Jezebel: Sex Work

The Fight To Advertise Health Care For Sex Workers

Margaret Hartmann — Sun, 23 Oct 2011 23:37:00 EDT

Ads for a clinic that caters to sex workers are currently running on buses in San Francisco. Though the whole point of the campaign is to show that sex workers are people and they deserve access to health care, the ads were rejected twice for being too raunchy for public consumption. More »

Erotic Massage Gets Regulated

Anna North — Fri, 16 Sep 2011 14:00:00 EDT

The city of Edmonton, Canada is considering new rules to regulate erotic massage parlors. These would be some of the first health and safety regulations for erotic businesses in all of Canada. More »

Judge Rules that Taxing Texas Strip Clubs Doesn't Violate Free Speech Rights

Erin Gloria Ryan — Sat, 27 Aug 2011 18:25:14 EDT

Last month, we reported on the court battle over a law in Texas that requires strip clubs to pay a so-called "pole tax" of $5 per patron. Club owners claimed that since nude dancing is a form of expression, the tax violated their right to free speech and were refusing to pay up. This week, the Texas Supreme Court ruled against the club owners. More »

So What If A GOP Candidate Was Obsessed With A Lesbian Stripper?

Irin Carmon — Thu, 25 Aug 2011 18:30:18 EDT

Tammy Chapman was a Penthouse Pet back in the early nineties; a few years later, while working as a stripper, she says she had this one asshole client who was obsessed with her and was constantly shoving her head in his crotch. Funny thing is, now he's about to run for governor of Missouri as a Tea Partying family values Republican. More »

New Law to Clear Prostitution Convictions for Human Trafficking Victims

Erin Gloria Ryan — Sun, 07 Aug 2011 14:31:00 EDT

As of the beginning of next year, Illinois victims of sex trafficking will have the opportunity to legally expunge their records of convictions related to their being forced into prostitution. More »

Book Of 'Roadside Prostitutes' Made Entirely With Google Street View

Irin Carmon — Fri, 29 Jul 2011 18:10:00 EDT

Mishka Henner went online to find out where men sought prostitutes, and then he visited — on Google Street View. The result is No Man's Land, a self-published book of photography, showing women, mostly alone and often scantily clad, in Spain, Italy, and Romania. More »

Cocktail Waitresses Sue Casino For Discrimination

Irin Carmon — Wed, 01 Jun 2011 15:55:25 EDT

Nine Atlantic City cocktail waitresses are suing their employer with the help of Gloria Allred, saying they were forced out for younger women when new, skimpy uniforms were introduced. Do they have a case? More »

Utah Makes It Illegal To Act Like A Hooker

Anna North — Wed, 25 May 2011 12:30:00 EDT

A strange new Utah law would make it a crime not just to explicitly offer sex for money, but also to "indicate, through lewd acts," that you're willing to do so. In addition to scaring ladies into hiking down their skirts, the legislation could allow cops to target legal businesses, like strip clubs. More »

Tokyo's Host Clubs Cater To What A Woman Wants

Sadie Stein — Thu, 14 Apr 2011 17:07:00 EDT

By now you've probably heard about Japanese venues where women cater to male customers. But it's a two-way street, and in Tokyo, female tourists can head to the red light district and one of the city's many "Host Clubs." More »

France May Outlaw Soliciting Prostitution

Anna North — Wed, 13 Apr 2011 18:35:00 EDT

Some French lawmakers want to make it illegal to solicit prostitutes. Their argument: all prostitution supports sex trafficking. More »

The Sisterhood Of The Pole

Sadie Stein — Wed, 13 Apr 2011 13:33:00 EDT

When one writer recalls her days as a stripper, it's not the sordid lows or the glam highs, but the sense of community. Or, as she terms it, "the sex industry's scarcest commodity: trust." More »

Pimps Use Alessandra Ambrosio's Image To Sell Actual Sex

Irin Carmon — Mon, 28 Mar 2011 16:16:39 EDT

Politicians in Queens, New York are trying to ban the distribution on the street of cards advertising prostitution. Thus far unnoticed: Victoria's Secret model Alessandra Ambrosio's image being used on some of them. We're going to take a wild guess and suppose Ambrosio's unaware of this. More »

