Women who sell or exchange sex and coronavirus

[AnnaClick]

Hi everyone. I’m Anna and I’m one of the people in Scotland working on the urgent task of making sure women involved in all parts of the sex industry or selling or exchanging sex are able to get access to support and information and financial help right now. We know this is a really difficult and scary time and we are urgently trying to get in touch with women. We need to hear what you need and what are the best ways to get that support and help to you. We also want to make sure that decision makers know this right now too. If you are involved then it would be great to hear from you, or if you know of someone then please pass on our info. I’m available at www.click.scot/voice/ or [email protected] I’ll also be on our online chat here www.click.scot/contact/ Tuesday 11-1 and Wednesday from 2-4pm. Our online support is also available every week day from 11am-3pm – you can check out twitter for up-to-date online support times @click_scotland Thanks.

Thank you for posting the other organisations! How do you know AnnaClick is connected to “Routes out”?

as has happened on a smaller scale in the past thats a dreadful thing to say

Have you any evidence

Hairdress vs sex workers 🧐

Hairdressers: used by men and women
Sex workers: (I prefer to say prostitutes but ok) used by men

Both provide paid for services, hairdressers can also work from home or visit people's homes but you simply cannot compare the two, not just because of the risk posed by the virus by being in close proximity, but because they are entirely different businesses, with different services. The NHBF has been around since 1942.

For me this just highlights further how the "sex work is work" chant is just BS.

Nobody wants to buy direct contact because of COVID19

The risk of syphilis never stopped men buying women's bodies, getting it and spreading it to every woman they bought and their wives as well. Once a selfish fucker with no social conscience, always one.

Thank you for posting the other organisations! How do you know AnnaClick is connected to “Routes out”?

Sorry if it’s confusing. They are not other organisations, they are all part of the women’s support project , which is where the OP works. It’s in her OP as part of her email address.

They are very legit and well respected charity that work with vulnerable women and girls. They are not a “ public body “ or an NGO as a PP suggested.

I assume they are posting here to try to reach women who might need help.

@OhHolyJesus
In the specific context of COVID19 the risk of transmission is near identical in the context of sex workers and hairdressers, and if you, or anyone you know, has been kidding themselves about that and booking appointments it is time you stopped.

@powershowerforanhour

In the specific context of COVID19 the risk of transmission is near identical in the context of sex workers and hairdressers

Could you post a link to that research please @GayeDalton ?

@powershowerforanhour
I thought I made it clear, when I say:
"Nobody wants to buy direct contact because of COVID19"
I am not talking about what I expected to happen, or what I thought would happen, I am talking about what has actually happened, and the part that might concern you is that leaves an estimated 40,000 human beings in the UK without an income. Some, of course, have savings, some have other recourse, but a significant number were already in dire straits financially and are now in the position where they have no money to buy essentials like food and accomodation.

(Sorry about the blank post)

@IONA
This is probably the most that we know about the transmission of COVID19
www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prepare/transmission.html
..all of which applies equally to sex workers and hairdressers (among others) except that sex workers usually see fewer clients at a higher rate each.

Why post in feminism. If OP wants to find women to help surely she would have been better served widening the net a bit and posting in chat?

I can’t see the bit that compares hairdressers and “ sex workers “ ( or women abused through prostitution) . Where is it ?

@AmericanAdventure
I completely agree with you, I had no idea it was posted in "feminism" - perhaps it could be moved?

I'm not prepared to take seriously the views of anyone who is so determined to conflate hairdressers and their customers with prostitutes and their punters.

Please note that I told Gaye that this was a feminist forum some time ago. The link at the top of the page also says "womens rights".

Reading is fundamental, etc.

To the people saying what about PPE, Sick leave etc, sex workers working in brothels have no workers rights due to the current laws. Mumsnet (|and click|) support laws that ensure that this is the case. This is why workers have been fighting for full decrim. You can't have workers' rights if your workplace is criminalised. For independent workers, the issues are the same as the issues facing all other self employed workers ie £94.25 a week isn't enough to live on

"For me this just highlights further how the "sex work is work" chant is just BS." how so? Surely this whole situation proves that it is work as sex workers have lost their incomes.

If you want to support sex workers directly (I can agree that the OPs org is doing nothing despite having £1m in funding), plese donate directly to sex worker led orgs. SWARM and umbrella lane are both fundraising. SWARM have helped 65 workers already. Direct cash to workers.

So no evidence

Thought not

Not a fan of MN?

Short shrift for Anna?

Good.

Perhaps you should contact Adultwork.com and Vivastreet and encourage them to disable the messaging service for the men on there and the women offering sex? They could email the escorts to say they can only do cam work for the foreseeable.

@GayeDalton if you or anyone else you know has been kidding themselves about that and booking and keeping appointments it is time you stopped

Thanks for the lecture, I'm self isolating and the state of my hair is the last of my worries.

Maybe you should be telling off the men who are buying sex from women who are so hard up they have no other way to feed their families?

As power said, it didn't stop the men with syphilis spreading that about.

And I agree, this thread should be moved but over to DadsNet ideally because it's not the women in FWR putting prostitutes at risk.

Why post in feminism. If OP wants to find women to help surely she would have been better served widening the net a bit and posting in chat?

Excellent point.

Anna's org, click.scot, supports the NM (Which unfortunately many of you do to) but it is opposed by pretty much every human rights, health and sex worker led org in the world. Sex worker led orgs in Scotland were excluded from taking part in the project and operate on a tiny fraction of the budget of Click.scot. Sex worker led orgs are also doing the bulk of support to sex workers in the form of cash during this crisis. The vast majority of sex workers I know do not trust click.scot