She’s young, blonde and distracted in that self-centred, teen way. She’s got a daggy boyfriend and her clothes hang off her tiny hips. She lives on raspberry liquorice and red cordial. She’s got no boundaries and is prone to the odd inappropriate and thoughtless remark. Just your typical teenager really.
If I had to guess I’d put her at sixteen, though she could be younger. She says she is eighteen but it’s hard to believe her because her habit has already stunted her growth and because the standard line when the youngest ones walk in is, ‘I’ve just turned eighteen.’ It’s the underage mantra.
She has a boyfriend and works for the both of them, walking the street. They both have a heroin habit. They share it, and their homelessness. But I don’t see the romance in this addictive relationship, which is wearing them into the ground.
‘I’m off to work,’ she chirps, her tender age unmistakable in the skewed movements of her uncontrolled and angular limbs. He lingers after she has been taken by a car, stoned and playing at spotter*, mostly failing to take down the number plates like he’s supposed to. He’s dopey and pretty much monosyllabic. Another typical teen: baseball cap, acres of boxer short above his waistband and a slouchy ‘tude.
She is very sweet of course, naive and faintly abrasive, but unarguably sweet. Yesterday she wrote on the whiteboard:
I (heart) you guys. thank-u for ur (heart) and support without this place I wouldnt get through (heart) Angel xxx
Top Comments
A frustrating read!
If we remove street-based sex workers from the street does it suddenly mean that rape, assault, violence and abuse by men against women suddenly ceases? NO! ... because rape, assault, violence and abuse by men against women is a SOCIAL problem, not one created or perpetuated by SEX WORKERS!!!
And if you say that street-based sex work is akin to sexual slavery then wouldn't exterminating SLAVERY be a good solution, instead of exterminating street-based sex workers?
And if you have trouble with 'babies' who have a baby and a heroin habit then provide the services to support her, and her responsibilities and choices, NOT use an individual's circumstances - circumstances that are a massive EXCEPTION TO THE RULE - to 'prove' that sex work is 'bad'.
I know many sex workers, and am one myself. I know street-based workers and brothel workers and private workers and escorts and sex workers of all types, genders and circumstances; many, MANY more sex workers than the author of this article and the majority of those who see fit to comment on the 'badness' sex work. Let me tell you some FACTS; the author has written on street-based sex workers (a grand total of 2% of Australia's sex workers) and has chosen ONE of those people to form the basis of a public comment and opinion about us. She has chosen 'an exception to the rule'.
So how about we compare apples with apples. A UN study found that worldwide 1 in 3 women are abused before the age of 18. In Australia, 19% of women and 5.5% of men reported experiencing sexual violence since the age of 15. Sexual violence is a SOCIETAL matter, not a sex worker matter.
The trouble with this sort of reporting is that for every article like this there are another 98% of sex workers who do not have this girl's experience.
Maybe the 98%ers are just too boring for readers???
Miss Catherine Gail
I have a friend who is a sex worker. The sad thing is this friend of mine is well educated; she is now doing her postgrad in counselling. She was offered a job as a research assistant in a lab and she only went for two weeks. She quit and started working at a massage parlor. I didn't judge her. She said she wanted the money. It paid better. She has posed in men’s' magazines and had also walked on the streets. My friend actually has a choice. She has friends who love her, a mother who still supports her, she also gets money from welfare, and she has a top notch education but she still chooses to work at the massage parlor.
I don't think it is empowering at all. No matter what women say I believe the majority of them are completely deluded. My friend on most days would come home extremely depressed and full of doubt if she didn't fill out her quota of clients for the day, she would constantly need to be reassured about how attractive she was and that she was worthy. She would also be in a horrible temper and be extremely abrasive. Now I understand some people don't have a choice when they go into this business and my heart goes out to them. They are the ones who truly need our help. My friend is not one of these women.
She had plenty of choices she still does. She like every other woman in the industry goes on about how empowering it is - that is nothing but a load of crap because it is just like any other addiction. I used to be like the other women out side of the industry who had no idea what the sex industry was like and how it affected them and I thought they should be allowed to do it if they want to. I now realize they really are the victims and the men the perpetrators. I am not using kiddy gloves here when I say the sex industry has always used women and it has gotten to the point that women now defend it and actually profess to love it. I am sure some genuinely do but that would be a very small minority.
Either way It is sad to hear so many women actual defend the industry that continues to use and abuse women for sex.