Edit:
Here is a list of resources to learn about sex worker from actual sex workers who are engaged in the struggle for worker’s rights:
- https://www.nswp.org/resources/types/nswp-briefing-papers-248
- https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/beyond-trafficking-and-slavery/white-mans-burden-revisited/
- https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/beyond-trafficking-and-slavery/from-brothel-to-sweatshop-questions-on-labour-trafficking-in-camb/
- https://titsandsass.com/the-massage-parlor-means-survival-here-red-canary-song-on-robert-kraft/
- https://medium.com/purplerose0666/the-af3irm-agenda-b5ec31216904
- https://medium.com/@katezenjoy/dear-esperanza-5aa7db4d501a
- https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/beyond-trafficking-and-slavery/decriminalising-sex-work-in-new-zealand-its-history-and-impact/
- https://www.mayamorena.com/anti-equality-model-campaign/2021/5/22/pscegcnr680fh4oazlmwe8i5527o9j
Bigger repo of theory / resources:
Books to check out:
The one critique I personally would aim at a sex worker (please let me know if this is ) rather than the industry, is when a hugely succesful and influential sex worker presents the industry as wholly good, or their story as the norm.
this is actively under contention in SWer theory circles. The dialectic between the Happy Hooker and the Trafficked Slave is really well explored in Revolting Prostitutes , which, from this thread, it is obvious not many people have read this solid work from SWers engaged in struggle
If you know the topic a bit, could you add a few suggestions for the next book club?
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I agree that this is a valid critique of individual sex workers , but it is often mailiciously leveled as a critique of all sex workers actively engaged in SW. This is a mistake. The arguments and rhetoric around sex work is all context-dependent, the terms and tropes that now seem monolithic or set in stone were grown from active material struggle, and separating and viewing those terms and tropes without the accurate historical background usually leads to misinterpretations and misrepresentations.
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here’s a podcast w one of the authors (no idea of pod quality), other than that I’m afraid I can’t spend a ton of time finding good summaries. https://radionapier.com/2018/10/25/changing-pages-revolting-prostitutes-the-fight-for-sex-workers-rights-molly-smith/
Additionally, here is an article with imo v solid material analysis as refutation of SWERF politics. might start another flame war tho lmao
ctrl-f for ‘Sections’ to get to argument table of contents
TW descriptions of SA
