How is it possible to be a feminist and support the sex industry?

[Molesworth]

I've just been reading this article from the guardian. Young girls are being sold to brothel keepers and made to take steroids so that they look older than they really are.

All my instincts say that the sex industry is just plain wrong. I know some feminists think it's OK (although obviously they wouldn't support practices like those described in the article). Are there any sex industry supporting feminists here? What's the rationale?

Was that a genuine mistake referring to Dittany as Ms Litany, or trying to be ironic?

SGB, interesting point. Got to go out now but I'll come back to this later (didn't want you to think I'm ignoring your post).

dittany, I thought like you and Molesworth that the language used by MissHoneyMoon and mandamumu indicated that they were men. I was about to make a post on the subject, showing why which would have included some of the same points that you have made, and therefore I reread MissHoneyMoon's posts. That was when I realised that she is for real. I can't say for sure about mandamumu, mandamumu could be one of her male customers, I don't know. But I am now 100% convinced that MissHoneyMoon is for real.

We popped in here to give the other side of the story. There are those among you who would like a balanced portrayal of the industry.
I am not and nor have I ever been the proud owner of a (proud) member.
I am all woman. I am an independent prostitute, I have been for about 18 years or so now, sometimes full time, sometimes part time.
I have met all types of client during those years, but I have never been exploited or coerced.

I think it would be a shame if this discussion turns into a speculation-fest on whether some of the contributors are or are not genuine. There are a lot of anti-feminist trolls on the internet who like to plague feminist blogs and discussion forums. I think we can be forgiven for being suspicious, but let's not allow that to derail the discussion.

Really going out now!

claig...indulge me

how can you be 100% convinced that a poster is "real" ?

personally, I don't give a shit who these two sockpuppets are

but

I have never met a woman, sex-worker or not, who thinks that 2 hours of cunnilingus would be anything less than torturous, tbh

A very, very strange concept...and certainly a shite one if "she" is trying to convince us of her wonderful sexlife at the hands of men who pay for it

Prossie is not disrespectful. It's just short for prostitute which is what I am. You're the one who was against flowery language, so I have stopped using it.

Prossie is no more disrespectful than calling the postperson 'postie'.

just popped in from out of the boudoir of course

where "she" will be joining all our daddies, brothers and husbands later....

2 hours (with rest stops) of a very skilled man performing cunnilingus is not torture.

Dittany, you are posting on an open forum. Don't be surprised when people read what you write.

I wasn't the one who mentioned boudoirs, so don't throw that one at me.

Molesworth: Wrt Paul Holmes, please don't forget that he may not have met a lot of sex workers who are doing it without coercion because it is perfectly possible for a sex worker who is doing it voluntarily and safely to go about her working life without coming into contact with the police or at least without being identified by the police as a sex worker. For one thing, a woman working as an escort, getting clients over the internet or by advertising in magazines is not actually breaking any laws
This is not, of course, to say that Holmes is lying about meeting sex workers who are coerced and abused, NO ONE is denying that this happens and it is bad.

a "very skilled man"

< snort >

manda...I suggest you go and read some literature on basic stuff...you know like what feels nice and what starts to feel like sandpaper on a mucous membrane after a little while

AnyFucker, I think it was mandamumu who mentioned cunnilingus. As I say I cannot be sure about mandamumu. I agree that a lot of the language that both use is strange. But if you carefully reread MissHoneyMoon's posts there is a clue which will show why she is for real.

claig...don't be coy

what "clue" ?

AnyFucker, what are you trying to say?

I don't like rough cunnilingus, it has to been very very gentle, so maybe I can go for longer than you.
I will admit though, the time before, then guy booked me for 3 hours and that was more than I could take. It's not often in life you get to utter the phrase "If you go down on me again I may be forced to kick you in the head".

manda...go and have a wank into your crinoline

< awaits deletion >

3 hours

AnyFucker it would be unfair to be more specific.

You say that we use strange language?
Mumsnet is the home of such terms as:

Foofoo
Lala
Minmin

Pot... Kettle...

The original question here was:

How is it possible to be a feminist and support the sex industry?

I would have thought that you would be interested in our input in this thread. Instead, my friend has been called a "fuckhole" and I has been accused of being a man.

Thank you ladies.