WE TOO

Current and former sex workers sound off in a collection of essays edited by West, a former professional dominatrix with a doctorate in gender studies.

In this hit-or-miss gathering, West, with the assistance of Horn, brings together original writing and reprints from Tits and Sass and other media. Without arguing that the U.S. should legalize prostitution, contributors show the many forms of harm that result from criminalizing it. Veteran sex workers set limits on acts they will perform, but clients often cross boundaries and claim that assaults—ranging from dangerous chokeholds to rape—were part of BDSM or other agreed-on services. Victims who report such crimes risk prosecution, self-incriminations, or, if they work in pornography, blacklisting in the industry. Some of the most disturbing essays involve the police, who until recently could legally have sex with prostitutes they were investigating—in 2017, Michigan became the last state to outlaw the practice. Other entries fault the anti–human-trafficking law known as FOSTA-SESTA, which shut down the sex-marketplace website Backpage but deprived sex workers of “independence, safety, and community online.” Some show how workers are adapting to the coronavirus pandemic with apps and video calls. In weaker essays, contributors strike chirpy notes on why they’ve leaned into sex work, using clichés about “empowerment” and the “flexible schedule” it allows. These gauzy sections dilute the impact of harder-hitting material on sex workers’ need for dignity and rights, and the book would have benefited from hard data on the high incidence of crimes against sex workers and the public health benefits to countries that have legalized prostitution. Absent such facts, the book has much anecdotal material of interest to supporters of decriminalization, but it isn’t likely to change minds on the issue.

Useful for advocates of legalizing prostitution but unlikely to make converts to the cause.