Sex and Sexuality

The 99%: The Hidden Class Politics of Teen Mom 2

Teen Mom 2Those things we think we know about teen moms? The limited education, welfare use, the doomed romantic partnerships, the poor outcomes for their children? When we control for poverty, those adverse outcomes virtually disappear. It’s not that they had a child while they were young, it’s that they had a child while they were poor.

The H-Word: Was it Good for You?

This is my final post for The H-Word, where I say thanks and you tell me what you loved and hated.

The H-Word: Big Money, No Whammies

Black and white mugshot-style photo of a white woman aged 19. The placard she's holding says I wish I could change the past

I wanted to be beautiful. I wanted to be taken care of. I wanted to be rescued. I was sexualized long before I sexualized myself. Even as a child, I knew the way men looked at me. I knew what it meant. In Mexico, men called out in the street and hissed when I walked past. Even older men—friend’s fathers, male teachers—even as a little girl. Even in grade school, I knew what it meant to be a woman and I was no longer a little girl. At nineteen years old, I was well aware that my body had become a woman’s body. Even as a child, I knew what that was worth.

The H-Word: Jessie Talks "Retirement"

The H-Word presents first person stories from current and former sex workers across the U.S. Jessie Nicole describes herself as a queer, stubborn, and committed anarcha-feminist. A former prostitute and dedicated activist, she lives in West Hollywood with her longterm partner. I asked Jessie to talk about why she no longer sells sex. 

"Retired" feels like such an odd term to use when I'm about to turn 25 but, yeah, I can talk about retirement. If 1 is "I'd go back tomorrow" and 10 is "I'd rather starve first," I'm somewhere around an 8.

The H-Word: Relationship Violence and the Racist Implications of the Mythical Pimp

Poster showing women's legs and men standing under a streetlight. Text reads LOST BOYSEarlier this month the Village Voice made public the findings of a study conducted by the John Jay College of Criminal Justice, which looked to define the most vulnerable population of sex workers: underage prostitutes. According to the study, "The typical kid who is commercially exploited for sex in New York City is not a tween girl, has not been sold into sexual slavery, and is not held captive by a pimp." The study found that 45% were boys, 45% got into the business through friends, 90% were U.S. born, most serviced white, wealthy men and struck deals on the street (as opposed to the Internet). Importantly, 95% of respondents—70% of whom had sought assistance through a child service agency within the past year—said they exchanged sex for money "because it was the surest way to support themselves." According to these researchers, even the most at-risk segment of the sex worker population—underage sex workers—are going it alone, selling sex on their own volition, and perceive themselves as making a choice given their circumstances. Only 10% were involved with what the researchers labelled a "market facilitator" (aka pimp).

The H-Word: Maria Talks About the "Real World."

Photo of a woman wearing a white lace top with black hair--her face is out of the frame

The H-Word presents first-person stories from current and former sex workers across the U.S. Maria is a 48-year-old hairdresser and artist who supplements her income selling sexual services to clients that she meets online. She talks about how petitions to shut down adult classifieds sections on sites like Craigslist and Backpage affect real women working in the industry.   

The H-Word: “Make Your Own Porn.”

A photograph of Dylan Ryan, a white queer woman with short, bleached blonde hair. She is photographed from the side, wearing a large, flowing shirt that reads DANGEROUSA sometime writer, social worker, dancer, artist and yogi, Dylan Ryan is also one of adult entertainment's favorite feminist porn stars. She has been the recipient of The Feminist Porn Award's Heartthrob of the Year Award and was named one of Fleshbot.com's Crush Objects. An avid defender of sex worker rights and a queer-identified activist, Dylan is currently working on her first book. Here, Dylan speaks to the "strangeness" of being a queer person in porn. 

The H-Word: "Cleaning Up" OWS and Our Country's Historic Fear of Contagion

a vintage-looking poster with a woman looking over her shoulder that says She may be a bag of trouble Syphilis GonorrheaNot so good morning, America. I woke up yesterday to discover that on Monday night the police had cleared Zuccotti Park. As of this morning, Zuccotti Park remains largely unoccupied and quiet, thanks to a judge's ruling that the city needn't allow them back in. At a press conference yesterday, NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg defended his decision to effectually shut down the protest, which had lasted 61 days and counting, saying that the "health and safety conditions became intolerable." In a statement made yesterday morning, Bloomberg said: "I have become increasingly concerned ... that the occupation was coming to pose a health and fire safety hazard to the protestors and to the surrounding community." Hey, disease is no joke, Bloomberg seems to be saying. Politics aside, you've all heard of the black plague, right? Who wants that to happen again!!? Certainly not our mayor! Sounds pretty rational, until you consider how sanitation and the interest of public safety, including fear of the risk of communicable disease, is a rationalization our country has relied on historically to control its population, particularly minorities.

