A recent letter to the Savage Love sex advice column reminded me of a rant I've been wanting to make for a while; ever since I put together Paying For It, really. It has to do with the stigma on sex work customers, and the idea that "having to pay for it" makes you a pathetic loser. Oddly enough, even in the sex-positive community that embraces and celebrates sex workers, this scornful attitude towards sex work customers often persists.
So I've ranted about it over at the Blowfish Blog, in a piece called Only Losers Dine At Le Cirque: The Stigma on Sex Work Customers. Here's the teaser:
Does paying a restaurant to feed you a meal make you a loser? Whether you eat out every night or only do it as an occasional treat; whether you're looking for a special meal you can't get elsewhere or simply want the convenience of getting dinner without any hassle... does it make you a loser? A pathetic nobody who can only get fed if he pays someone to do it?
For more, read the rest of the piece. Enjoy!
I just stumbled upon your blog, and I really like your take on things. Awesome stuff.
Posted by: Ryan J. | August 23, 2007 at 11:15 PM
Thank you for this great article.
I just returned from Chicago teaching a BDSM Intensive for pros where many issues around sex work were discussed.
I use the negotiation piece I wrote for" Paying for it" in my course. Thanks for doing the book.
Cleo
Posted by: Cleo Dubois | August 24, 2007 at 05:02 PM