Playing the Whore

Playing the Whore: The Work of Sex Work | Melissa Gira Grant

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I‘ve been wondering how to review this book and I‘m still processing things in my brain today.
Maybe that‘s all I need to say in this review, this book whilst disjointed at points and jumping from topic to topic has so many things in it that make you think!
Any feminist should read a book like this since for too long people in the sex industries voices have been ignored and at best they have been shown to be ...content in comments

Weaponxgirl Either empowered or victims. Their autonomy has been taken away in these conversations. 6y

Weaponxgirl I will always be uncomfortable with people being commodified and I will probably always have complicated feelings in this area but this book made me look at how the argument has been put forward in the past. My feelings come from how messed up our society is about sexuality in general and how we treat people in these industries. This book has made some points click and others I‘m still mulling over to try and get more cohesive thoughts in my head 6y

Weaponxgirl The main point being although I‘ve not had clear thoughts in the past in how to do this is that society‘s thoughts whichever way should not impact on the wellbeing or safety of the people involved. This book will really make you think about these issues from a different perspective if you haven‘t looked at it from this viewpoint before. 6y

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Weaponxgirl I‘m not sure I‘ve made any point here clearly enough but I‘m gonna recommend this book a lot. We all probably have a lot to learn when it comes to these issues (edited) 6y

Crazeedi Thanks for you comments and insights 6y

Weaponxgirl @Crazeedi thankyou, just hope they made any kind of sense and were vaguely helpful 6y

Aimeesue Thanks for the review! Definitely sounds interesting. 6y

Crazeedi @Weaponxgirl they definitely were!! 6y

Riveted_Reader_Melissa Sounds very interesting, I love books that make you think and give you lots to mull over! 6y

8little_paws I've had this book on my shelves since it came out and still haven't read it 🤦‍♀️ 6y

WomanistBibliophile No woman is a “whore.” Prostitution is neither sex nor work. It‘s a system of patriarchal exploitation that harms all women; under patriarchy women are never far from being subjected to the conditions that coerce them into prostitution and the commodification of sex is alienating people from embodiment, connection, attachment and intimacy 6y

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Weaponxgirl

Playing the Whore: The Work of Sex Work | Melissa Gira Grant

Owlizabeth Okay, you convinced me, I‘m stacking! 6y

Aimeesue Yep. Nuance is good, black/white, yes/no, either/or statements are pretty much worthless for most subjects. (edited) 6y

CarolynM So true. I was shocked and angered when I first heard Andrea Dworkin's arguments because I think they trivialise the reality of sexual assault. 6y

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Weaponxgirl @Owlizabeth hope you find it as interesting as I did 6y

Weaponxgirl @Aimeesue agreed completely, it doesn‘t help people when we try to narrow the realities of life down. 6y

Weaponxgirl @CarolynM yes! And it‘s othering women in the sex industry and punishing them for not getting on board with a certain type of feminism and I‘m not here for that 6y

WomanistBibliophile Coercion is not consent. Economic coercion is coercive by definition. It isn‘t othering women in prostitution to recognise the economic reality in which prostitution occurs—far from it, it‘s empathetic and solidarity forming. 6y

WomanistBibliophile Andrea Dworkin spoke from experience. She wasn‘t making a theoretical statement but speaking from her experience. The pro-prostitution lobby doesn‘t want to hear from those women who have been prostituted and traumatised by it and who support the Nordic Model. Andrea Dworkin took the reality of rape very seriously and it‘s mischaracterising to say otherwise @CarolynM 6y

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Weaponxgirl

Playing the Whore: The Work of Sex Work | Melissa Gira Grant

Sex workers should not be expected to defend the existence of sex work in order to have the right to do it free from harm.

This! A hundred times over!

40 likes

Weaponxgirl

Playing the Whore: The Work of Sex Work | Melissa Gira Grant

SW-T I feel like it‘s a holdover from this: https://www.history.com/news/chamberlain-kahn-act-std-venereal-disease-imprisonm... 6y

Weaponxgirl @SW-T she does mention this, not in as much detail as this article though. Funny how it‘s always the women‘s fault and they are the ones that should be punished right? 6y

SW-T It‘s interesting how pretty much every culture seems to be terrified of women and anyone different or so much of this stuff wouldn‘t happen. The rules to keep them down and suppressed continue to both amaze and appall me but give me hope that one day women will figure it out and flip that terror to their advantage. You gotta have hope. 6y

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Weaponxgirl @SW-T yes! I‘m finding it particularly interesting with her talking about “feminist allies” who claim to have sex workers best interests at heart but are often a part of helping to implement damaging policies. There is a whole chapter on it later in the book that I‘m looking forward to. I have complicated feelings about these issues and it‘s great that it‘s getting me thinking and trying to clarify stuff more in my head. 6y

SW-T I‘ve added this one to my TBR. 6y

Weaponxgirl @SW-T it is a bit disjointed in places which I was gonna say when I do my main review but anything that makes me think this much is worth it for me personally. It‘s also not too long which is always a plus atm. 6y

34 likes6 comments

Weaponxgirl

Playing the Whore: The Work of Sex Work | Melissa Gira Grant

How scary is this?!
Women should not be being targeted by those who are meant to protect us in society.

SW-T They definitely shouldn‘t be, but sadly they are 😢 6y

Weaponxgirl @SW-T it shows just how badly wrong it can go when well meaning people are calling for more of certain types of legislation. They can just be more victimised by those in power. Anti pimping laws have been used against women in some countries when they are just messaging each other for safety reasons. This is used as evidence of them pimping for each other. This book is making me rage but it‘s good to get another viewpoint 6y

32 likes2 comments

Weaponxgirl

Playing the Whore: The Work of Sex Work | Melissa Gira Grant

This book has been blowing my mind at work last night.
I‘m sorry but expect a fair amount of spamming to happen now.
This is just unacceptable

SW-T It seems like until it happens to them or someone in their immediate family, many people just don‘t care. Disheartening. 6y

Weaponxgirl @SW-T it‘s also the attitude of it isn‘t safe so that‘s what you get. That sort of attitude is one of the reasons it isn‘t safe to begin with. 6y

SW-T So true! 6y

31 likes3 comments

thelionandunicorn

Playing the Whore: The Work of Sex Work | Melissa Gira Grant

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Finally got around to reading this and it was excellent. Short, but insightful, and particularly good since I only knew fragments about the politics of sex work before.

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