It really bugs me that sex workers turn against academics and allies, assuming they speak for us when in fact, they are or were sex workers themselves. We end up forcing someone to out themselves, putting their personal relationships & jobs at risk.

We bang on about stigma, people losing their job & being cut off from families etc. but then we disown them unless they say they were a sex worker. Nobody has to be open about their experiences, but I imagine its worse to have your experienced ignored.

Time and time again I see people slagging off allies, but the reality is, they have years of experience and feel they're being rejected by their own community.

They feel their work isn't taken seriously, or considered part of their own community unless they disclose.

Dr Jess Taylor did the exact same thing to me. She patronised to me that she was a sex worker once and therefore knew better than me. I finally snapped, and outed myself for the first time. My family eventually then found my online presence and stopped speaking to me.

Stop assuming they've not been or currently are a sex worker because they're not willing to risk their life collapsing around them.

Heck this thread will probs get me a lot of hate but hey. This doesn't mean we can't call out academics/allies fot their shitty takes or actions, nor does it mean third parties in the sex industry are under the red umbrella in their capacity.