Anyone read 'Paid for' by Rachel Moran

[Ohwhatatangledwebweweave]

My mum and I just purchased Nimko Ali's book about FGM. She is currently reading it, says its great. Can't wait for my turn

Rachel Moran's book on prostitution just popped up as a suggestion. Any of you read it? It's not new, 2015. Thinking it might be our next feminist read

I'm just going to leave this here:

maggiemcneill.wordpress.com/2014/03/11/played-out/

maggiemcneill.files.wordpress.com/2014/03/gaye-dalton-affidavit.pdf

m.independent.ie/irish-news/courts/judge-orders-exprostitute-to-stop-social-media-attacks-on-former-street-walker-38618794.html

I'm just going to leave this here Tracey Racer

mobile.twitter.com/rachelrmoran/status/849993559008825345?lang=en

And this. I wonder if you're one of those pro-prostitution Irish libfems who have obsessively harassed Rachel and tried to discredit her at every turn? Shame on you.

I was going to come on and say that I've always found it odd that rm's story is often claimed to be made up by the pro prostitution types. And I never understood why as what is so unbelievable about it!? Stacks of girls are sexually exploited pimped etc. The only unusual thing is that she's talking about it.

And look the first post on here is saying it's all lies. I don't get it at all. Is she that much of a threat? Because there's nothing about her story that isn't happening to others all over the place.

I mean the pro prostitution types say its made up!

My post didn't read quite how I meant!

Do the pro-prostitution types have a google alert set up on various keywords/names so they can pitch in with misinformation as soon as threads start? Second post is impressively quick.

Anyway, looks like an interesting read, and so useful to have links to the court judgements for future threads like this.

There's a small but determined group of privileged women who relentlessly push the decrim agenda. One is an American lawyer with a serious agenda and there's another American working in the sex industry who peddles the happy hooker myth. There are shadowy figures who call themselves sex workers but who are actually more on the pimping side of things. And then there are a load of gullible types who have drunk the "sex work is work" kool aid - there are Irish students involved in sugar daddy arrangements, the generational grooming has gone that far.

They hate Rachel because she speaks the reality of prostitution - how much of it stems from childhood neglect and abuse from men and how it is inherently exploitative and misogynistic. She's powerful and articulate and tough. Just their worst nightmare really.

I had no idea about any of that 😱 I will definitely be buying the book now. Several yrs ago I picked up a cheap paperback in a supermarket called 'Call me Elizabeth', a true story about a woman who turned to prostitution to fund the private education of her children. She was a respectable office worker by day and happy hooker by night 🙄 Nothing terrible every happened to her, she worked for an agency and had a driver/bodyguard who picked her up from home . It all seemed so harmless. Looking back it was almost promoting prostitution with tales of kind but lonely old men etc. I bet noone ever tried to call her a liar.

Thanks tracyracer you just made my mind up to order this bbok come payday.

One of the most powerful books I’ve read. I put it off for a while as I was worried about how bleak the subject matter is but actually it’s a beautiful, inspiring book. Yes, it shows the reality of prostitution and there were sections in it that made me cry but it shows the endurance and the dignity of the human spirit.
Rachel came through hell and managed to use her gift for writing to get a degree and then a job and later to write this incredible book. She has been hugely influential in Ireland in getting the Nordic model passed. She has done and continues to make the lives of the most deprived and vulnerable women in society safer.

Elizabeth claimed to be raped

It's a fantastic book and Rachel is obviously a remarkable woman. Took me a long time to read as I found it very emotionally doughnut I'd definitely recommend

Do the pro-prostitution types have a google alert set up on various keywords/names so they can pitch in with misinformation as soon as threads start? Second post is impressively quick.

I wondered the same. I started this thread knowing nothing of these claims. Just looking for opinions on whether it was worth buying. 1st reply is totally discrediting the author

Elizabeth claimed to be raped

Not sure who you are referring to Atlantic? Dawn Annan Dale, the author of Call me Elizabeth? It was some years ago and my memory is sketchy but I think she said she was sexually abused by her father? Who was an army major or something, I think.

