hi everyone

I'm Catherine, I'm not on this board as often as I'd like to be so apologies for any breaches of etiquette etc. I'm a London based sex worker (mostly independent, some brothel & agency) and activist with the International Union of Sex Workers.

BBC One Breakfast is hoping to do a piece on sex work and the recession; they?re trying to find someone who has entered or returned to sex work due to the recession.

I?ve spoken to the journalist at length as have several other people I know who work for projects, and she seems trustworthy ;-) One of the things I said is that generally money is what motivates people to work in any job ? I also talked about the legislation going through parliament, various other bits and bobs.

The content of the other interviews (that I know of) should give a good context (I think they?ve spoken to New Futures in Leicester, Scot-PEP in Edinburgh and one other) and I?ll probably be interviewed too, talking about my own experience of sex work and the work of the IUSW. IMO it looks like a good potential feature ? but it probably won?t go ahead without a suitable ?case study? to hang it on.

The producer seems very aware of privacy issues and is comfortable with giving interviewees anonymity ? obscuring the face, using lighting, changing the voice , etc (I?ll be anonymous for my bit). Payment is unlikely, but they?re open to negotiation ? ?license fee ? ethics ? must be sure they?re doing it for the right reasons, not just for the dosh etc?. (That always seems crazy to me ? it basically seems to say ?we?ll only pay you if we think you don?t really need the money.?)

If anyone?s interested, please drop me a line
catherine@iusw.org
and I can pass on the producer?s phone number or tell you more about my experience so far.

Thanks,

Cxx

Thanks, Brandy.

When I spoke to the producer last, I said I was happy to post it on here for her ? that?s why she hasn?t registered herself. It?s actually a TV feature, rather than print (presuming we?re talking about the same feature; I think it probable as she said she?d been in touch with you.)

I like the Camille Paglia quote ? I sometimes use
A feminist is any woman who tells the truth about her life. (Virginia Woolf)
and
Your freedom and mine cannot be separated. (Nelson Mandela)
but unfortunately
The thing about faith, about doctrine, about ideologies of any sort, is that you can?t fight them with facts. (from The Wisdom of Whores, Elizabeth Pisani)

Cheers, Cxx

PS If anyone wishes to talk to me about the piece, my phone number?s on http://iusw.org/node/3
Thanks again.

While it was independent, ex-work used to get a media request or two a week. The general policy was to try not to laugh at the optimism of expecting people for whom time is money to schlep across London to appear on a programme made by some well-paid production company for free.

As with agencies, media companies need escorts more than escorts need...

If you ever meet Camille Paglia, try to get a word in edgeways