Last week, the NYPD and Department of Homeland security raided the Rentboy, the largest online male escort service. The CEO and six other employees were charged with conspiring to violate the Travel Act by promoting prostitution. Why should we be worried about this? Because this continued criminalizing of sex work puts the health, safety and livelihood of varones in our communities in danger. This raid further proves that the government is more invested in punishing sex workers rather than addressing systematic oppression, poverty, racism and the numerous murders of trans women in this country. This raid also reinforces the shame that we are taught to have about our bodies and how we fuck as queer men. This varones, is a reminder that the “law” and justice are NOT the same.
As a project that promotes the visibility and shines light on Latino gay and queer men, we understand that sex workers are a part of our community, history and legacy. For this reason we stand with all sex workers. We are also aware that some varones may disagree with us. That’s ok. But before you damn us to hell or un-follow us, here are our reasons why:
1. Sex work is work. It is an industry, one that is forced to exist within shadows. This work includes hustling, escorting, dancing, stripping, performing sex on webcams and videos and porn.
2. Amnesty International recently announced that it would be pushing for the decriminalization of consensual sex work worldwide. After years of debate and advocacy by and for sex workers, experts concluded that sex workers were less likely to be harmed and exploited in places where the trade is lawful.
3. For some varones, sex work is their only source of income – for themselves and their families. Like many of us, these varones are trying to exist in a society that keeps us on the fringes.
4. For some varones, sex work has provided a kind of sexual liberation that probably would not have been provided otherwise. Let’s be real – as Latino gay men, the only messages about sex we get are “Don’t get AIDS!” and “Don’t be a fuckboy.” In addition to gay men providing these messages to each other via social media, this “takedown” of Rentboy reinforces shame and secrecy about what we desire and what we enjoy sexually.
5. Sex work is and always has been the most innovative business field. Sex workers mastered marketing on social media long before major cooperation’s recognized the power and reach of facebook.
6. We believe that the federal government should work to decriminalize sex work period!
If the government is genuinely concerned about the health and wellness of sex workers, then their focus should be addressing violence in our communities, providing affording housing and adequate access to health care. Demonizing the desire of gay men and sex workers is not justice, it violence.
A friend of mine recently posted “I stand with sex workers because they are (fucking) revolutionaries.” We could not agree more. The sex that we have as gay and queer men is a political statement and provides not just personal freedom, but brings us closer to our sexual liberation.
we are excited to announce that our original documentary “our legacy is alive” will be screened this friday, may 8th as part of philly’s first SEXx Interactive conference.
For more information go to sexxinteractive.com.