By Autumn Farrell, Staff Writer, Isis Magazine
The first night I went to a strip club was on my 18th birthday, the day before my high school graduation. My friends took me out on a Thursday night to a sketchy and extremely fun club where the only attraction was the stripping women on stage. We had a great time and my friends even paid for one of the dancers to give me a lap dance. She was a beautiful young lady with blonde extensions and piercings (she remains the reason I think nipple piercings are so fantastic). I'm pretty sure she could tell I was nervous, probably because I responded to her question of, "Do you mind if I take my panties off? Some girls are weird about that," with a crazed laugh and a shrill, "Are you fucking kidding?" She grinned and began to converse with me as she contorted her body in all kinds of crazy, wonderful ways. About midway through the lap dance, after talking about her boyfriend while kicking her leg up to her head, I asked her if she liked working at a strip club. Her see-through heels clacked together. "I do! I'm a show off, and I love dancing. I have fun and make a lot of money. What's not to like?" I wanted to be her so badly in that moment, butt-naked, clearly having a good time, grinding on a stranger and telling them her life story.
We have a very ingrained perception of women who work in the sex industry (I will be discussing only women in this article, though there are different and very important views of other gender expressions as well). Many people tend to assume that these women are uneducated, "slutty" or "dirty," drug addicts, or classic cases of women with internalized misogyny and daddy issues. While the topic of the sex industry as a whole is complicated and heavily intertwined with social issues (involving topics such as the patriarchy and sex trafficking), individual sex workers nowadays seem to be speaking up for themselves.
Sex positivity in female pornstars, for example, has been on the rise. One of my favorite outspoken feminists in the industry is Nina Hartley, a 54 year old sex educator, author, and registered nurse. You can also find her on practically any pornographic website, whether it's in videos or pictures. She has acted in almost 940 adult films in her career, and has directed 17. Hartley leaves no room for shame in her work and is firmly proud of her career, seeing herself as an advocator and a role model. In an interview, she stated, "I was exposed early on to the notion of women’s sexual rights, starting with Roe v. Wade and moving on through the early women’s movement, which encouraged women to take responsibility for their own orgasm, to learn about their body as beautiful and strong as opposed to dirty and dangerous."
While keeping in mind that Nina Hartley is an educated woman who entered the world of pornography simply because she wanted to, society should begin to lift the stigma placed on sex workers. Those who have spoken out enjoy their careers, and feel that they should be allowed to use their bodies without scrutiny, just like athletes, actors, ballet dancers, etc. This idea that women in the sex industry are dirty or simply "beneath us" also contributes to the shame surrounding sex in many parts of the world.
The first night I went to a strip club was on my 18th birthday, the day before my high school graduation. My friends took me out on a Thursday night to a sketchy and extremely fun club where the only attraction was the stripping women on stage. We had a great time and my friends even paid for one of the dancers to give me a lap dance. She was a beautiful young lady with blonde extensions and piercings (she remains the reason I think nipple piercings are so fantastic). I'm pretty sure she could tell I was nervous, probably because I responded to her question of, "Do you mind if I take my panties off? Some girls are weird about that," with a crazed laugh and a shrill, "Are you fucking kidding?" She grinned and began to converse with me as she contorted her body in all kinds of crazy, wonderful ways. About midway through the lap dance, after talking about her boyfriend while kicking her leg up to her head, I asked her if she liked working at a strip club. Her see-through heels clacked together. "I do! I'm a show off, and I love dancing. I have fun and make a lot of money. What's not to like?" I wanted to be her so badly in that moment, butt-naked, clearly having a good time, grinding on a stranger and telling them her life story.
We have a very ingrained perception of women who work in the sex industry (I will be discussing only women in this article, though there are different and very important views of other gender expressions as well). Many people tend to assume that these women are uneducated, "slutty" or "dirty," drug addicts, or classic cases of women with internalized misogyny and daddy issues. While the topic of the sex industry as a whole is complicated and heavily intertwined with social issues (involving topics such as the patriarchy and sex trafficking), individual sex workers nowadays seem to be speaking up for themselves.
Sex positivity in female pornstars, for example, has been on the rise. One of my favorite outspoken feminists in the industry is Nina Hartley, a 54 year old sex educator, author, and registered nurse. You can also find her on practically any pornographic website, whether it's in videos or pictures. She has acted in almost 940 adult films in her career, and has directed 17. Hartley leaves no room for shame in her work and is firmly proud of her career, seeing herself as an advocator and a role model. In an interview, she stated, "I was exposed early on to the notion of women’s sexual rights, starting with Roe v. Wade and moving on through the early women’s movement, which encouraged women to take responsibility for their own orgasm, to learn about their body as beautiful and strong as opposed to dirty and dangerous."
While keeping in mind that Nina Hartley is an educated woman who entered the world of pornography simply because she wanted to, society should begin to lift the stigma placed on sex workers. Those who have spoken out enjoy their careers, and feel that they should be allowed to use their bodies without scrutiny, just like athletes, actors, ballet dancers, etc. This idea that women in the sex industry are dirty or simply "beneath us" also contributes to the shame surrounding sex in many parts of the world.