The H-Word: Essence, Revealed

black and white photo of Essence, a black woman, smiling and leaning against a wallThe first time I met Essence Revealed was two years ago at the Sex Workers Cabaret, an annual event in New York City where sex workers take the stage to tell their diverse stories through performance, narrative, puppetry, burlesque, comedy and more. Essence is a dual degreed, former lap dance engineer from the upscale gentlemen's club scene. Her performance that night reminded me of the girls I used to work with at Flashdancers, women who took their business seriously and were so skilled no one would dare consider them anything less than performers. Dancing in a red velvet floor-length gown to Michael Jackson's Princess Diana, Essence elevated striptease to an art. I was as enamored as a customer. Not unlike a customer, I wanted to meet the woman behind Essence.

The H-Word: WTF, America.

photo of students rioting at Penn State

Every now and again I’m struck immobile by the state of our nation. I had wanted to prepare an article on the risks of sex work, real versus imagined, but I’m thinking what the fuck. Why bother. This country sucks. No one’s listening. I turned on the news this morning and they’re rioting at Penn State over the firing of a football coach, a man who played a pivotal role in covering up the actions of a child molester. In the next segment, a Republican audience is booing Maria Bartiromo for questioning their candidate about claims of sexual harassment, two of which extend beyond allegations into the realm of fact, as those cases were settled. Whatever he says, they cheer. This is the same candidate who said that the unemployed and working poor should "blame themselves" and insinuated that a woman who is raped and gets pregnant has exercised a choice. This is the same audience who booed a gay soldier, cheered another candidate’s unparalleled record of execution and supported another candidate's conclusion that an uninsured man be allowed to die. This is not my country, I sometimes think. I don’t belong here.

Syndicate content
Deb Jannerson

Deb Jannerson

Bitch Media

Bitch Media
Who I Am: 

I'm a fitful novelist, former New Orleanian, lady-lovin' PWD, and twentysomething feminist bookworm interested in creative writing, queer rights, literary analysis, disability issues, teen issues, theater, film, sex education, and much more. I've completed two fictional books and one book of poetry, and I'm currently looking for a literary agent.

Prior to opening this account, I wrote for and commented on this site under the handle TheBadassMuppet.

What I'm watching: 

Veronica Mars (as a constant), Party Down, Community, Glee

What I'm reading: 

I consistently read a lot. My favorite authors are Douglas Coupland, Jaclyn Moriarty, Dorothy Allison, Joanna Russ, Woody Allen, Jessica Valenti, Jennifer Baumgardner, Augusten Burroughs, Lisa Tucker, Nancy Garden, Christopher Moore, Julie Anne Peters, Lori Aurelia Williams, Jonathan Safran Foer, Nicole Krauss, Christina Hopkinson, Ariel Schrag, Marc Acito, Curtis Sittenfeld, Tom Perrotta, Megan McCafferty, Judy Blume, Thea Hillman, Steve Martin, Sasha Cagen, Jaclyn Friedman, Eve Ensler, Wendy McClure, Jennifer McMahon, Bennett Madison, Mark Haddon, Kate Bornstein, Kate Harding, Colin McAdam, Kelley Eskridge, Pablo Neruda, Cristina Henriquez, Frank Portman, Jeff Lindsay, and Heather Corinna.

What I'm listening to: 

my usual collection of musicals and '90s rock, pop, and R&B. I also have a minor obsession with uber-trashy Europop.

Kelsey Wallace

Kelsey Wallace

web editor

web editor
Who I Am: 

As a young feminist growing up on the mean streets of Portland, Kelsey dreamed that one day a kickass, independent, feminist media organization would move its headquarters to her beloved home city. Well kids, Gabrielle was right: "Dreams can come true"! Bitch moved to Portland, and one MA in Media Studies from the University of Oregon later, Kelsey moved in as web editor. She hasn't looked back since.

When not editing the interwebs at the Bitch office, Kelsey can be found lecturing reluctant students, listening to podcasts, and hanging out with her French Bulldog, Edith. She also enjoys making things out of fabric and watching pretty much anything on television (preferably at the same time, and preferably with Edith). If you're looking for a new pal who loves both LOLcats and Linda Ronstadt records, she's your gal.

What I'm watching: 

Arrested Development, The Twilight Zone, Mad Men, Parks and Recreation

What I'm reading: 

Graduate school and the Internet have relegated Kelsey (and her attention span) to the land of short stories. It's a nice place to be, especially when Lorrie Moore and George Saunders are there.

What I'm listening to: 

King Khan & BBQ Show, Girls in the Garage, The Blow, NPR