REVIEW by MOLLY B SIMMONS
Amongst the growing body of literature and research about sex work and sex workers, Sex Work Today stands out as perhaps one of the most comprehensive academic compilations made to date. It was released on November 19th through New York University Press, and this volume offers a far-reaching look at the current state of sex work in the contemporary age. Edited by Angela Jones, Bernadette Barton, and Barbara G. Brents, I have no doubt that this book will soon be making its way to many university syllabi for classes that seek to explore the nuances of sex work and sex working communities.
Sex Work Today is an anthology of thirty-one essays divided into six sections: The Internet Changes the Game, Intersections, The Work of Sex Work, The State and Criminalization, Sex Worker Activism, and New Directions and Perspectives. These essays span many different topics and intersections of identity: though impossible to represent every single perspective on sex work, this book does a remarkable job of attempting to present to readers the most ample and diverse collections of stories possible.
As a writer and reformed academic myself, I was impressed by the breadth of both qualitative and quantitative research that was included in this book. The field of sex worker research is small, but growing, and many of these pieces included what should be considered groundbreaking research in this field, as it is so rarely studied. During my time as an organizer I was frequently asked by journalists and lawmakers for statistics about sex work, and most of the time I was forced to respond that unfortunately that information simply doesn’t exist. Sex Work Today does a wonderful job of creating a solid sample of statistical information that can be referenced by the media, academics, and policymakers that is championed largely by sex workers. One of the editors, Bernadette Barton, shared that they wanted to show “violences that come from problematic policies,” and all three of the editors agreed that they wanted the book to educate non-sex workers and de-stigmatize the industry in an attempt to inform better policies towards sex-working populations. “Research can speak to audiences in important ways,” shares Barbara G. Brents, and this type of research published by a university press is given more legitimacy in professional and political spheres without a doubt. Despite the book being heavily research-focused, I found it wonderfully approachable—almost every author writes in a way that is clear, concise, and understandable to most audiences.
Some moments stood out as exemplary—Peyton Bond’s exploration of fatphobia in adult industries and its connection to classism was incredibly well-written, drawing parallels between the sex industry and Western workplaces at large. It also makes the incredibly salient point that decriminalization is not the finish line, and while it’s a worthy goal to be working for we should be asking ourselves what comes next. Lindsay Blewett’s research with disabled sex workers and how they generate “embodied knowledge” was particularly poignant. She explores how disabled sex workers can offer “strategies that challenge our understanding of both work and bodies, even as they struggle against stigma and capitalism.” Her analysis is adept and, in my opinion, offers a critical viewpoint in the collection.
Lizzie Blake and Lia Gray’s piece “Sex Work Scholars” offers us a nuanced look of what it means to be “out” as a sex worker in academic spaces, and the essay “Not a Client, Not a Sex Worker” by Jones, et. al explores the role of third parties in sex work and dismantling the pimp stereotype. Both of these essays were essential in my eyes, and offered a very specific yet vital look at areas of the sex industry others might not be aware of, or have misunderstandings about.
Two stand-outs for me as a reader were “Masturbating to Capitalism,” which explores how findom both challenges and reinforces patriarchal and capitalist relations, and “Gifts of Desire: The Erotics of Gift Exchange and Sex Worker Mutual Aid.” The former forces us as sex workers to look inward, and truly examine how the way we relate to clients affects us and the world around us. The latter is a profound analysis of gift economies reminiscent of Lewis Hyde, showing us how gifts, both good and bad, move through communities and build relationships or even fantasies. They share with us that “freedom is not inherent, nor something possessed or bestowed, but is rather a gift that must be continually gifted by one’s community.” This essay perfectly combines erotics, emotions, and theoretical work in a way that left me truly moved.
There were only a few moments where I felt certain essays came up short in some way. In one, for example, the author makes the claims that dominatrixes “rarely worry” about threats of violence, arrest, or STIs—a statement that is not only categorically false but also one that belies a population sample of dominatrixes that probably have more material privilege both in and out of sex work and enforces an elitist view of the experience of dominatrixes. Another essay, seeking to explore the ways in which sex workers of color “hack” white supremacist beauty ideals in order to make money, instead only reveals that sex workers of color are often forced to conform to white supremacist beauty ideals in order to make a living, and does little to challenge this hegemonic narrative. Though I respect this as a survival strategy, I think the analysis fell short in demonstrating how any subversive action was actually occurring.
It also felt difficult to read the piece about the whore stigma in Israel now having lived through a year of Palestinian genocide—not to say I’m uncaring of sex workers in any part of the world, but what does it mean to have solidarity with a marginalized group in a country that has been actively exterminating an entire culture and people since 1948? This is not a question I ask lightly as a person who also lives on occupied land, but I think speaks to the importance of a multi-dimensional framework through which we need to view even sex worker research and organizing. Often in neoliberal discourse, Israel is touted as a progressive enclave, and this piece does offer a counter to that narrative, though it is not surprising that a violent state will also enact violence on its most marginalized citizens. I think there was a missed opportunity here on behalf of the author and editors to really capture a complex narrative of relations, and the possibility of navigating life and safety as an Israeli sex worker while also recognizing the full reach of its country’s imperialist policies and how they harm us all.
This is a book geared more towards classrooms, lawmakers, and the general public rather than sex workers, but as a sex worker it’s still a fascinating read and a welcome addition to my bookshelf. If you’re a sex worker reading this there might be information you already know, but I appreciate its desire to become a part of the pedagogical pantheon and affect legislative and policy change. Sex Work Today is an expansive overview of the current state of sex work that adds well to the canon of sex worker literature, accessible to a wide variety of audiences, and is a timely addition to the cultural conversation and will no doubt be influential in how it progresses.
You can purchase your copy of Sex Work Today through Amazon or through NYU Press. If you purchase directly through the press you can use the code NYUP30 for 30% off. E-Books are also available.