Tuesday, November 02, 2010

How Do You Feel About....

Sex work/sex workers?
Do you see them as:
1. People who've had bad breaks in life and need your support
2. A segment of society you don't really want to deal with, as long as they don't bug you.
3. People who made bad life choices and should do something positive to fix it.
4. Completely disgusting/immoral/dirty.
5. Indifferent. Sex work is a job like any other.
6. Don't want to talk about it.

The reason I ask is that  Sally-Jean Shackleton from SWEAT, an organisation that lobbies and advocates for the decriminalisation of adult sex work in South Africa sent me a message on Facebook, asking me to ask my online friends to join their group as members.  And I got curious about what you think about sex work and sex workers. So tell me....

3 comments:

Judy Croome | @judy_croome said...

Can I make a 5(a):

Neutral (which is slightly different to "indifferent"). I sympathise with them insofar as I don't believe society has the right to look down on them.

Sex work should be legalised, it is a job but not really like any other because how many of the women (or men) who are sex workers would choose that job if there was another option for them? Legalisation would give them some protection; and society needs to learn to be more tolerant.
Judy

tiah said...

I find sex work / sex workers complex. What makes me sad is how marginalised anything surrounding the issues or people are. Write a book about drugs or murder - sells! Tracey Farren's 'Whiplash' (a fantastic book!) and the number of people who have told me, "I don't want to read about prostitutes." Whole book clubs shunning it.

I don't get it.

po said...

I think I see esx workers as people doing a job, as workers. However in my mind they choose this job because they are in a difficult or limited position in life. I assume them to desperate because of poverty, or addiction, or having to support a family. I don't see it as a happy choice for most of them, but a relctant one. I know there are some women who probably choose to do it because they like it, but I associate it with desperation.

It would be better if it was legalised and they could have benefits and health care. Keeping sex work illegal is a farce, it has been going on since the dawn of time. We humans have to face up to the ugliness in our natures and stop lying to ourselves. Maybe sex workers will have a better deal then.

Copyright Notice

With the exception of entries specifically credited to individual authors, the content on this blog is copyrighted by Damaria Senne and may not be reprinted without permission.