Sex Work 101

Men are critical to the struggle for the rights of sex workers. Male sex workers are affected and involved. A significant majority of clients of sex workers are men. Performance artist Mirha-Soleil Ross theorize that clients may be the missing link in the movement for the rights of sex workers. Many sex workers have male partners, family members, and friends. Men are in the lives of sex workers as sex workers, clients, friends, and family members. Very necessary personal, material and emotional support for sex workers comes from people of all genders.

Don’t underestimate the contributions men have made to resources about sex work! Men in sex work have developed resources to support each other, like HOOKonline, and have written for anthologies and magazines about sex work. Men have highlighted the inadequacy of imagining that all sex workers are female, and men in the business make ridiculous the claim that sex work is based upon male dominance over women.

Men who aren’t involved in the industry, and everybody, can play a publicly supportive role even as simply as reiterating that human rights and labor rights are for everybody, and that sex worker rights are human rights. Support from people outside the industry is critical to securing sex worker rights. There are many ways to support sex workers: read and offer supportive comments online, attend an event, find out about advocacy for the rights of sex workers.

Please also read How to Be An Ally to Sex Workers, compiled by SWOP Chicago.