$pread Blog

How Do Iranian Sex Workers "Signal Their Trade"? Fascinating article on how street prostitutes work in Iran.

AVN On Sex Shops and Sex Educators This remarkably thorough article provides a good overview of the ways many Americans are starting to explore their sexuality through retail venues.

Sex Worker Self Defense: "No one benefits from disempowerment, marginalization, or shame."

On Porn And Art 

Podcast Training For Sex Workers in San Francisco only, unfortunately.  

Larry Flynt, Not Such A Bad Guy

Are man boobs equal to woman boobs? Gentlemen, you are often the only ones with the right to go topless in public, in spite of the fact that some women would like that freedom was well, and, also, everyone has nipples so really what's the big difference? If you want to take advantage of this privilege, you're going to have to take the lumps that go with it, like maybe the occasional other man filming you. If you want to make things a bit more equal in this regard, join your local topfreedom activist group. 

And yet….Why Are Naked Ladies More Acceptable Than Naked Men? "Let's talk about naked men and penises. That first sentence made you feel uncomfortable, didn't it?" Um, no. More please! 

New sex worker project, The Bad Girls Dictionary:

Fat adj Fat old men, etc. Many fat old men are very respectful, kind, entertaining, generous and polite customers. We’re not prejudiced. 

South Korea Attempts To Censor Online Porn in response, apparently, to this horrifying case.  Scapegoating "erotic films" is not going to eliminate rape in any country.

How To Hide Your Porn From US Border Agents (via Viviane) When am I going to get over feeling like the US is my appallingly uncool parent and I am the adolescent in the backseat with her hand over her eyes: "GOD, USA, stop, you're embarrassing me in front of my friends!" 

Japanese Porn Star Commits Suicide Am I the only one who thinks that headline is way too cutesy and cavalier given the subject matter?

Nerve.com Traces Age Of Consent Laws and recounts a great anti-"white slavery" crusader story in the process.

Penthouse Media Group Plans to Change Company Name, although it might be too late to fool the Christian daters on Bigchurch.com. (No one likes a tattletale, Newsweek!)

OMG THIS is totally what strippers wear out grocery shopping. 

A spate of prostitution stings are taking place all over the US

Chicago Church Members Stand By Arrested Reverend That's cool. If a female member of the congregation was arrested for prostitution, I'm sure they'd do the same thing….

On Prostitution in Pakistan

Senate Ethics Panel Rejects Complaint against DC Madam client Sen. Vitter 

New Public Announcement Video released on the dangers of pornography. ("And, again…the breast fetish." Okay, so this video is decades old, but who would be surprised if it was part of today's abstinence only curriculum?)

Utah Law Aims To Deter "Typhoid Marys of the sex trade"

Utah is one of six states "in which penalties for the two offenses [soliciting prostitution and providing sex services] increase if the convicted person previously tested positive for HIV." The editorial linked above bemoans the lack of enforcement of this "good law" and calls for officials to start cracking down. The author seems to believe prostitutes are singlehandedly perpetuating HIV, and although the law address both parties in the transaction, this particular writer is far more concerned with the non-prostitute party's well-being:

"How many of her customers contracted the potentially deadly virus, which can be easily transferred by persons engaging in unsafe sex? And, more importantly, how many more prostitutes are plying their trade, unaware they've been infected?

This sort of mentality is indicative of a lot of different factors in the American conscience: the fear and confusion that still surrounds HIV, the scapegoating of sex workers for a wide variety of social ills, the instinct to respond to problems with incarceration and penalties rather than real treatment. We're still living in a time when a presidential candidate can affirm his belief that AIDS patients should be quarantined. 

I won't use this particular post as a venue to delineate all the ways this law is entirely wrong-headed, but here are resources that do just that:

UNAIDS on HIV-related laws:

Punitive or coercive legal measures exacerbate already existing HIV stigma and discrimination and drive people away from HIV prevention and treatment programmes, thus undermining the effectiveness of national responses to the epidemic.

Role of the Law in HIV/AIDS policy:

 The involvement of the law in HIV and AIDS policy in this way can be seen to have often obstructed rather than facilitated effective policy implementation. […] In short, the law has presented yet another obstacle to effective strategies to minimize the spread of HIV and meet the needs of people already infected 

Prostitution and HIV/AIDS:

The law has spawned appalling forms of state oppression of HIV-positive prostitutes […] In another US state, Florida, an HIV-positive prostitute was charged with manslaughter despite the fact that all her customers tested seronegative and she had used condoms consistently.  

Update: HIV-Positive Man Sentenced to 35 Years In Prison For Spitting 

So, Gene Simmons - yes, that Gene Simmons - has a book on prostitution coming out. (Don't worry, we'll review it in an upcoming issue!)

To promote the book, the publishers are sponsoring a super short essay contest (200 words or less) on "The Oldest Profession in the World: Good or bad?" Prizes include a bunch of swag from a show I wasn't aware existed, an autographed book, and, if you win it all, a personalized voice mail message.

The deadline is June 8th. Click here to find out more. 

(Via Viviane) Polymorphous Perversity has a great piece on the UK's violent porn ban. To put it bluntly, "it will not prevent a single violent crime."  The article also touches upon the horrendous Spanner incident, which I was just discussing with a friend in light of this same recent law.

More on non-international trafficking (mentioned in posts here and here):

Alternet article on the DePaul study - I appreciate that Kari Lyderson, the author, includes a sex worker support group statement and acknowledges the existing debate over the best methods to assist exploited prostitutes. She also does a good job of explaining the current situation surrounding proposed trafficking laws, although I wish there'd been more perspective provided on how small the study is.

