Prostitution Narratives: Stories of Survival in the Sex Trade

by Caroline Norma (Editor), Melinda Tankard Reist (Editor)

For too long the global sex industry and its vested interests have dominated the prostitution debate repeating the same old line that sex work is just like any job. In large sections of the media, academia, public policy, Government and the law, the sex industry has had its way. Little is said of the damage, violation, suffering, and torment of prostitution on the body and the mind, nor of the deaths, suicides and murders that are routine in the sex industry.

Prostitution Narratives: Stories of Survival in the Sex Trade refutes the lies and debunks the myths spread by the industry through the lived experiences of women who have survived prostitution. These disturbing stories give voice to formerly prostituted women who explain why they entered the sex trade. They bravely and courageously recount their intimate experiences of harm and humiliation at the hands of sex buyers, pimps and traffickers and reveal their escape and emergence as survivors.

Edited by Caroline Norma and Melinda Tankard Reist, Prostitution Narratives documents the reality of prostitution revealing the cost to the lives of women and girls.

Prostitution Narratives: Stories of Survival in the Sex Trade will strengthen and support the global campaign to abolish prostitution, provide solidarity and solace to those who bear its scars and hopefully help women and girls exit this dehumanising industry.

Genres: Feminism, Nonfiction, Politics, Memoir, Biography, Prostitution, Sociology

246 pages, Paperback

First published June 1, 2016

Reviews

[Alicia Fox · Rating 4 out of 5]

Each chapter is a memoir of a woman's history working in the sex trade. The general idea is that things ranging from emotional trauma to rape to poverty lure women into prostitution. As prostitutes, they must pretend to enjoy having sex with the most undesirable men. Since most of these men don't have real-life relationships (and those who are in relationships frequent prostitutes in search of things their wives and girlfriends won't do), prostitutes are compelled to perform sex acts they'd rather not. (That is, men watch a lot of porn; porn shapes their sexual appetites; men crave anal, choking, etc., which the vast majority of women don't enjoy at all.) Typically, drugs and alcohol are abused to numb the pain.

This book advocates the stance of second-wave feminism and the Nordic model (making buying sex illegal in order to end prostitution, without making selling it illegal). It makes convincing arguments for why those who advocate third-wave feminism (that sex work is a matter of choice and even empowering) are deluding themselves and others.

I can't imagine any man wanting to buy sex after reading this book.

[Bec Mcardle · Rating 5 out of 5]

This brings firsthand experiences of prostitution survivors together with compelling reasons for bringing the Nordic model to Australia. It is an eye opening account of the abuse that young girls and women endure and the festering wound in society that perpetuates inequality and disrespect. Prostitution is not a 'job'.

[Ryry · Rating 1 out of 5]

I wish to support all women in being able to share their experiences and for all of us to be able to have support and be understood and not be isolated, shamed, stigmatised or denied freedom of movement and for all of us to have our bodily autonomy respected and for all of us to live in a world where violence and injustice stop being inflicted on people . And so i read this book hoping to understand the experiences of those who had contributed and to understand what people were potentially learning from reading this...to my dismay i came to realise that the editors have been highly selective and cherry picked individuals whose narratives best support their existing idealogical views about prostitution.

This mightnt be such a serious issue if it was just presented as 20 peoples experiences in the sex industry- they deserve to share their experiences as much as anyone. But i was upset to find that thr narratives appear to be presented in a way that suggests they should be understood as somehow representative of all people who have ever worked in the sex industry as prostitutes and i was extremely concerned and alarmed to find that its being used to lobby for the so called Nordic Model approach (where paying for sexual services or attempting /planning to pay = a crime against society and where all people who are paid for the work as sex workers are legally defined as being unable to consent (to sex work) and where sex workers are deeply pathologized (think Eugenics 2.0) and routinely deported, kicked out of housing (hotels have blacklists with photos of sex workers...and landlords are threatened with charges if they dont immediately evict sex workers found to be renting an apartment...as they can be charged with pimping. And since police are trying to find the clients, they find them by staking out sex workers homes and busting down doors...outing sex workers to their neighbours and then following up with the eviction - or deportation if they are a migrant (since sex work is deemed a dishonest living under the alien act)

Its interesting to me that the editors are so keen on ensuring that the narratives dont contain reference to state sanctioned violence or to violence from police or social workers (eg unjust child custody actions removing children of sex workers based SOLELY on sex work ..yes if you dont believe me please check out the court records available online for Jasmine's case in Sweden.

