Date: Mon, 28 Jul 1997 13:28:54 -0400 (EDT)
From: Tracy Quan <quan-AT-panix.com>
Subject: Re: M-FEM: Prostitution



On Mon, 28 Jul 1997, boddhisatva wrote:

> in our points of reference.  Welcome, Comrade Quan. 

Thanks for the kind wishes, boddhisatva -- how did you come upon this
nickname?

> 	I wonder Ms. Quan, whether you find certain stereotypes of women
> demeaning to women and destructive to them in the broad societal,
> political realm.  If so, would you nonetheless use the trappings of such a
> stereotype (clothes, etc.) in your work to satisfy a client's personal
> preference or are there situations where you might find personal
> preference too demeaning to women *in general* and therefore politically
> distasteful?  When it comes to prostitution, are there situations where
> the personal becomes political?

I think you're asking me a question about personal appearance. Many jobs
require a uniform of sorts. In order to be taken seriously as a commercial
sex object, I happily don the costume of my profession -- typically, this
would involve wearing high-heels and, perhaps, a garter belt, stockings,
etc. Often, however, I might carry these items with me, wearing something
more comfortable or low-key during transit. I don't find these outfits
demeaning, and sometimes I wear them for a customer -- but sometimes, I'm
wearing them for myself, too.

I can understand why a customer might be turned on by a particular look or
outfit -- I, too, react with pleasure to visual stimuli. Although I am not
especially *into* women, I like to see other ladies similarly attired; I
also like it when a man wears a nice suit and a snappy tie. Sometimes, I
have enjoyed undressing a client and playing with his tie... The
stereotypical look of the tightly wrapped senior exec is as alluring to
me as the stereotype *I* might represent to him.

I simply do not relate to the notion that a certain style of appearance is
demeaning to myself or to all women -- if I wanted a job in which looks
didn't matter, I would be in phone sex.