For instance, when Lyderson claims " the vast majority of young women in prostitution are controlled by pimps and suffer worse conditions in terms of violence, number of clients and lack of autonomy the longer they stay in the trade", what is actually meant is that the vast majority of prostitutes in the DePaul study fit that description, and this is a study of only 100 women. Similarly, when she goes on to talk about percentages ("58 percent of women were transported to different locations for prostitution") it would be equally true to say simply "58 of the respondents were transported"….but "percentage" sounds more dramatic and substantial than providing the actual number. 

For more on trafficking, check out this excellent piece by Melissa Ditmore (via Bound, Not Gagged)

From Xbiz News:
Writer Violet Blue Gets Injunction Against Performer Violet Blue
"Sex writer Violet Blue has won an injunction against adult performer Violet Blue in U.S. District Court.

The suit was filed Oct. 19, claiming trademark infringement, trademark dilution, unfair competition and unfair use of writer Violet Blue's name and likeness in "obscene and pornographic works without the permission or consent of plaintiff."

The order, handed down yesterday, enjoins the performer "and all other persons, firms or corporations acting in concert with her, their successors and assigns" from using the name "Violet Blue" in association with the performer, including "attempting to trade on the plaintiff's goodwill by capitalizing on the Violet Blue name through inclusion of 'Violet Blue' history, or by referencing her former appearances as 'Violet Blue.'""

"Celebrate our culture by attending the First Ever International Sex Worker Harm Reduction Mini-Fest. We are showcasing sexy and thought provoking filmsmade by sex workers.

The Mini-Fest has been developed by the International Sex Worker Harm Reduction Caucus in conjunction with the San Francisco Sex Worker Film andArts Festival."

The films are only up online until May 20th, so see them now while they're still available at http://buymybloomers.com/  

For more information on the International Sex Worker Harm Reduction Caucus, head over to the official site or Bound, Not Gagged

Want to contribute to $pread but don't know what to write/draw? Here are some easy ways to see your work in print in the next issue.

 * Hot Topic: Do you want to leave the sex industry? Why or why not? Tell us in 200 words or less.

* Indecent Proposals: What's the weirdest or funniest thing a client's ever asked you to do? We're seeking submissions for our popular, illustrated column.

* Positions: Are you religious? Are you a sex worker? Does your religion conflict with your work? We're looking for a current or former religious sex worker to write a Positions counterpoint arguing that sex work is NOT a sin.

* Positions: Are you a current or former pro-sub who believes pro-submission is dangerous, psychologically damaging, or un-feminist? If so, we want to hear from you.

* Calling all Reality TV Addicts!
 As reality shows continue to dominate American television, sex worker cast members have become staples of the most-watched programs. Rock of Love, Flavor of Love, Celebrity Rehab, VH1's Surreal Life, and The Real World have featured exotic dancers and porn stars, while shows like Family Business, Cathouse, and The Girls Next Door wouldn't even exist were it not for the industry professionals whose lives they document.

We're interested publishing an article that takes on issues relating to sex worker involvement and portrayal in the reality TV world. Ideally, we'd like to find someone who could write about several of these shows in one comprehensive article, but if you're an expert on only one and have something important to say about it, let us know. In your pitch, please include which shows and what specific aspects you plan to focus on, as well as a writing sample, if available.

* Do you have what it takes to be a Double Take model? We're looking for a sex worker with a unique look, someone who dresses very differently at work from outside work. If you're interested and willing to be photographed and interviewed, get in touch!

* Photography and Illustrations: We're always in need of more artists, illustrators, and photographers. Please send an introductory email before sending your artwork.

 Send all inquiries and submissions to contribute (at) spreadmagazine (dot) org by June 1st.

13 Year Old Pays Escorts To Play Halo The media seems tickled by this situation ("Can you imagine? Paying a hooker to play video games?!") but as any regular $pread reader knows, plenty of adult men have paid and will continue to pay for weirder, equally non-genital based activities. (See our Indecent Proposals column.)

12 Year Old Girl Was Forced To Work As Dominatrix The details of this case are a bit confusing to me. I'm uncertain as to why the accused adults are being charged with "sex trafficking" when the article mentions the business was run "out of the couple's Missouri home." Wouldn't the trafficking charge only come in if they were transporting her across state lines? Regardless, it's a very sad story.

If you need a little cheering up after that last article, check out Stripsters from JUNK magazine, via Gawker. This thoroughly awesome site FINALLY fills the man shaped void in the world of nude, shockingly bony hipsters. (Is that last part redundant?) Check out the sweetly pensive Ben, smoldering shut-in Anthony, or my favorite set, linked below: 

Six women who work at a New York dungeon are facing prostitution charges. How does the "New York Post" handle the story? They publish names and ages, of course, of all six of the women who allegedly offered sexual services. I mean, really? Their ages too? Maybe that's just in case someone reading the article thinks for a moment that the woman they know from the gym, or their old roommate from college may just share a name with one of the women in question…but then the woman's age eliminates any confusion. Helpful.

Here's how they treat the clients who so kindly offer up information about what goes on at the dungeon:

"In most of the others, the sexuality is muted, but this place does a little bit extra for a little bit extra," said one married male customer who asked not to be identified.

So good of you to keep that gentleman's identity a secret, Philip Messing, Amy Crawford, and Dareh Gregorian. After all, it seems that he may have engaged in a little illegal activity himself, if he's so knowledge about the services offered here - but we wouldn't want his name permanently sullied by attachment to a crime he's not been found guilty of.  

I won't link the article here, but its authors are identified above and as of this posting, the piece is still online.