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bashsbooks's review against another edition
4.75
Onto the review of this specific book: Playing the Whore is only ten chapters long, and each chapter focuses on a different angle through which sex work is perceived, policed, and (mis)understood. That is a lot of information to cover in such a short book, and so I would say my biggest "critique" (if it could be even called that) is that I wanted to know more. I will be looking Grant up and reading more of her writing later to rectify this. Otherwise, I think this is a really good introduction to sex work as a political movement and also as a job, with the same complexities, boring realities, annoying customers, etc. as any other job. It also does a really good job in laying out the intersections between sex work movements and labor, health, gender, and queer movements.
I felt like it was really accessible for someone who is pretty ignorant of the specifics on sex work but is familiar with other sociopolitical movements (read: me) - I remember telling someone while reading it that it really held my hand without coddling me, which is something I always appreciate from this kind of introduction.
Graphic: Hate crime and Police brutality
Moderate: Misogyny, Racism, Rape, Sexual violence, Transphobia, Violence, Xenophobia, Murder, and Classism
Minor: Child abuse, Drug use, and Trafficking
-Whorephobia -Saviorism Many of the tagged content warnings (except the graphic ones) are talked about in the context of misconceptions, exaggerations, or unnuanced engagement with sex work done by anti-sex work individuals or parties. A note about the murder warning specifically: there is a part where the author quotes a serial killer talking about why he targeted sex workers.casually_literate's review against another edition
5.0
Moderate: Homophobia, Misogyny, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Transphobia, Violence, Police brutality, Trafficking, Sexual harassment, and Classism
dominic_t's review against another edition
4.75
Some of her sentences and passages were a bit hard to parse. That's the only issue I had, and it didn't happen too often.
Graphic: Rape, Violence, and Police brutality
Minor: Sexual content
nicnevin's review against another edition
5.0
A good introduction to leftists looking to learn about sex worker rights.
Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Torture, Transphobia, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Police brutality, and Trafficking
whatjaimereads's review against another edition
3.0
Grant’s perspectives are invaluable, and she introduces a lot of the central themes and ideas that are being brought to the fore in the fight for sex workers’ rights. Sitting at fewer than 150 pages, her arguments and insights leave space for further reading without the reader being overwhelmed. This is a great starting point for a truly sex-worker inclusive approach to feminism, and Grant provides intersectional discussion of race and gender within that. The explorations of being a sex worker in online spaces, and what it means to have a platform turn its back on the industry is something that is all the more applicable 7 years on, and made for a compelling read.
My main issue when reading this is that there was no central argument as a driving force. The author does a great job of introducing her ideas, but about half way through I struggled to see what the point of it was. Playing the Whore leaves lots of room for discussion and deeper exploration of its themes, and gives us an insight into the discrimination faced by sex workers, but it is by no means a comprehensive text on the subject.
Graphic: Violence and Police brutality
Moderate: Sexual violence and Trafficking