On Sept. 2, 2010 Monica Shores of Spread Magazine did a very even tempered blog post for the Ms.Blog entitled How to Respect Sex Workers.
In this post she makes and elaberates on the following suggestions for having a healthy dialogue with Sex Workers Right's Advocates/Activists.
1-Don’t diminish or mock sex workers’ agency.
2-Don’t assume your problems with the sex industry are the industry’s only problems.
3-Use language with care.
4-Educate yourself.
Inspired by the polite tone of this blog and a hope for peace with the Anti-Porn feminists I happen to share space with on YouTube I made the following video...
Being that I have heard more than one Anti-Porn feminist express a desire for "a healthy dialogue" you would expect this blog post and my efforts to reach out respectfully to be received with a modicum of consideration...and you would be wrong!
In this video made by the commonly know Anti-Porn YouTube feminist iremythpurr not only does she reference me by name but she proceeds to mock my comments on this blog post and many things about me that have no relevance what so ever.
This is just one example of how the "antis" take every well meaning gesture and twist it to not only sow more division within the feminist community but to character assassinate as well.
If you watch it on YouTube you will notice the comment section is full of unwarranted personal attacks and misrepresentations of my positions. One commenter even said:
"That woman has ZERO class. She's a bull in a feminist china shoppe."
another said:
"dick in ya ear is agency! i'm not a "victim" feminist but I am a victim. gawd. i'm going to become an manger of a strip club and then become a "sex workers rights advocate" ie industry rights, not worker rights. muney muneeehhh munns."
Mocking the fact that I used to be a stripper and have since embrace a position of authority in hopes of making the bar more sex worker considerate. But of course, it's easy to mock when you have nothing personally invested in the well being of women you don't even respect.
Medusa was one of three sisters born to Phorcys and Ceto. Though she was born mortal, her sisters Stheno & Euryale were not. Medusa was originally very beautiful. Her crowning glory was her magnificent, long hair and she was courted my many quality suitors. Before she could be betrothed to a husband, Poseidon/Neptune found her worshiping in the temple of Athena/Minerva and ravished her. Athena was outraged at her sacred temple being violated, and punished Medusa by turning her beautiful tresses into snakes and giving her the destructive power to turn anyone who looked directly at her into stone.
The Meaning
As a Sex Workers Right's Advocate I see a lot of symbolism in this legend that parallels the lives and experiences of the Sex Workers I speak out for.
1-As someone who has casually studied archetypes in my spare time I have come to understand Athena in a certain way. Though I have a great deal of respect for her in other ways, her archetype is one of a Goddess in service of and empowered by men. She is the protectress of the patriarchy. She was born of Zeus and Zeus alone and though one might expect her to come to the defense of a woman in need she had a tendency to look down on what she perceived as weakness.
I hear many Anti-porn and Radical Feminists talk about "overthrowing the patriarchy" but if you look closely at the companies that publish their books and the people on the Religious Right they tend to join forces with you will see that they doth protest too much! Much of the outward contempt they express for "the patriarchy" is a pathetic attempt at hiding the true nature of their connection to it.
2-Medusa was worshiping at the temple of Athena at the time she was "ravished."
The temple to me represents the feminism we think we all know and believe in when we are naive to the true nature of feminist politics today.
3-Poseidon/Neptune raped Medusa in the temple of Athena but rather then Athena getting mad at him she punished Medusa and turned her into a snake headed Gorgon for the rest of her days.
Poseidon obviously represents what we typically think of when we think of Patriarchy. He is powerful and he takes what (or who) he wants when he wants it. I hear many antis go on and on about how the Patriarchy puts women in the position to go into sex work by limiting their choices. I have noticed; however, that once a woman does go into that line of work they are quick to demonize her and accuse her of "Kowtowing to the Dick."
4-Medusa's gaze can turn anyone to stone instantly.
Marginalized by a society that sets many up for failure many women turn to sex work to make ends meet. You would think most human beings would have a great deal of compassion for them and you would be wrong. Once in "the lifestyle" many women find themselves so Stigmatized by the nature of the work they do you would think the hearts of everyone around them had turned to stone.