The Trouble With Child Sex Trafficking Statistics

Irin Carmon — Thu, 24 Mar 2011 10:26:38 EDT

The Village Voice Media-owned City Pages has published a 3,000-word cover story debunking recent numbers showing a rise in child sex trafficking online. While it's quite damning to the group that put together the "study," the company is hardly an impartial actor here: Its Backpage.com has long been the target of anti-trafficking groups, who already helped take down the Craigslist counterpart. More »

This Wikileaks Cable Will Break Your Heart

Irin Carmon — Mon, 21 Feb 2011 12:10:24 EST

This diplomatic cable from Armenia entitled "A Prostitute's Story," is a thoughtful look at sex trafficking there, indicating that beyond the better-known coercion, economic conditions are driving women to willingly seek sex work, and parents to knowingly pimp their daughters. More »

Can Facebook Replace Pimps?

Anna North — Wed, 09 Feb 2011 09:48:00 EST

According to a new report on sex work in New York City, pimps are becoming passé. So is Craigslist — but Facebook is (allegedly) on track to becoming 2011's biggest sex-work hub. More »

"Manhattan Madam" Fights Sex Trafficking

Anna North — Tue, 08 Feb 2011 12:20:00 EST

Kristin Davis, famed "Manhattan Madam," New York gubernatorial candidate, and prostitution-legalization advocate, has started a nonprofit to help sex trafficking victims. Here's why no one should be surprised. More »

What's So Wrong About Being A Fame Whore?

Anna North — Tue, 07 Dec 2010 13:30:00 EST

Melissa Petro, the schoolteacher ousted for writing about her sex-work past, wants you to know she's not a fame-whore. But would that be so bad? More »

Popular Female Sex Worker & Blogger Is Really A Male Pedophile

Anna North — Tue, 23 Nov 2010 16:40:00 EST

A female sex worker and blogger has been exposed as a middle-aged man — which might not be such a big deal if he hadn't used his fake identity to solicit sex partners and naked photos of minors. More »

Why Aren't We Talking About Sex Workers' Safety?

Anna North — Mon, 22 Nov 2010 15:02:00 EST

When sex workers talk about their needs, safety usually tops the list. So why aren't we paying attention? More »

The 5 Words No Hooker Wants To Hear

Sadie Stein — Thu, 11 Nov 2010 17:22:00 EST

Yes, "the test came back positive" probably isn't high on anyone's list, either, but even that does not have us cringing like "Daddy, why are you naked?" More »

Canadian Conservatives Will Appeal Prostitution Ruling

Anna North — Thu, 30 Sep 2010 10:30:00 EDT

Conservatives in the Canadian government announced they would appeal an Ontario court's decision to overturn bans on brothels, pimping, and soliciting. Says one official, "There's a lot of victims in that industry and we need to protect them." More »

Canada Strikes Down Anti-Prostitution Laws

Anna North — Tue, 28 Sep 2010 15:00:00 EDT

Several of Canada's anti-prostitution laws were ruled unconstitutional today, a decision that may make the lives of Canadian sex workers much safer. More »

Teacher Unjustly Punished For Revealing Her Sex-Work Past

Anna North — Mon, 27 Sep 2010 09:34:00 EDT

An elementary school teacher has been reassigned for publicly revealing her past as a stripper and prostitute. Does this confirm her claim that society is afraid of sex workers? More »

A Footballer, A Call Girl, And A Whole Lot Of Slut-Shaming

Anna North — Tue, 07 Sep 2010 15:56:00 EDT

The story of British footballer Wayne Rooney's dalliances with an expensive call girl has everything a truly sordid tabloid tale needs: athletic privilege, slut-shaming, and a whole bunch of racy photos. More »

Drive-In "Sex Boxes" To Shield Swiss Hookers From View

Katy Kelleher — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 18:17:00 EDT

Police in Switzerland are planning on building a series of "sex boxes" that will allow drivers to approach prostitutes without the whole messy street walker thing getting in the way. They will also help hide sex workers from society.

