Moving offline also makes members of marginalized communities more visible to police and potentially problematic clients. It’s not uncommon for workers who are transgender, disabled, and people of color to rely on web buffers to stay safe.
“Being arrested for ‘walking while black,’ or ‘walking while trans’ is outrageously common,” Red Schulte, a queer, non-binary sex worker and community organizer, tells In These Times. “Advertising online is a method of harm reduction. If sex workers can access affordable and reliable methods of advertising and screening clients, they are better able to work in-doors and in conditions they feel safer. Sharing client experiences and information is a method of harm reduction. Being able to communicate online about surviving violence and seeking resources is a method of harm reduction.”
APRIL 5, 2018 / by CARRIE WEISMAN
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