Its particularly ironic tnat the forward is by Rachel Moran...i wonder how many people realise that she is currently trying to sue a former st based sex worker who lives on disability pension - for alleged libel...relating to an affadavit signed by the former sex worker stating that she worked most nights for many years on certain st corners in dublin yet she never noticed anyone remotely resembling rachel moran or any 15yo working from the st corner rachel claims to have worked from for years along with other teens...
Thats not to say moran is a total liar but its just to say that something isnt quite right about that detail. Unfortunately moran doesn't get that and she thinks she is being accused of fabricating all of her abuse but thatd not what has been said.
For all the claims of this well funded lobby its interesting moran earns more than £60,000 per year from SPACE INTL with funding that seems to be vi a former ex president of US...yet she still takes to gofundme to raose more than £6,600 pounds just to use on legal funds to try and sue this former sex worker ...she even cries victim saying that its so unjust because she has struggled to pursue the case because legal advice is that she won't be able to get any money out of a pensioner who doesnt own her own house but anyway ..undeterred she is pouring thousands of pounds into pursuing this legal action. It really makes me wonder why not spend it on all these thousands of victims who want to be saved via police raids and punished for their own good.. like they claim to be aware of millions of girls in such situations yet sex workers cant seem to find all these people who think that the police can save us and that the biggest threat we face is interpersonal violence from a client. Of course tgeres no denying some people face violence...i myself have been raped at work and stalked by two police officers. But i couldnt report the rape to police coz id get deported from sweden. And also i hate talkong about it because people use it against me to argue that i should treat all clients as rapists even tho the vast majority respect my rules and even if thsy didnt id want them to be held accountable for their violence and breaking my boundaries NOT for their actions in paying me money for the work i demand to be paid for.
So all in all it was a disapointing and deeply upsetting read but not in the way others describe (plz cure yr pity porn addiction its not healthy for anyone)

[Cassandra · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is powerful, insightful, and disturbing. Although every survivors’ story was different, they shared similar themes of pre-existing conditions, complex trauma, and addiction. The stories demonstrate how prostitution is a means of surviving a society with structural issues like systemic economic inequality, racism, and sexism. Amazing book!

[Mayryott · Rating 5 out of 5]

不仅是故事，更是性产业幸存者的第一人称证言集，她们用自己的真实经历揭露了性产业的暴力。很珍贵的一本书，书前书后的内容也很值得读。从幸存者们的叙述中可以清晰地了解到：性产业的实质是什么，这个社会用怎样的内外合力将她们推进去，她们的身心在其中遭受了什么，她们的悲伤、痛苦与愤怒是怎样的，又需要什么法律制度与支持性的退出计划让她们可以尽快脱离这个产业。读完想说，性产业怎么不算是一种显性的性/别杀戮呢？

引言有两点不适：①理解性产业与奴隶制的共同点，但希望白人女权在借用叙事/修辞的时候点出二者的语境差异，比如揭示了什么又遮盖了什么，不然听她们称自己是“新废奴者”挺怪的…②只收录了发生在英澳加等国的故事，目的是想要说明不是越发达性产业就“安全”。理解她们的目的，但收录太局限了，不喜欢把第三世界女性的经历仅当作“论证素材”去写。

[Kimberly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hard hitting and powerful stories about women who have been subject to such pain and exploitation. Exposing the myths behind "sex work is work"

[Das Ding · Rating 4 out of 5]

I sat with a young man who told me he liked to write poetry which he recited to his friend seated beside him (it was terrible), and he chatted about the Australian bush, which reminded me of my father who had loved the bush and wrote beautiful poetry. I imagined it would break his heart to see me now, but I didn't think it mattered much since he was dead anyway. I drunkenly began to recite Henry Lawson poems he used to read. The man lost interest and chose another woman for a private dance. He told me he wasn't there to "hear bitches recite poetry". In that moment, something broken inside me broke just a little bit more.
...
The truth is women cannot be afforded human status in a world where prostitution exists, women cannot be afforded human status in a world where prostitution can even be imagined.