Generous British Taxpayers To Fund One Man's Deflowering

Anna North — Wed, 18 Aug 2010 09:30:00 EDT

The British government's plan to pay for a mentally disabled man's visit to a prostitute has sparked an interesting debate: is sex a human right? More »

Warning: These Photos Are Heartbreaking

Sadie Stein — Tue, 17 Aug 2010 15:01:00 EDT

Dana Popp's amazing photographic series, "Not Natasha," of Eastern-European sex workers, is as wrenching as it is beautiful, an eloquent testimonial both to a horrible reality and human resilience. (Although not graphic, link contains images of cutting and underage girls.) More »

Fighting Prostitution Through Compassion

Tara Murtha — Fri, 06 Aug 2010 11:20:00 EDT

This isn't the first time Kristen Simmons (not her real name) has stood before a judge in Philadelphia's criminal court. In the 26 years she's worked as a prostitute, she's been arrested 16 times and served four stints in jail. More »

UK Bans Strip Clubs From Advertising At Employment Offices

Katy Kelleher — Mon, 02 Aug 2010 15:20:00 EDT

The UK government has banned companies offering jobs stripping or other sexual-stimulation work from advertising at tax-funded employment sites. The Minister of Employment said they don't want to put "vulnerable people" under pressure to work in the sex industry. More »

Tied Up In Knots: Massage Therapists Are Not Sex Workers

Irin Carmon — Fri, 25 Jun 2010 10:00:00 EDT

Whether or not the accusations against Al Gore prove to be true, it's a good moment to remember that his accuser came from a profession that is 85 percent female — one that has struggled for respect, rights, and boundaries. More »

Meet The Adult Film Star Not In American Apparel's "Demographic"

Dodai Stewart — Tue, 01 Jun 2010 14:30:00 EDT

An American Apparel showroom rep recently informed erotic performer April Flores that plus-size shoppers are not the company's "demographic." Hm, interesting! Now April is talking to us about body image, confidence, and, naturally, shopping. More »

Australian Virgins To Be Auctioned Off

Anna North — Mon, 10 May 2010 12:00:00 EDT

An Australian filmmaker is organizing a mass virginity auction and filming it as a documentary. Selling virginity, of course, is nothing new — what is new is pretending such sales are ideologically interesting. More »

Sex Work, Political Power, Marxism and Hookernomics: A Conversation

Megan Carpentier — Sun, 11 Apr 2010 12:30:00 EDT

Melissa Gira Grant is a writer and activist who spoke yesterday at a panel on sex work and feminism at the Civil Liberties and Public Policy's 2010 Reproductive Justice Conference. Before she spoke to them, though, she spoke to me. More »

Michelle Obama Dances To Justin Bieber • Couple Faces Month In Prison For PDA

Katy Kelleher — Mon, 05 Apr 2010 18:00:00 EDT

• There were some magical moments during the White House's Easter celebration, but none so much as the moment when the First Lady was caught getting down during a live performance from young Mr. Bieber. More »

Anonymous Prostitute Blogs About Condoms, Sex... And Healthcare Reform

Anna North — Thu, 25 Mar 2010 09:30:00 EDT

Now that Belle de Jour has been unmasked, the niche for anonymous prostitute/blogger is wide open. Helping to fill it is Las Vegas Courtesan, who has strong opinions on condoms, manners, and healthcare reform. More »

The Retirement Home For Old Hookers

Sadie Stein — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 16:30:00 EDT

Casa Xochiquetzal is a home for aging sex workers in Mexico City's Merced red light district. But don't call it a retirement community — many of these women are very much part of the workforce! More »

Command Performance

Anna Holmes — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 09:10:00 EST

[Kolkata, India; March 3. Image via Getty]

Surface Tensions

Anna Holmes — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 10:10:00 EST

[Port-au-Prince, January 24. Image via Getty]

"It Is Her Job To Give Me Pleasure:" The Disturbing Beliefs Of Men Who Visit Prostitutes

Anna North — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 09:30:00 EST

An international study on why men visit prostitutes revealed some disturbing attitudes about sex trafficking, rape, and the difference between prostitutes and "real women." More »

Carrying 3 Condoms In D.C. Could Get You Arrested For Prostitution

Margaret Hartmann — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 17:40:00 EST

D.C. police can declare "Prostitution Free Zones" where officers can arrest anyone suspected of sex work, and those targeted say police have accused them of prostitution for carrying three or more condoms. Discouraging safe sex? Not the best idea. [Change.org] More »