Author's Note: Some NSFW links follow.
On Oct. 27, 2015, Aziah King (@zolarmoon) posted an epic Twitter story of a weekend full of making mad money, pimps, tricks and almost getting shot in Miami, Florida. Twitter went wild, sparking the interest of Missy Elliott, and apparently King has been approached by studios and producers looking to make a film out of the events. As utterly fascinating as the tale is, the coverage surrounding King's tweets fails to adequately explain one very important aspect: whorephobia.
It is doubtless that part of the fascination with King's story is because she publicly posted about her sex work as opposed to relegating herself to the outskirts of the private sphere, as sex workers historically have been marginalized for providing the world's oldest form of customer service. Whorephobia is defined by professionals in the sex work industry as "the fear or hate of sex workers," although, along with other forms of oppression, it can be applied on a structural basis. It should also be noted that professionals in the industry consider the term "prostitute" to be derogatory for those outside sex work, much to the chagrin of academics who still utilize the term frequently in their research.
Sex workers suffer from societal shaming and are unfairly discriminated against for contributing to the economy in a field generally considered taboo. They are often murdered, seen as disposable and not worthy of investigation (think the Ripper murders in old London of the 19th century). They are often patronizingly considered victims and drawing indistinct comparisons to the horrible crime of human trafficking rather than acknowledging the reality of women who voluntarily choose to work independently, a clear contrast to sexual slavery.
Sex work is diverse, as women like Aziah King and her deceitful co-worker were "trapping" just for the weekend, as opposed to full-time sex work. Women who work in the industry can be anyone from phone sex operators, webcam models, or even a woman selling her panties on Reddit. For those of us who consider ourselves to be contributing to the ongoing revolutionary work of uplifting women in our society and assisting them in their liberation from the pressure of patriarchal marginalization, we as feminists and allies must stand with sex workers by raising awareness about the reality of the dangers they face in their industry, from clients and bosses to governments and law enforcement. We should also follow the demands of sex workers and adopt their strategies in seeking the decriminalization of sex work in America as well as abroad. In the process of progressing society away from barbarism, slut-shaming, and patriarchy, we must acknowledge the rightful existence and contributions to labor in the United States of women like Aziah King. Plus, it's likely we'll get more than a few awesome films out of it.
