were underage.

I see the governments criminalizing sex workers because they refuse to be exploited for wages they can't live on. Our whole system is set up to punish sex workers and run them out of their own communities. We give them criminal records so they are forces to stay in the sex industry. And make them lose what little stability they have struggled to create for themselves and their families.

Let’s look at how society punishes those who won't submit to their ideas. We criminalize sex workers so they can never get gainful employment again. We SEAL THEIR FATE. We also allow law enforcement to stalk, harass, abuse them, jail them and fine them. Law enforcement also refuses to investigate violent crimes against sex workers. 1000's of US sex workers are murdered each year,  10's of 1,000's are being raped each year. We allow this injustice by this insane idea that saving a few teens from being exploited is more important than all the dead bodies being left in the wake. We encourage HATE CRIMES against sex workers by promoting "they get what they deserve attitudes".

Prostitution laws were created as public nuisance ordinances, to "stop a woman from showing her wares in public", they were never intended to be enforced, by stalking adult women online down to their homes, to police their sex lives. We have created prostitute free zones, and even though they were ruled as unconstitutional, they are still creating new ones. The courts have ruled that Craigslist and Southwest companions are legal websites, yet the attorney generals office and law enforcement are still on the MORAL WITCH HUNT.

We have created laws that stop sex workers from receiving any public money, even though these women are tax payers and citizens. We do this by not allowing any federal dollars to go to any group who does not oppose all forms of prostitution. Therefore many of these women are forced to stay in sex work.
REALITY:
We can't police even 1% of the adult industry on a good day, so they punish the sex workers further by publishing their names and addresses. We allow law enforcement to police this one law with more zest than any other.

THERE IS A SOLUTION:
If law enforcement and the attorney generals office would do their jobs, they would be advocating to decriminalize indoor prostitution, between consenting adults as a harm reduction strategy to protect both sex workers and exploited teens. They would create laws requiring both parties to check the ID of the other, before engaging in any sex act. Then we would create laws that said anytime a man is caught having sex with a minor, they would get 25 years. This would shut down pimps at an alarming rate, because the only men that would not check ID would be the PREDATORS. All adult sex workers, or member of the community, would be free to report knowledge of any minors or women who are under another persons control. Sex workers would be able to report crimes against themselves and expect police assistance, and they would legally we allowed to pay taxes, without the fear of the FED"S charging them with money laundering, or the MANN act, if they happen to have crossed a state line.

I will never understand why any women who claims to be a feminist does not agree that all adults should have the right to make decisions over their own bodies, sexualities and their personal affairs with other consenting adults in private. These are basic civil rights, that we have taken away by created many unconstitutional laws.

Getting back to poverty. Its really easy to judge others, and sex workers are not looking for anyone’s approval, we simply want to be able to co-exist. I know if anyone one of us was cold and hungry enough, that they could be convinced to turn a trick for a burger and a blanket.

Matthew 21:31
Truthfully be told, prostitutes will enter the Kingdom of God, before most who call themselves Christians.

Hating on HOOKERS is society's need to misplace their own SHAME, for BULLYING OTHERS to CONFIRM + SUBMIT TO THEIR IDEAS.

This was written by Mrs. Robinson, who has worked as sex worker, in the adult industry for almost 30 years.


16 comments:

  1. This is great! Can I reblog it?

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  2. I think you really need to put context on the Scripture you quoted. The verse after the one you quoted, Matthew 21:32 "For John [the baptist] came to you to show you the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes did. And even after you saw this, you did not repent and believe him." In other words, the tax collectors and the prostitutes did believe John the Baptist's words to prepare the way for Jesus and repent, but others did not. Jesus is saying that his listeners are self righteous and did not listen when John said they were in need of a life change and saving grace. On the other hand, when John (and later Jesus) spoke with people who were disdained by society, they were well aware of their need for a savior and thus had faith in him and listened to what he told them, which was to repent and follow him. I don't think Jesus was endorsing prostitution or tax collectors (who were not just doing the honest work of the government at that time, but were over-charging for taxes and keeping the profits to get rich). So how does this apply to today? Well, for those in modern society who think themselves a better person or less in need of life change than a sex worker, I think Jesus would call them self-righteous and wrong. But the scripture is pretty clear that this is because every single person is equally messed up and in need of a savior. ("For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." Romans 3:23)

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    1. This also reminds me of the story where Jesus says "Let he who is without sin throw the first stone." Most people stop there and don't read to the end of the story, where Jesus says he is not condemning the adulterous woman, and so she should "go now and leave your life of sin."

      John 8: 1-11
      New International Version (NIV)
      1 but Jesus went to the Mount of Olives.

      2 At dawn he appeared again in the temple courts, where all the people gathered around him, and he sat down to teach them. 3 The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before the group 4 and said to Jesus, “Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. 5 In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?” 6 They were using this question as a trap, in order to have a basis for accusing him.

      But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger. 7 When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, “Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” 8 Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground.

      9 At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there. 10 Jesus straightened up and asked her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?”

      11 “No one, sir,” she said.

      “Then neither do I condemn you,” Jesus declared. “Go now and leave your life of sin.”

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  3. I don't know much about the Bible, and am not a Christian so I can't really join in on this part of the conversation. All I know is that I LOVE what Mrs. Robinson had to say, and that she makes so many valid points.

    I <3 sex workers.

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  4. No one deserves to be raped. No one deserves to be murdered. No one who is coerced or forced into sex work deserves punishment or tampering with their ability to seek other employment.

    Many sex workers choose their employment as such, yet as you pointed out, the main cause for that choice is poverty. When women or men are placed in these difficult positions and society constantly demands instant sexual gratification, the choice to become a sex worker is not truly a free choice. It is coercion.

