Bad sides of legalization of sexwork: huge competition, low prices, mobbing between sexworkers
Pros.scene in Germany looks bad. This is a result of legalization.
Tags: Prostitution, Sweden
Pros.scene in Germany looks bad. This is a result of legalization.
Tags: Prostitution, Sweden
November 13, 2007 at 8:51 am
Hey!
I just found your blog and find its perspective interesting.
Legalization of prostitution in Germany has certainly not solved all problems, perhaps even created new ones. But it’s a very complex issue and the people at sexworker.at that you linked to are in favour of legalization and work for the rights and better conditions of sexworkers.
I’ve put your blog on the bloglist at sexworker.at
http://www.sexworker.at/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?p=26590#26590
Welcome to the blogworld – I’m looking forward to read more from you.
November 13, 2007 at 1:13 pm
Hej, JayR, thanks for your comment.
Firstly i must to say :- Ich bin keine polnische, nur schwedische sexarbeiterin.
I never was any ‘gästarbeiterin’.
I look as any other swedish woman. Jag talar och skriver flytande svenska.
I have very little accent, when i speak swedish. My accent is so little that when i have been to Denmark (or Norway) local people didn’t hear difference and called me ’svensk kvinde’.
I do sexwork only for FUN, not money. I’m high educated and have a ”normal” regular job at day.
There is many other reason why I prostitute myself.
One of the resons - I love to tease hypocritical swedish ‘feminists’ who treated me as a leper when I was in some feminist group. They said on the meetings that ”we are all sisters …prostitution is wrong…” but after meetings those awful sisters never invite me to their parties or else and just left me alone.
Please, read more on my post ”I went into prostitution looking for love, not money”.
After living in Sweden 20 years and sexworking in Sweden 15 years i have nothing in common with the real EE-migrant workers.
Actually, confusing common prostitution with so called ‘trafficking’ was the reason i started my blogg. Second reason to start blogging read on my post ”Racism and prejudices towards “foreign” sexworkers in Sweden.”
Fearing competition and deflecting attention from themselves Swedish born sexworkers use this trafficking-madness and agitate clients for boycott foreign and ‘foreign’ sexworkers.
Maybe some of 20 y.o. real migrantworkers do have someone who help them to find clients in Sweden.
But ex-foreigners as myself – 45 years old , who lost all contacts with my homeland after living 20 years in sweden ? What have I in common ? Have you ever heard about 45 years old sexslave??
Back to your question.
I agree with you that legalization doesn’t solve the problems and create
new ones!
All swedish prostitution-activists try to ignore me because i’m against legalization. And I have nothing against Swedish model. Prostitution in Sweden still goes on, so what is the problem? Swedish law have some good and bad sides. As Yourself is a kunde, you probably disagree with me. Legalization is good only for johns but not for female prostitutes.
Of course, I complitely against USA-model. Sexworkers should not be punished.
”But it’s a very complex issue and the people at sexworker.at that you linked to are in favour of legalization and work for the rights and better conditions of sexworkers.”
I realize that big majority of sexworkes will hate me because i am against legalization. But i talk from my own experience. I do wish to minimize stigma and I do wish better condition of sexworkers.
But you see what’s going on in Holland or Germany – higher competition, lower prices , fighting each other. Russian maffia is still there. And stigma is the same as before.
Is that a better condition?
November 14, 2007 at 9:35 pm
Hej swedishsexworker
I’ll change the post on sexworker.at and present you as a swedish sexworker. I got your point.
I also agree that common sexwork and trafficking is not the same thing and should be debated separately. To mix it up is nothing but a cheap propaganda trick of some feminist politicians.
Even sexwork has to be seen in all its different aspects. The thread that you linked to is only discussing the ‘Laufhaus’ model. Usually part of the often problematic Red-Light-milieu.
That the German prostitution law hasn’t met its aims is in part due to the obstruction of local authorities.
The fierce competition and pressure on prices has something to do with competition from foreign (mostly Eastern European and African) sexworkers. It’s not a result of the legalisation.
But a result of the legalisation is that it has become easier to discuss open and honest about sexwork. Would a forum like http://www.sexworker.at be possible in Sweden? I don’t think so.
The stigma is still there. The legalisation happened only 6 years ago. A lot of education and information about sexwork is needed. Not only to change the attitude of the public but also to know about the good and bad sides before one enters sexwork. And last but not least to make it much easier to stop again and get another job.
Enough about that.
I would like to hear about your experience with the Swedish model. Which effects, both positive and negative, the Swedish model has on you as a hobby sexworker.
Why you think that your clients should be criminalised?
How can the Swedish model minimize the stigma and how can it give better conditions for sexworkers?
November 15, 2007 at 12:30 pm
”But a result of the legalisation is that it has become easier to discuss open and honest about sexwork. Would a forum like http://www.sexworker.at be possible in Sweden? I don’t think so.”
You’re wrong.
We have some very open forums about sexwork.
Swedish authorities can’t do nothing, because the Web-servers of all free forums are not in Sweden.
We have even many escort-sites where prostitutes can directly, without any help of pimps, advertize their services with photoes, prices, meny etc.
Everyone have internet in Sweden, even poor people.
On the swedish section of that forum both sexworkers and (swedish) punters discussing sex-work .
If you compare this swedish forum with some foreign forum you can see positive influence of the swedish model.
The clients has been more respectful towards sexworking women .
