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A review by livinginnprose
Whorephobia: Strippers on Art, Work, and Life by Lizzie Borden
4.0
4.5*
The amount of book references, legends, and perceptions you get in this book is incredible. I’ve never known much about sex work other than the overall stigmas attached to it. However, Lizzie Borden’s Whorephobia does so much more than just give some insight, it provides so many different types of experiences in the industry.
Whorephobia explores an array of key themes related to sex work and I’m going to go through them in a sort of list form to try to get to all the ones I wrote down.
As stated in the beginning, there is a certain stigma attached to sex work and that’s usually all people know. The book delves into that stigma and negative attitudes. It examines how sex workers, more times than not, face discrimination and judgment and how these stigmas can perpetuate harmful stereotypes that further isolate sex workers. The effects of this is further seen when discussing the legal isolation they face.
Borden also explores intersectionality of sex work, bringing an understanding that individuals engaging in sex work come from all different kinds of backgrounds and bring various types of challenges with them. We see how race, gender, class, and sexuality intersect with sex workers and their individual experiences in the industry.
A theme I really enjoyed in this book was empowerment in this industry. It challenged the notion of victimhood typically associated with sex work and explores the empowerment that some sex workers feel in their profession. This again shows how complex and diverse their experiences are and how the industry should be understood within a broader context.
Something that I’m sure not a lot of people think about but was brought up in this book is the legal/social issues in the industry. The book discusses the impact of criminalization on sex workers’ safety, integrity, and access to healthcare. Borden advocates for the recognition of sex workers’ human rights and the importance to recognize the violence faced by sex workers. You really get a view on how the negative attitude towards the industry directly puts them in danger and forces them to stay there. This really opened my eyes considering I had never thought about it too much. I always came at this with the mindset, I think this, but everyone is entitled to their opinion. However, after reading this, I realize how dangerous it is for sex workers for people to hold on so closely to their negative opinions on the industry. This is because people often forget they continue to exist after you finish thinking about them, therefore, they deserve the same rights to safety as everyone else whether you approve of them or not.
Now a topic I really enjoyed exploring in this collection was how sex work intersects with feminism and debates surrounding sexuality. It offers up differing perspectives on sex work through the feminist lenses. It also argues how it can be an intricate aspect of women’s autonomy and empowerment.
This book contained so many examples I can include here but unfortunately, I decided to wait a month to write this review. But I promise reading this book for yourself to find these examples is worth it.
The amount of book references, legends, and perceptions you get in this book is incredible. I’ve never known much about sex work other than the overall stigmas attached to it. However, Lizzie Borden’s Whorephobia does so much more than just give some insight, it provides so many different types of experiences in the industry.
Whorephobia explores an array of key themes related to sex work and I’m going to go through them in a sort of list form to try to get to all the ones I wrote down.
As stated in the beginning, there is a certain stigma attached to sex work and that’s usually all people know. The book delves into that stigma and negative attitudes. It examines how sex workers, more times than not, face discrimination and judgment and how these stigmas can perpetuate harmful stereotypes that further isolate sex workers. The effects of this is further seen when discussing the legal isolation they face.
Borden also explores intersectionality of sex work, bringing an understanding that individuals engaging in sex work come from all different kinds of backgrounds and bring various types of challenges with them. We see how race, gender, class, and sexuality intersect with sex workers and their individual experiences in the industry.
A theme I really enjoyed in this book was empowerment in this industry. It challenged the notion of victimhood typically associated with sex work and explores the empowerment that some sex workers feel in their profession. This again shows how complex and diverse their experiences are and how the industry should be understood within a broader context.
Something that I’m sure not a lot of people think about but was brought up in this book is the legal/social issues in the industry. The book discusses the impact of criminalization on sex workers’ safety, integrity, and access to healthcare. Borden advocates for the recognition of sex workers’ human rights and the importance to recognize the violence faced by sex workers. You really get a view on how the negative attitude towards the industry directly puts them in danger and forces them to stay there. This really opened my eyes considering I had never thought about it too much. I always came at this with the mindset, I think this, but everyone is entitled to their opinion. However, after reading this, I realize how dangerous it is for sex workers for people to hold on so closely to their negative opinions on the industry. This is because people often forget they continue to exist after you finish thinking about them, therefore, they deserve the same rights to safety as everyone else whether you approve of them or not.
Now a topic I really enjoyed exploring in this collection was how sex work intersects with feminism and debates surrounding sexuality. It offers up differing perspectives on sex work through the feminist lenses. It also argues how it can be an intricate aspect of women’s autonomy and empowerment.
This book contained so many examples I can include here but unfortunately, I decided to wait a month to write this review. But I promise reading this book for yourself to find these examples is worth it.