Stripping: Feminist or not?

That was an interesting article and a good response. I see that the experience (and income the author made through stripping) was "empowering and emancipating" for her, but I agree with you that the "current" set up of the mainstream (?) sex industry is not structured in a feminist way. Sex work is of great interest to me but I can only offer an outsider's opinion and choose my words carefully (realizing I'm talking theory rather than practice or experience...)

"Behind every whore is the pimp, and behind every stripper on the pole is the manager of the bar."
I think that's accurate most of the time, but there are certainly some independent and empowered sex workers, be they more the exception rather than the rule. For example, I once saw a documentary on a prostitute who sat in a window in Amsterdam's red light district. She mentioned how being behind the glass, having this barrier between the customers and herself, gave her the power to choose. (Of course, I'm sure she had security personal access somehow, etc.)

You might this article interesting; a friends sent it to me recently:
'B.C. prostitutes say sex co-op puts control over industry back in their hands'
http://ca.news.yahoo.com/s/capress/sex_workers_co_op

"Behind every whore is the pimp, and behind every stripper on the pole is the manager of the bar."

I never had a pimp.

... but I was dependent on the customers [men] for everything since it was for some time my main source of income. The customers - in my area at least act much like a pimp would. They hold negative reviews, and threats of reports to the police over our heads to get us to do things we don't want to do....I don't know why I just spoke in present tense... I'm out of that racket... but its been getting worse and worse this way.The further and further I get away from it; the more I see just how damaging it was.

I wanted very desperately to believe for a while that I chose to do that and that I acted responsably; that it made me feel better about myself.

But now; its almost like recovering from sexual abuse all over again... only I did it to myself and I was really ill in the head.

They want to go after prostitution in my town really badly now. I keep saying; it wont go away until you stop attacking the girls and start going after the customers. They need programs in place to help getting out of this business; and they need to REALLY go after WHY we get there in the first place.

If anything - the money earned put us girls in a lower standard of living because we felt like we had to do whatever these men wanted to get it....

I don't think that was really empowering.

I'm sorry if this is a ramble - its very early in the morning here.

I can't agree with the whole idea that money is power, that sounds way to capitalist to me. Ideas are power, knowledge is power, love is power, human connections are power. I don't see stripping providing any of those forms of power, stripping may provide an outlet for sexual expression (which I always think should be provided and done free of charge), it may pay the bills, it may provide this woman something to write about. But I have a hard time seeing stripping as an act of feminism. I'm not sure I can go as far as to criticise it, we all do things at some point in our live that compromise our values or our perceived values to make money or get some other reward, I don't think stripping has the same impact on female body image that our media has. After reading this article I just keep thinking sarcasticly "great, my money issues are solved, now all I need is some g-strings". But the truth is for women as a group and people as a group, stripping or any sex work will never solve our problems. For one thing every human being in this country deserves to make enough money to live, at any full time job, we shouldn't have to strip just to pay the bills.

"The article above asserts that it is, because the money earned from it helps women economically achieve equality to men."

Yeeeah, and that money comes from WHERE?

Men.

So much of what we supposedly "gain" is "bestowed" by those who DO have the money, the rights, the power, whatever.

~Meddle not in the affairs of Dragons, for thou art crunchy and taste good with ketchup.

I agree that stripping can be feminism granted the right circumstances. Stripping for you significant other is hot, feeling sexy and confident is hot… but stripping for money to, to pay medical bills with, to buy food with, to survive… not so much. I think that you should express your sexuality for you not because you can pay the bills with the money you get.

Lizzy

Should women be arrested for getting paid for sex if it's their choice and they want to do it? In other countries its legal and they pay taxes, they should have the right to do what they want. If a guy buys a girl a gift after sleeping together how is that any different then a girl knowing and willingly accepted cash for sex? Ask any london escort or any for that matter what they think if it were illegal.

I think that this is a good thing for womens as long as this is what they love or like to do. For instance when I go in some vip gentlemens club and I see the way those girls moves I know that they like what they do. If someone force them to do this then it's not a good thing for anyone. Don't you think so too?

I believe keeping something illegal keeps it more alive but as aLondon escort agency we just take appointments so there's nothing illegal happening there.