Remember the abstinence-only policies that threatened to take away birth control rather than educate people on healthy, happy, safe sex? Remember the heated abortion debates that have recently caused North Dakota to pass one of the most extreme laws regarding abortion in the U.S.? Remember when Rush Limbaugh called a young woman promoting contraceptive rights a slut and a prostitute? Why do women have to face so much sexual guilt with their bodies? And why are their bodies passed from one old white man's ideas of "purity" to the next? These are all a part of the intricate web woven by hundreds of years spent frightened of women's sexuality. Women are constantly bombarded by sexual images and language telling them that their body is their only worth - yet, when they openly own and educate themselves about their bodies, they are viciously ripped apart.
Female sex workers are an easily targeted group in this dichotomy. However, it has been suggested that, in some cases, sexual health is at a peak for various sex industries. On her blog, Sasha Grey comments widely on how cautious she and her fellow workers are in order to practice clean, safe sex. This not only includes the actors, but those coordinating the videos as well. Of course, Sasha Grey is normally hired by big-box companies with a reputation to uphold, so this is not a statement on the porn industry as a whole (it is actually quite a problematic industry for reasons other than educated, privileged, sex-positive women coming forth). It is still interesting to note, though, that the prevalence of sexually transmitted diseases in some sectors of porn are incredibly low. Both Sasha Grey and Nina Hartley share the view that being accepting of and in touch with your sexuality is far healthier than being ashamed of it.
Recently, people have discussed the concept of making prostitution legal. This would allow sex workers access to benefits such as healthcare, and trafficking would (conceptually) become easier to monitor. I think this is an intriguing proposition in a way, though it should be treated carefully. Where prostitution is completely legal, it is not necessarily liberation the women are experiencing. Rather, abuse, trafficking, and child prostitution has increased, and though there is a moderated system that arises from it, a much more unmoderated tier is also born from this attitude. However, in Sweden, if a man is caught with a sex worker, he is castigated, but the woman is only offered an exit system IF SHE DESIRES. Otherwise, she is not prosecuted in any way. This is a much more efficient system that offers protection to female prostitutes; as this is, overall, a gender-specific issue (men buying women), giving the females power that the buyers do not have would cause (and has caused) a positive shift in the abuse and trafficking dynamics.
Though the sex industry can be a problematic one, it is important to realize that much of where these problems stem from is the shame and stigma clustered around sexuality. One important step we can take in minimizing this bad reputation is by changing our perception of consenting adult strippers, porn actresses, and sex workers. If they enjoy their work and are educated on their bodies and their sexualities, it is none of our business to choose what they find appealing in a career. In fact, it is almost more of our business to support and cheer them on. How many of us can say that our jobs help teach us about something so personal and so beautiful as our own bodies?
It's been almost a year now, but I still think about that dancer who took my stripclub virginity on my 18th birthday. She inspired me to desire more control of my own body and my own sexuality, and to demand that others respect the positivity I choose to surround them with. I've found many heroines in the sex industry, strong and educated ladies who pioneer for your complete and total right to use your body and the natural things it does for any purpose you choose. I’ve yet to find anything more empowering than that.
Female sex workers are an easily targeted group in this dichotomy. However, it has been suggested that, in some cases, sexual health is at a peak for various sex industries. On her blog, Sasha Grey comments widely on how cautious she and her fellow workers are in order to practice clean, safe sex. This not only includes the actors, but those coordinating the videos as well. Of course, Sasha Grey is normally hired by big-box companies with a reputation to uphold, so this is not a statement on the porn industry as a whole (it is actually quite a problematic industry for reasons other than educated, privileged, sex-positive women coming forth). It is still interesting to note, though, that the prevalence of sexually transmitted diseases in some sectors of porn are incredibly low. Both Sasha Grey and Nina Hartley share the view that being accepting of and in touch with your sexuality is far healthier than being ashamed of it.
Recently, people have discussed the concept of making prostitution legal. This would allow sex workers access to benefits such as healthcare, and trafficking would (conceptually) become easier to monitor. I think this is an intriguing proposition in a way, though it should be treated carefully. Where prostitution is completely legal, it is not necessarily liberation the women are experiencing. Rather, abuse, trafficking, and child prostitution has increased, and though there is a moderated system that arises from it, a much more unmoderated tier is also born from this attitude. However, in Sweden, if a man is caught with a sex worker, he is castigated, but the woman is only offered an exit system IF SHE DESIRES. Otherwise, she is not prosecuted in any way. This is a much more efficient system that offers protection to female prostitutes; as this is, overall, a gender-specific issue (men buying women), giving the females power that the buyers do not have would cause (and has caused) a positive shift in the abuse and trafficking dynamics.
Though the sex industry can be a problematic one, it is important to realize that much of where these problems stem from is the shame and stigma clustered around sexuality. One important step we can take in minimizing this bad reputation is by changing our perception of consenting adult strippers, porn actresses, and sex workers. If they enjoy their work and are educated on their bodies and their sexualities, it is none of our business to choose what they find appealing in a career. In fact, it is almost more of our business to support and cheer them on. How many of us can say that our jobs help teach us about something so personal and so beautiful as our own bodies?
It's been almost a year now, but I still think about that dancer who took my stripclub virginity on my 18th birthday. She inspired me to desire more control of my own body and my own sexuality, and to demand that others respect the positivity I choose to surround them with. I've found many heroines in the sex industry, strong and educated ladies who pioneer for your complete and total right to use your body and the natural things it does for any purpose you choose. I’ve yet to find anything more empowering than that.