Excerpt from the story "Didn't come to hear bitches recite poetry" by Rhiannon

An intense read.
The book's title is chosen deliberately to remind the title "Slave Narratives". All the stories in the book come from developed countries and therefore represent the personal experiences with prostitution from the countries that are considered civilized. The level of violence described by the women in the stories belongs to this "civilization" where prostitution can and does exist. It's a heartbreaking read, as many of these women already have a history of sexual abuse and violence. The book does not hide its intention to expose what it calls the "sex work ideology" - that is a view of prostitution that puts it on an equal footing with other professions. "Prostitution Naratives" exposes the fact that girls at a very young age are often dragged into prostitution and are exploited in the sex trade from a position that is extremely vulnerable. Instead of receiving adequate support and necessary help during adolescence and youth, sex trade was offered to authors of the stories in the book as a way out of their situation. This book shows prostitution from the perspective of survivors - as a way of life that brings to the authors of stories an increased risk of infections, violence, drug addictions, and also deepening of trauma.

[Rosie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a painful, rage-inducing, and heartwrenching book to read, but it was simultaneously enormously interesting, educational, and valuable. These women's voicces need to be heard (not the pimps running the "sex work" lobbies), and the fact that they're all based in industrialized, English-speaking countries only underscores the point that the harm, degradation, and violation of human rights central to prostitution do not discriminate based on geological location. I'm grateful I read this book, and I think it should be read by far more people than it has been thus far. The diversity of voices and experiences - and yet the overt similarities in certain respects - are one factor which make this book so effective. Read this book cover to cover, and I doubt you will still be able to say afterward, "Prostitution is empowering! Decriminalization and regulation of all aspects of the sex industry is the way to go! Prostitution is a profession like any other, so it should be called sex work!"

[Jennifer Potter · Rating 4 out of 5]

The personal stories of 20 different women who survived the sex trade. Although all from different countries, backgrounds and perspectives- this book reads as if it is just ONE story. Good to finally hear firsthand from women who were not all trafficked, just how violent the industry is, dispelling many perpetual myths and building a very solid case for why the purchase of sex should NEVER be legalized!

[Noelani · Rating 4 out of 5]

I consider myself to be "progressive" about the sex work industry and it was a good reality check for me to read the stories of women who are willing to speak truthfully about it. The majority of these women turned to prostitution because it was the only viable option for them at the time. It's important to realize that, though some find sex work empowering, their experiences do not negate the overwhelming violence and abuse that characterize the industry.

[Redpoet · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a horrible book. It has to be. I used to support legalizing prostitution and was convinced somehow that it was legitimate work. That changed a while ago. I support the. Nordic Model. This book, which are simply short true stories written by survivors of the so called sex industry about their lives helps to demolish the myths propagated by the pro-sex industry” lobby.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

As bad as you think prostitution is...it’s worse

This book was very eye opening for me, I was pro prostitution, thought it was a harmless thing but I was so very wrong.

These first hand accounts from survivors are horrific, gut wrenching and terrifying.

[Yurijoy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Challenge your beliefs on "sex work" and read this book!

[Bill Dvorak · Rating 5 out of 5]

Raw new perspective of $500,000 worth of my life. Before I understood "exaggeration", but I never knew about the dependence. The repeated rape and trauma that perpetuates. The utter darkness seen in their lives that comes shortly after the first taste. I don't have words for my pain, or the evil I perpetuated. I was the man in every story. I was a lot of girl's first introductions, and then they got trapped. If I was a better man, maybe there wouldn't be so much pain.

The shame almost drove me to suicide. But this book helped me find my God. Thank you for compiling these narratives, Caroline.

[currentlyreadingbynat · Rating 5 out of 5]

A difficult read but it tells an important story. It's changed my thinking and I'll be processing this book for a long, long time.