Sex worker
A
sex worker is a person who earns money by providing sexual services. The term is sometimes used as synonomous with
prostitution but most scholars define the term "sex work" more broadly, to include other individuals who perform sexual or sexually-oriented activities in the
sex industry, such as strippers, pornography actors and actresses, and telephone sex workers (Weitzer 2000).
Depending on the country, state or province, different types of sex workers' activities may be deemed to be legal, quasi-legal or illegal (e.g., prostitution, which is either regulated or controlled by some governments or prohibited by other governments). In some countries or regions, some types of sex work such as prostitution which are illegal in many countries can be done legally, such as the Netherlands (e.g.,Amsterdam), Belgium, and Nevada in the US. In most countries, even those where sex work is legal, sex workers' activities are stigmatized or marginalized, which can make it difficult for sex workers to seek legal redress for discrimination (e.g., if a strip club owner dismisses a non-caucasian dancer due to her race), non-payment by a client, or for more serious types of victimization such as assault or rape.
Sex worker advocates argue that sex workers should have the same basic human and labour rights as other working people (Weitzer 1991). For example, The Canadian Guild for Erotic Labour calls for the legalization of their work activities, the elimation of state regulations on sex work that are more repressive than those imposed on other workers and businesses, the right to recognition and protection under labour and employment laws, the right to form and join professional associations or unions (and engage in collective bargaining), and the right to travel and legally cross borders to work.
In the
Netherlands,
Germany,
New Zealand and some
Australian States, sex workers already enjoy recognition by their government. The term "sex worker" is primarily used by individuals working in sexual activities (e.g. prostitution) who form organizations that advocate for the legal and economic rights of sex workers. Sex worker advocacy organizations argue that sex work needs to be legalized and brought into the same framework of health and safety laws that protect workers in other industries. Advocates claim that this could help lower the
victimization rate (e.g., assaults and rapes) of sex workers. As well, if sex work was legal, it could be carried out in more organized circumstances (e.g., legal brothels), where regulations (e.g., requiring condom use and regular health checkups for sex workers) could reduce and prevent the transmission of
HIV and other
sexually transmitted diseases (STDs).
The growth in
sex tourism has led to a corresponding growth in the sex industry. Illegal sex tourism with under-age boys and girls has become a notorious problem in
Costa Rica and
Thailand, for example. Legal (above the age of consent) and consensual sex industries make a significant contribution to the local economies of some urban centers. The
Hamburg Reeperbahn is a licensed and taxed prostitution zone serving tourists from all over the world.
Sex industries tend to thrive around military bases. The
British naval port of
Portsmouth had a flourishing local sex industry in the nineteenth century for example, whilst until the early
1990s there were large
red light districts near American military bases in the
Philippines. The notorious
Patpong entertainment district in
Bangkok, Thailand, started as a R&R (Rest and Recuperation) location for US troops serving in the Vietnam War in the early
1970s.
The term "sex worker" was brought coined by sex worker rights activists who want society to recognize their activities as work. Sex worker activists argue that sex work, like other labor activities, should be legal and subject to the same labor laws and regulations that protect other workers (e.g., regarding working conditions, safety, etc.).
Performance evaluations of the different local sex workers can be found at various local [escort review boards] worldwide. Escort review boards are online-forums, which are used primarily to trade information between potential clients and sex workers. In addition, escort review boards are used to advertise the various services of sex workers.
Sex Work Support sites are also available for those who are thinking about entering the industry and are looking for inside information. These sites provide information on everything from getting started to saftey. Check [SWAG http://www.sex-work.org] for a Canadian based site or [HOOK http://www.hookonline.org] for male sexwork info.
Weitzer, Ronald. 1991. "Prostitutes' Rights in the United States,"
Sociological Quarterly, v. 32, no.1, pages 23-41.
Weitzer, Ronald. 2000.
Sex For Sale: Prostitution, Pornographby, and the Sex Industry (New York: Routledge Press)."''Decriminalize sex trade: Vancouver report",
CBC.ca, June 13th, 2006
*
Open Directory Project:
Politics of Sexuality -- Sex Work*
International Sex Worker Foundation for Art, Culture and Education*
Sex Worker Education And Advocacy Taskforce*
Commercial Sex Information Service (CSIS)*
COYOTE - Call Off Your Old Tired Ethics*
International Union of Sex Workers*
Sex Workers Art Show - Review*
Sex Workers Outreach Project - Australia*
Sex Workers Outreach Project - United States*
Sex Worker Maksim Maksimych - Russian Federation*
Interview with a former sex text worker*
StreetWomen.org*
Common Sense advice for Prostitutes*
Common Sense advice for Clients
