Organizer and pro-prostitution activist Carol Leigh, also known as Scarlot Harlot, manages Bayswan, the official website of the Bay Area’s Sex Worker Advocacy Network. She said the seminar reflected the maturation of the sex worker cause; in comparatively permissive cities like San Francisco and Portland, Ore., the focus of sex worker advocacy has shifted from decriminalization to job satisfaction.
The seminar drew about 25 students, all of whom claimed sex worker status, whether as prostitutes or dancers. Presenter Kimberlee Kline said, “If we want to be treated as business professionals, we need to act ethically within the industry." Prostitution is only legal in parts of Nevada, and instructors repeated that they could not advise any attendees on how to break the law.
Following the day-long class, students received a Graduate of Sex Work certificate, having discussed stress reduction on the job, legal issues and defensive techniques.
"Prostitution is work," Leigh said, stressing the differences in income, focus and choice in the industry. "The most important thing is that we are diverse. Some are on the streets and in a very desperate situation. Others are in a working-class situation and maybe bored in their jobs. And others see sex work as their calling."
