Dirty Doctors, double entendres, and the moral left

I feel such urgency when reading this blog. Things that must be said, in order to sleep. But I have a few quick additions to this already fiery volley…I was reading Kitten’s post about how people just assume that clients are predators, and many things rang true. I often find myself defensive, and fiercely protective of my clients when I am talking to a non-worker about sex work. It is only because in my heart I equate the judgment of THEM with a judgment of ME. Which only makes sense. I cannot berate my clients, but simultaneously want support. Tricks and Hos have to be mutually supportive, but like women, we are all too often pitted against each other. We are thrown to the wolves, with nothing to feed them but each other.

I dig many of my clients. I dislike just as many more. But ultimately, that shouldn’t matter. It’s a job. Is it the business of the ringmaster whether or not the lion tamer likes all the lions? No. It is the business of the ringmaster to make sure that no lions or trainers get hurt, and the audience is happy, and the money keeps flowing, and people keep throwing those peanut shells on the ground.

The Fundichristianright is on the offensive here, and as with many issues, they do a very good job at getting us to aim at each other. There are several overlapping arguments. Classic Polysci 101 stuff. Moral, Ethical, Secular, Legislative, and Economic debates. This is the same issue that has been coming up for ages, and when related to fundamentalism, hotly debated in the post 9-11 world. We are confused as to the parameters of government, corporation, and religion. What rights does the government have to dictate our behaviour? What are the grounds for determining what is acceptable behaviour within the social contract, and what is not? What happens when someone breaks this social contract? Are we a punishment based society? Or equal consequences? Who controls the code of ethics? How far does freedom of speech really go? Do we believe in heresy anymore? And where does the free-market come into all of this? Is the all mighty dollar the most holy of all?

I think it is. If this weren’t a bazillion dollar industry, nobody would give a fuck. Or not a bazillion dollars worth of a fuck.

I have no guilt about what I do. I am not a recovering catholic. I am not shaking off the shackles of original sin. I am not compelled to self-flagellation, other than for purely transcendent reasons. Wink. I am however, a deeply religious person. And my religion does not prevent my participation in something that I believe is well and fine with my gods. I have examined thoroughly the personal and compounded effects of my participation in sex work, and while I have my criticisms, I do believe that what I do is ultimately good.

Clients lie all the time. To us, to their partners, to their jobs, children, etc. But people lie all the time, and I do not believe in the sanctity of monogamy. I do believe in the sanctity of honesty, but all I can do is encourage my clients to gradually move toward a more honest approach to their own sexual needs. To gradually shed their repression, and help their partners to do the same. I often see couples, and it makes me happy that this trend is increasing.

The economic argument is interesting, and less addressed than other bits. I do not believe that capitalism is the best form of economic distribution. So I build and maintain the shadow economy. I am grateful for the immense privilege that the money I have made from sex work has afforded me. z

The secular/legislative piece of the argument is simple in my mind. I do not believe that you can legislate human perfection. But I do believe that you can teach social responsibility and autonomy. Therefore, sex in exchange for compensation should be the choice of the individuals involved. THE INDIVIDUALS. Not their pimps or partners or partriarchs. Child-labor, trafficking, etc = BAD. This choice should be an informed choice. Sex work is labor. And like any other labor, the same rights should apply. Right to organize, right to protection under the law, right to practice.

thinking of you,

Surgeon