[erinjane]

One of the touchiest subjects between feminists is the relationship to sex work/porn/stripping/etc. Rather then further derail the Porn and Boys thread (but you can check it out for a bit of background http://www.bust.com/lounge/index.php?showtopic=52071&hl= ) come on in to this thread and share your thoughts.

What do you define as sex work? Are you pro/against? Why? Do you have a background in it, know anyone involved, are you involved? As Pixie asked, Does anyone see it as conforming to the sterotypes that feminists are against? Does it hurt or hinder feminism?
Just a few questions to get us thinking. So throw out some thoughts!

*I'm just running out the door but I wanted to get this going before I left. I'll be back hopefully this evening to throw in some of my opinions.*

[lucizoe]

I think a big issue is that no one's choices are made in a vacuum. We are all influenced by our experiences and our environment, so while many women may choose to enter sex work because it's simply what they want to do, it is still difficult for me to see it as a choice 100% free from the influence of patriarchal culture. After all, the bread and butter is in playing out (mostly) heteronormative fantasies of love and sex. I think (like katiebelle said) the bigger problem occurs when women enter the field because they lack choices or are coerced.

I am so envious of women who feel sexy, truly, and have found a way to express that which not only makes them easy in their minds, but also sends some cash their way. It sounds beyond awesome to me. If I were capable of it (meaning, if my ego could take it), I could easily see myself posing for some pictures some day, but I'm stopped by my own personal "ick" factor. Men in general squick me out, which is something I am working on, but I couldn't stand the idea of strangers masturbating to my image, and projecting all sorts of unknown and potentially violent fantasies onto me. I know that I would not be aware of any of the actions of the strangers who saw the pictures, but I have an overactive imagination and would certainly torment myself about it. Not from any puritan guilt-induced haze, but because I am uncomfortable with it in the same way I am uncomfortable wearing certain items of clothing in public; eliciting what I see as negative attention is not fun to me. And I feel like a bad feminist for that, because shouldn't I feel strong enough to wear what I want?

That said, that is all obviously my own shit, and I DO think there is a certain dialogue within the feminist movement that cock-blocks itself by focusing too much on porn. Porn does not feel like the issue to me; sexual slavery and human trafficking and violence against sex workers in real life is the issue. Porn - in mainstream America, at least - seems to me to be a symptom of a deeply sexually repressed culture which takes things to the extreme. Maybe if it wasn't still so shameful to be sexual, to be naked, to be honest, there would be a smaller market for the sorts of porn that squick many people out. I like the natural porn - the amateur stuff - real couples who are honestly just filming themselves having fun and getting each other off. I don't really like downloading anything online, and there seems to be a smaller market for that sort of porn than for the ultra-fake, ultra-Barbie stuff I think of when the word "porn" is mentioned.

Empowerment is so tricky, isn't it? I'm not even sure what it os to feel empowered. I certainly feel good about myself when I fulfill my responsibilities (that I have voluntarily taken on), proud when I achieve something I've worked hard for, happy when I'm free to be creative...but I never actually feel powerful. Tough, certainly. Maybe that's it. If that feeling comes to other women by engaging in sex work, then that's great.

As for marriage equalling prostitution, I say yikes! I don't know if I believe in marriage for myself, but I don't think that it is always necessarily entered into solely to have access to sex and money. If Mr.Luci and I were to ever stop living (deeply) in sin , I could see health insurance benefits as the driving force of our making things legal, since his job doesn't do the domestic partner benefits, yet. Certainly not to establish exclusive sexual rights, or to legitimize children. He makes far more money than I do, which pays rent and food, while the minor ducats I will receive until I graduate are just extra. But I don't consider myself as selling him sex for a roof over my head. I hope we're not an anomaly in that regard.

Okay, that was rambly, but it took me a while to write it, so y'all have to read it.