She wasn't from a deprived background or a drug addict etc. Aspects of her story where harrowing, bad childhood, marriage etc but the prostitution side seemed the least worse part of her life AFAIR. Wish I still had the book now.

I read it a couple of years ago. It was eye-opening. You should read it. It's because of reading the book that I will only use the term prostituted women, never sex workers or any other term that disguises the horror of what what these women are living with daily.

"were* not where

I wouldn't be surprised. They are relentless. She has said before that her treatment by them - other women - is devastating.

And yes as a pp said, why is her story hard to believe? It's depressingly ordinary and typical. She unnerves them because she tells the truth.

Not read it but will add it to my To Read list. Thanks. I remember reading Call me Elizabeth several years ago and I don’t remember it being entirely positive.

Not read it yet but after listening to women who got out of prostitution at Filia, I understand even less how those like traceyracer can live with themselves...

So few prostituted women even dare to speak publicly. And the women that do are not telling happy hooker stories because those are vanishingly rare in prostitution. We all know that. We have eyes and ears and the memories of other women telling their stories. No matter where in the world or what period in history - prostitution is shown as exploitative and harmful to women.

And the argument for full decrim is that it would change that, it would improve those women's lives. So I can't help but wonder, why stop someone like Rachel talking? Why the desperate attempts to discredit her?

ive only ever read one book about prostitution, by Susan Howatch. It charted the gradual mental disintegration of a prostitute, it was heart breaking and was an eye opener for me. Might be a bit too Churchy for some, can't say I enjoyed it but it really made me realise how others can manipulate vulnerable people.

I'd believe Rachel Moran's book over Brooke Magnanti's book*, that's for sure.

What's the disbelief based on? Your own lived experience? There's no prostitute collective to check facts with. Prostitutes work alone, and all their stories will be different.

They love bickering about Rachel on the punter review sites. She makes them very angry

*It's hard to believe sucking cock actually is glam and fun in reality.

Before Rachel's book, there was a book called "Lyn: A story of prostitution" written by a Lyn Madden who was a prostituted woman in Dublin for twenty years. It's been a long time ago since I read it but this is the synopsis:

www.corkuniversitypress.com/Lyn-A-Story-of-Prostitution-p/9780946211456.htm

Lyn Madden worked for twenty years as a prostitute, mostly in Dublin. Her career ended on the night she watched her lover and pimp John Cullen, throw a fire bomb through the window of Dolores Lynch's home. Dolores, who had 'escaped' from prostitution some years previously, perished along with her elderly mother and aunt. That murder shocked Lyn out of her dependence on John and enabled her to summon up the courage necessary to denounce him to the police. She began writing this book whilst awaiting the trial during which John Cullen was sentenced to eighteen years in jail. First published in 1987, Lyn's story is as compelling and shocking as ever, providing a stark and horrifying insight into life 'on the game' in Dublin.

I can't remember details but I can remember the horrific violence Lyn suffereed. I don't suppose much has changed since Lyn's time, or Rachel's time, or even now. The people claiming Rachel is lying, sound like manipulative liars themselves, using sly insinuation, and slander. They clearly have a vested interest in trying to stop the truth being believed. Buy the book OP.

What's the disbelief based on? Your own lived experience? There's no prostitute collective to check facts with. Prostitutes work alone, and all their stories will be different.

Not that different, not really. Before I read Rachel's book, before she'd even written it I'd gone to events where ex-prostituted women were speaking, and other women who worked with prostituted women to help them exit. Nothing in Rachel's book is radically different to something I'd heard already either from a first hand account from a prostituted woman telling her own story, or a support worker describing the horrific conditions these women are having to cope with daily.

I believe Rachel.
Her detractors were claiming certain things didn't happen that they couldn't possibly have known about, so I concluded for myself that they were full of shit.
It's well worth a read, and well written.

I will be reading it. Kindle edition is about £3 hard copy a tenner. Want to share it with my lovely mum who kindly paid for Nimkos book (hard back) for us to share just waiting for her to finish it . I'm a bit skint just now (have 3 teenagers) so cheaper version for me. Anyone know how to share a kindle book?

You can't, unfortunately. She will have to get her own.