Sunday Times 2
‘Implying we are victims is condescending’: Sex workers hit back at blog
Sex workers are sharing photos of themselves on social media as they fight back against claims that most escorts are forced into the industry and lead lives of abuse.
The hashtag #FacesOfProstitution started trending on Twitter with sex workers from Australia and across the world using social media to share positive stories from their industry.
Sydney sex worker Tilly Lawless (not pictured) started the hashtag #FacesOfProstitution on social media at the weekend by posting this photo to share positive stories from the industry (Reuters)
It comes after Mamamia published a blog post from Christian group Exodus Cry last week that claimed the 1990 film Pretty Woman lured women into the sex industry by ‘leading them to believe that prostitution was glamorous and romantic’.
The blog post suggested 75 per cent of female sex workers had been raped, 95 per cent were physically abused and 68 per cent suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder.
It also questioned how many sex workers had been deceived by Pretty Woman, the iconic movie that starred Julia Roberts as a warm-hearted prostitute and Richard Gere as a lonely millionaire businessman who fall in love.
The post said the movie, which has regained prominence around the 25th anniversary of its release last week, deceived women into leading lives of ‘abuse, trauma and slavery’.
Sydney sex worker Tilly Lawless took to social media at the weekend to hit back at the article and #FacesOfProstitution quickly gained momentum.
‘Mamamia published an article that says that Julia Roberts’ ‘toothy smile is not the true face of prostitution’ because all sex workers are drug addled victims,’ she wrote alongside a photo of herself.
‘There is no singular story or person to represent the varied and complex experiences of all sex workers, but here is one face of prostitution amongst a myriad.’
Jackie Parker, a sex worker from Griffith in NSW, posted a photo of herself with a volunteer badge on Twitter saying: ‘They make me prostitute and volunteer for aged care! This madness has to stop! Save me!
She told news.com.au she had worked as an escort for 14 years and hadn’t met anyone who was forced into the industry.
‘The peple who are doing it tough make up a small percentage – that is not the norm for sex work in Australia,’ she said.
‘If you look at the faces of the women on the Twitter hashtag, we’re all smiling. Implying we are victims is condescending and makes us feel like we don’t have a voice. It makes me feel like I’m not living the right stereotype and it’s really harmful.’
Lucie Bee, who has been in the industry for five years, says she wasn’t forced into the industry, but admitted some were.
‘I chose to get started and I chose to continue. I worked in an establishment initially, an erotic massage parlour in Canberra, followed by nude modelling, porn and then escorting,’ she told Daily Mail Australia.
‘It’s probably weird for a lot of people to consider that there’s a ‘journey’ that you can take in this industry, much the same as working your way through any industry or career, but I’ve had one.’
‘There’s a huge stigma against sex workers in Australia. Pop culture generally feeds them the image of the down trodden, broken woman in sex work, which I’m not saying isn’t a situation for some, but it’s certainly not the situation for all.
‘The fact that #FacesOfProstitution is trending makes me so happy. It’s this massive symbol of unity amongst the industry, sex workers are feeling like they have a chance to stand up and be represented.’
© Daily Mail, London