It’s banned to write women’s home adress, telephone numbers , negative recensions about prostitutes looks, part of their bodies .
Hardly some of swedish john dares to criticize some sexworker’ looks or ‘wrong’ part of their bodies in this open forum .
You can compare it with some foreign forum, for example worldsexguide.
Worldsexguide’s recensions sounds like some slave market in Alabama 300 years ago, where slaves’ price was depend of their age and physical appearence..
Funny to read the worldsexguide sexconsumers’ complaints that swedish prostitututes are too old, too ugly and most expensive in the world.
Free speech is good, but bad recensions damage sexworker’s job and play women against each other.
How pro-legalization feminists can accept punters’ anti-woman behaviour ?! They should fight for sexworkers rights instead agitating for john’s rights.
Moderator of (swedish) sexwork.net forums wrote:
http://www.sexwork.net/forum/showthread.php?t=55068
”Every Sex Worker has a right to claim posts removed about her/him -self. Respect the privacy of Sex Worker.”
On the foreign forums they not respect the privacy of sexworkers. I have seen prostitutes real names and home adress on the UK sexwork forums.
If they should have swedish law in UK they would never dare to do that.
You wrote-
”The fierce competition and pressure on prices has something to do with competition from foreign (mostly Eastern European and African) sexworkers. It’s not a result of the legalisation”
We have very-very few real migrant sexworkers and they not pressure prices down at all.
In their adverts on swedish escort-sites they charge the same price as swedish escorts – 2500,-3000-, SEK / hour. (about 250-300 Euro). This is good.
Sadly, swedish prostitutes fearing competition of young russian prostitutes hypocritically call ALL of them “trafficking victims” and loudly agitate swedish clients to boycott those arme “sexslaves” and choose swedish escorts. But this paranoia have not much with ’swedish model’ to do.
”Why you think that your clients should be criminalised?”
I don’t want my clients be criminalized.
I just want other clients to respect sexworkers’ rights and privacy.
March 6, 2008 at 11:49 pm
hi
May 12, 2008 at 2:21 pm
Dear swedishsexworker
I find your blog interesting but I do disagree with you on many issues.
First of all, on your comments that compareson is bad.
Ofcouse you and your services should be up for public compareson on any way. You not only charge one of the highest fee in any service but you do lie and “cheat” in any way possible about your services.
Now … I said “You” and its properly not all as 100%, but most likely 95% of “you”.
You can claim anything in your “ads” like Tall fantastic looking, model material, 21 years old and offering all sort of services, but when it comes down to it, “you” are Little, chubby, model material for wasted Milf´s maybe, 35 years and not offering much …. but at that time you are already in the room or you have maybe already got the money.
Now, if you choose to offer any kind of service, you should accept being rated and compared on any level.
However, I agree that “real name” and home address is nobody´s elses business and should be kept away, but the service it self and your looks for that matter should be rated as any other business that are offering a service somebody might pay for.
If you cant live with that …… get out of the business.
May 15, 2008 at 4:14 pm
Dear ‘client’,
Sweden is not Denmark.
Happily - we have less age-discrimination and more gender equality here in Sweden than in any other country.
Sexindustry is just a mirror of women-rights situation in any country. The more women are opressed in some country the more they’re abused and discriminated in the sex-industry.
“”You not only charge one of the highest fee in any service but you do lie and “cheat” in any way possible about your services.’”
I never lie about my age or services.
“”Now, if you choose to offer any kind of service, you should accept being rated and compared on any level.”"
Hey, you obviously mixed up services with appearance. Service is service - appearance is appearance.
When you rated services of some (good or bad) hairdresser or naprapat you don’t care about her age/weight/breast-size. You just like or dislike her good or bad service.
If you consider sexwork as any other labour then must be the same rules as in any other labour.
Of course, real cheaters must be exposed. REAL cheaters i mean, for example those sexworkers who promised ‘full service’ but then she left the room after 5 minutes, as soon she took money or any other bad service.
But “”comparison on any level”", when the clients (who are often old fat and ugly themselves) depict ages or parts of women’ bodies in very offending vocabulary on some sexguide.forum is absolutely disgusting. and i’m happy that we have not so much those kinds of forum in Sweden.
That’s why I love swedish antijohns law.
Secondly - people have DIFFERENT TASTEs. What is ugly in your eyes can be very sexy and attractive in another’ eyes. I know it from my own experience. Some of people i met like my face and body and wish to see me again, but some probably didnt.. And i accept it.
“” .. “ads” like Tall fantastic looking, model material, 21 years old and offering all sort of services, but when it comes down to it, “you” are Little, chubby, model material “”
Many clients love little and curvy Dolly Parton-like women !
“”….. and your looks for that matter should be rated as any other business that are offering a service somebody might pay for..”"
“”…as Any other business ?”"
When you book any other service, hairdresser or massageist, you’ll never expect her/him to be a model material.
Either you accept sexwork as an any other service work or not. ?
Again, prostitute is a living human being, not a “” material”".
If u not trust in advertising then you can pick up your material directly on the street or in some brothel..
Or Why not buy any rubber doll instead?
“”… wasted Milf´s maybe, 35 years …”"
if 35 y.o. is a milf (mother) for you, than you must be at least 10-12 years old little boy !!
“”‘If you cant live with that …… get out of the business.’”"
Why you suggest me what shall i do? My life is not your business.
I have enough clients, most of them young and good looking guys.
If this truth hurts you please get out of this blog.