Sex workers and the media
Here's an interesting blog I've found via Dolly. Rebecca Dakin, author of The Girlfriend Experience, is blogging about getting "back into 'normal life' after a whirlwind exciting 9 years of escorting". She wrote it, in her words, "to educate people about the infamous 'girlfriend experience' and challenge peoples views on escorting". So, what's interesting - she's been writing about how the media have portrayed her and her book. She writes,
I was trying to understand why I have been so upset about newspapers printing stuff that's in the book. The thing is I wrote the book to try and show people that there was so much more to escorting than what people think, which is that men only pay for sex. Since the press want to just discuss and print all the graphic sex making me out to be a convent girl and sex crazed loon that became a hooker, it's a little frustrating to say the least. Because the things they printed are taken out of context it doesn't really achieve what I wanted it to achieve. I'm trying my best to think that any publicity is good publicity but I'm having second thoughts (no good now I know!) now as to whether I have done the right thing by putting my face and name to it.Check out the "I went from convent girl to to hooker" story in the News of the World and file under typical. It's a new blog, so you can catch up very quickly. Do be sure to read her posts News of the World... and More Press.
Speak Up! Media Training Materials Online
Caroline, thank you for the post. It reminds me to remind everyone else that Sex Work Awareness's media training materials are available online
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...because public space really matters!
Elizabeth
Sex Workers and the Media Film Festival
Short films by sex workers from Canada and abroad about the media
Wednesday July 15, 7 pm screening
The 519 Community Centre, main floor
Tickets $8-12 sliding scale, available at the door
Free for sex workers
Wheelchair accessible
Curatorial assistance provided by the San Francisco Sex Worker Film, Art and Music Festival
Sponsored by the smart and delicious folks at Maggies, Good For Her, $pread Magazine
The drug addicted sex worker on the street, the high class escort, the trafficked thai woman...
The media is always telling stories about sex workers--but what do sex workers think about the media? More and more sex workers both in Canada and abroad are creating media that reflects the realities, joys, complexities, humour and pathos of this incredibly diverse industry--and rejecting or satirizing the stereotypes we're abundantly familiar with. Come here the stories sex workers flip the lens to reflect on themselves and the media itself.
This evening of short films from the US, Cambodia, India and Canada includes the Canadian premiere of In Our Image, a short documentary about the making of the sex worker run $pread magazine. These screenings will be followed by an audience discussion moderated by Kara Gilles, sex worker, activist and organizer of nearly 20 years.
FUNDRAISER FOR WOMEN’S NETWORK FOR UNITY, A COLLECTIVE OF SEX WORKERS IN PHNOM PENH, CAMBODIA
For more information, contact the organizer Juliet November, at her e-mail & blog.
Films being shown:
In Our Image, a 20 min doc on $pread mag
ZInda Laash, a 13 min short on sex workers in bollywood
69 THings i Love about Sex Work (Canadian 6 minute short)
MTV and Cambodian sex work
Sex Professionals of Canada
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