Marti Abernathey SWERFin' and TERFin'

SWERFin’ and TERFin’

When it comes to the sex work industry commentary on social media, it seems like the critics are big on speaking about the dangers of trafficking (many times conflating trafficking and sex work) but very quiet when it comes to the underlying causes of why the most toxic parts of it exist.

I really can’t give much space in my head to those who voice their concerns about coercion in sex work but refuse to acknowledge the primary pillar of that coercion. Capitalism is at the core of the coercion they are constantly concerned about, but they never acknowledge it. Sex work is an industry for a lot of vulnerable people who wouldn’t be able to survive without it. The root of that coercion that they’re SO concerned about is based on actual material need. The ignorance of the root cause and focus on the people impacted feels like “I don’t want to see you exist because of how I feel”. It’s a mixture of privilege and sanctimoniousness without genuine care or sympathy for the people doing it or providing a real alternative.

I’m not a sex worker, but I find a lot of reasons to form solidarity bonds with them. It’s a common theme put upon marginalised communities, saying, “I feel icky about sex work (or trans people, or gay people, or immigrants, etc.), and they should just go away so I don’t have to see them.” Be clear about your intent: you don’t want marginalised communities to exist, but if we do, you want us to suffer.

Tags: marginalised communities, sex work