5-Know as an archer Medusa's Arrows were sharp and deadly accurate. Once she set her sights on her target their was little that could be done to distract her. As she was an underworld creature sunlight was not a friend to her but if you think you had escaped her once it found you might be mistaken. She may not peruse you but her arrow might follow you into that light and bring you back into the underworld she called home...the hard way.
Once marginalized and stigmatized by society a woman has little choice but to adapt to her new state of being or shrivel away in defeat. Taking up the cause of Advocacy is not only a way to heal but one might find that their words are capable of reaching those who would otherwise exist in a state of blissful ignorance.
Using our voices to spread this awareness is not only a way to heal but also a way to make a difference. Sadly, sometimes the greatest wounds are caused not by sex work itself but the stigma that goes along with it and the betrayal of those who claim to care.
I have found a solid support system in the Sex Workers Advocates on YouTube I have come to know and am grateful for it.
FeministWhore has been a mentor to me and I have learned so much since I met her.
YeOldeHeretic has been there for me in ways I can't go into but her friendship has given me strength when I wanted to quite and I thank her.
xxxild has taken me under her wing and guided me threw the underworld and for this reason I call her Kore.
And dynamiteruby is always ready to cheer me up...even when I don't wanna be cheered up!
Thanks Ladies!
Together we will shoot those arrows straight and hit those disinformationists...
RIGHT IN THE ASS!
For a little extra insight into why Medusa means a lot to me (hint-it has something to do with my childhood) watch this video. It also features a great song by Solace called Journey's end.
The Sexual Services Section of Craigslist has been closed. All is right in the world...right. Or is it?
Those who made the push to have it removed claimed that Craigslist was a catalog where anyone could find underage prostitutes and trafficked persons being exploited sexually. But do they not realize that worked in favor of those people trying to find and help them just as much as anyone else? In the following video you see how police use these online websites like Craigslist to find girls that need their help:
Another problem I have with this is that prostitutes that once used the site to conduct their business in a way that is safer for them now have to face having to go back into street prostitution which is 10 times more dangerous. In my video "Craigslist" below I make my concerns known.
Already I have received many comments from people who feel the same way I do and even a very provocative video response from johntheother entitled "Damage Keeps The Money Flowing" where he discusses his theory on what he calls the "Victim Industrial Complex."
I'm willing to bet money that NO ONE involved in making this decision consulted a Sex Worker Advocate of any kind. Everyday it becomes clearer and clearer to me that those of us who believe in this cause must band together and fight for our voices to be heard. It is obvious to me now that those fighting against the sex industry care nothing for the safety of those they claim to care about and must be exposed for who and what they are! We must not allow our stories to be exploited by those who just want to use us to further their agenda!
I have gotten the criticism more than once from a certain youtuber along the lines of "all you ever talk about on your channel is feminism and sex work." I have to admit I was a little offended by this. Not only is it factually untrue as proven by the videos I've made on Shirley Sherrod, The Penal System and Discrimination, an advice video I made to a girl with severe shyness A Bit About Shyness, and the myriad of silly videos I did just for shits and giggles but even if it was true...SO FUCKING WHAT! As if sex workers right's advocates weren't the minority in this fight for true equality for women in the world! I would probably have to upload 100 videos for every one piece of disinformation put out by the ANTI-harm reduction feminists to balance it out and even at that I'm reaching.
I AM PASSIONATE ABOUT THIS!
I AM FOCUSED IN A WAY I HAVE NEVER BEEN BEFORE!
AND I DON'T APOLOGIZE FOR IT!
Most of my life I have been searching for something worth believing in! Any relationship I've gotten into has made me unfocused and took me further away from myself. My family; though they love me and I them, just doesn't understand the way I think as they are very religious. And just about everyone I am surrounded by in real life is too busy chasing after the latest material thing to give a shit about much else. Am I to be judged and shamed for my devotion to a cause greater than myself? I DON'T THINK SO! My channel is mostly all feminist content...mostly all about sex workers right's and if anyone doesn't like it then DON'T WATCH! I don't want to bore you for fuck sake!
For everyone who does watch...Thank you! I appreciate that you appreciate my content and I hope I can continue to bring you a different perspective.
