Sex Worker Open University

Sex work is difficult work that can affect you extremely deeply and it affects your private life and family life too. Sex work is not a sexuality, nor an identity. It is a service generally provided to punters who are pretty screwed up about intimacy and relationships. Punters continually push sex workers boundaries and consider that the objectification of others is their right. Dealing with people like this on a day to day basis can be very difficult indeed.
It makes me sick that people talk about the right of the punter to a private life and bring in talk of the disabled. The business of paid sex work is not a nice one, nor is it really a private life. It is an illusion of one for the punter. It is not life enhancing for either party. It is like sweets or drugs. A short high but ultimately alienating, leaving people less able to really commit to others' lives in an involving and positive way. But poverty is not nice or healthy either. It is understandable that financially struggling people will continue to provide sexual services and I support that right. But it should not be celebrated as something great, nor seen as a job like any other.
Sex workers should be protected under the law, they should not be criminalised and should be able to work collectively in brothels and look out for each other. But they should be self employed and those who market their services and provide other services to them should be seen as employees of the sex workers.
Counselling for the gruelling personal and psychological issues the sex workers encounter on a day to basis should be available and as well practical encouragement to deal with self esteem, stigma, help with money and to build useful and life enhancing careers and businesses that really do benefit the community.
Prostitution is a hard game. Dont confuse the issues with a celebration of how great it is.

This should be on tv!

The Sex Worker Open University included an informative workshop called 'taking the radical feminist response to prostitution seriously'

http://autonomousradicalfeminists.wordpress.com/2009/04/03/flyer-for-the-sex-wor...

If only there were more documentaries this clear and concise on this issue. There is so much more than can be said about this subject - I like the fact it leaves me wanting more. Perhaps there could be a series of these?

I'm for legalisation, there's always going to be a sex trade. Every town and city in the country has one if it was legal then the girls wouldn't be foced to work on the street and in unsafe conditions not to mention fueling organised crime and getting involved on drugs. Legalise drugs too.

I think there is a need for legalized as long as these girls are cared for and tested all the time. Hey I have been married for 30 years and I would hope if my husband needed something like that I would want to make sure he was safe doing it. But at this time I keep him pretty happy.

Being I'm not a part of this world, and nobody I care about is, my opinion really doesn't matter. But I'll give it. lol

I think selling one's body for sex is disgusting, whether it's porn or prostitution makes no difference, and it is funny how one is legal and the other is not. I believe it should be the choice of the individual, and if the government really wants to make it safer for all they would push for legalized prostitution. Decriminalization will never happen because if the government decides it is OK, they definitely what their say and share in it and decriminalizing something does not allow them this. This is one industry where the workers will never have it "their way."

The criminalization of sex is the hallmark of a totalitarian society.

i attended this event and it was a momentous, educational, and inspiring occasion for sex workers and their allies alike....well done ellie for capturing it on film!

Hi there, here are some links where you can find out more:

http://www.xtalkproject.net/

http://www.iusw.org/

http://sexworkeurope.org/

http://www.feministfightback.org.uk/

http://www.prostitutescollective.net/

http://www.metrosexual.co.uk/

http://www.sohoboyz.org.uk/

http://www.pinktherapy.com/

http://services.parliament.uk/bills/2008-09/policingandcrime.html

nice one! how can we find out about future actions and support them?

That could so easily have turned out like a cheap and nasty late night Channel 5 special, but it didn't come across that way in the slightest. Nicely done.

This film gives space to hear the voices of sex workers themselves and by doing so made the issues much clearer to me. It's a must-see!

This is great balanced film that highlights the real issues facing sex workers.

The IUSW is also a branch of the GMB, the third largest trade union in the country. Not only is this a acknowledgement of sex work as work but also takes the issue of sex work away from emotions to cold facts, sex workers are human beings who deserve to work in safety without fear of being attacked or murdered.

Join the IUSW GMB branch and help support sex workers!

interesting piece... but there is such a HUGE difference between types of sex workers - and the key component is control. who is in control? if it is the workers themselves, then so be it... if not, then it is a crime and should not be tolerated. Too many are forced into this life without an escape.

They should band together globally . They would be a powerful lobby if they did . ;) If feminists want to really liberate women , they should make prostitution legal . Women should be able to do what they want with their bodies . And no one should be forced to do it against their will . End slavery by bringing it out of the dark .

I strongly favor legitimizing sex workers everywhere.

I found this really enlightening! I really liked the way that this film brung out the different issues around sex workers moving away from traditional stereotypes...

Well done. Too much has been done against these people, both male and female. One must remember that they are peolpe too. We have more crime other than this to worry about. The crime that humamity has always been against is MURDER, RAPE, and Pillage. Of course these days it is homicide, assults, and thief. As a fiscal conserative I see a lost of tax revenue by not licenseing and collecting sales tax. Thanks for sharing.

This is a well done segment.

Nice to see the other side of the picture.

Mainstream media simply feeds us stereotypes of the victim, over and over again, this was a fresh change.

thank you and well done

They say that it is the oldest trade....

Beautifully made, crisp, sharp and opens up an important subject

Yay for the whores!!!!

Really interesting insight into a world that is usually sensationalised. It would be great to see more about this.