    I agree with many of the points made in this post, and I also hope everyone reading it asks themselves why sex workers get treated so poorly. It may be more than morality, shame and suppression of sexuality. Maybe it's because the instant sex becomes commodified, it opens the door to abuse, and that may never change.

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    1. "Sex workers are not willing to work for wages that don't begin to cover their basic expenses"

      Yeah, again, it's called a 9-5 job, like most of the world has to endure. Anyone who gets into sex work, (i'm excluding drug addicted street walkers), knows that it is stigmatized work. In their evaluation, the money outweighs the social taboo. We all make our own decisions in life.

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  5. I missed the the bit where she explained why she is proud of being a sex worker. All i heard was excuses and the shifting blame away from herself for adopting a career as a sex worker. Sounded highly disgruntled, not proud.

    If she only went into it due to poverty, then perhaps she doesn't regard it as all that great a path, all things being equal.

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    1. Yes I am a proud sex worker, and have done other legal profession that made me feel much more degraded.
      But let me ask you this, since most of the article was about how society feel the need to punish sex workers and that we allow hate crimes against them, and for them to be raped and murdered, all you could come back with, was " I don't think she is proud" Are you proud of your lack of compassion and self righteousness?

      All of us take our jobs because we don't end up living in poverty, and many still BITCH about their work. As a sex worker I was able to raise my daughter alone, without allowing strange men into my home to molest my daughter, yet many women do this and it seems acceptable in our society.
      I also was able to put my daughter through college without any help from the government. I was able to be a good parent with enough time to know where my kid was and who she was with at all times. I also did this all by myself without having to rely on any one man, and I rasied my daughter into a self sufficent adult.
      I have not felt the need to marry again, or allow any man to abuse me. I simple raised my standards and now demand any man I meet to submit to MY WORLD. I would be more ashamed of giving it away to a man just because he bought me dinner and whispered some sweet crap in my ear.

      Not only am I proud to be a sex worker, I am very proud that I have taken on the job of stopping these women from being murdered and mistreated. While it is easy to claim that we are all forced because we are poor, it doesn't mean that what we have chosen, is any less abusive than other professions or even marriage.
      Being a cop is a dangerous job, but maybe we should tell thm that they get what they deserve and create laws to make their profession illegal.

      I am also proud that I have endure every hateful thing society has to throw at me. I am not a victim. I am a survivor, and while it is so easy for you to cast your judgment on to others, I bet if you were cold and hungry enough we would convince you to turn a trick for a blanket and a burger.
      Your comments may make you look big within the group that you hang with, but they make you look small in the eyes of the world.

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  6. If you are so sex positive Christina, would you consider being a prostitute or pornographic actress to make extra money. Would your parents be happy with you making pornographic movies to finance your studies and living costs. Or if you just wanted to do them for fun.

    I'm sure there are companies that would love to shoot you. What better way to become closer to your topic matter. It could be another part of your sex positive journey. Or maybe we are moving too fast you first want to start with stripping in your free time. These are all great things to do, remember. So why aren't you doing them on the side?

    It's one thing being a promiscuous student, the reality of a commercial sex worker is another thing entirely. There's no way you'd trade in the last several years of student life for that of being a full time prostitute is there. Because while you may be sex positive, you're not stupid.

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    1. Why on earth would the opinions of her parents be relevant? Christina is an adult. What if her parents were members of a cult? Or satanists? Or Scientologists? Or atheists? Or pornographers!?!!!?

      Why do you assume that her parents would be reasonable people? Oh yes -- because you assume that most people are 'sensible' and since these 'sensible' people coincidentally share your values, you have no problem shaming others for their choices which run counter to those values.

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    2. My parents are actually both pornographers.

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    3. They shame me every day for not going into their field. It's been really difficult for me.

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    4. Many educated women with PHD's have started being sex workers as they have better hours and make a lot more money.
      I guess you think its OK to teach our next generation, THAT ITS OK TO BE A SLUT AS LONG AS YOUR NOT A WHORE. Sex workers do not allow men to waste their time and use them for FREE SEX, or is it better that the guy bought them dinner and told them they were pretty first. It only shows what a little mind you have.

      Many women are humiliated and abused in the name of love and marriage and they just get use to it, and seem to think its better than sex work. As a sex worker I get to make up all the rules, I pick who, when and how, and say NO to any client I don't want to see. I bet your parents are proud that you have grown into a self righteous BITCH, that tries to SHAME others over their sexualities.

      Sex workers are not looking for anyones approval, we simply want to co-exist without being discriminated against, jailed and abused by bad cops and the hate crimes of society.

      These are our civil rights, and we will demand them in federal court, just like they just did in Canada.

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  7. Wish- your arguments are so flawed, I'm not even sure where to begin.

    1. In your first comment you say "yeah, again it's called a 9-5 job, like the rest of the world has to endure." Ok, apparently you did not read my article directed towards the group GAP, although you commented on it, so that leads me to believe that you read it. For an answer to your "9-5" comment, please see that article.

    2. We don't all make our own decisions in life. Some people do not have the luxury of making their own decisions. Again, that goes back to many of the points that I made in my article addressing GAP.

    3. Your analysis of the woman who wrote about her experiences as a sex worker are contradictory to other points that you've made. You say that she is not proud of her occupation, since she "went into it due to poverty." Don't we ALL work because we need to (unless we are independently wealthy)? Also, what does one thing have to do with the other? Are you saying that pride in one's job is dependent on their motivation for going into that job?

    4. You ask me why I do not engage in sex work- how do you know that I don't? That's an interesting assumption on your part. Do you not believe that an individual can be a doctoral student AND a sex worker? Hmmm...

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  8. On a final note, are you saying that one cannot fully support and advocate for a group without being a part of that group? Shit...this world would lose a lot of amazing activists if everybody took that stance.

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