Prostitution's Covergirl
It all started with HBO. Without really meaning to we somehow got it included in the package we signed up for. It's pretty good. Lot's of good movies. Anyhow, one night I notice in the listings there's some show about a "Cathouse." It's a documentary about the "World Famous Moonlite Bunny Ranch," a legal brothel in Nevada. Being a mild mannered sort I've never been to a cathouse. But being someone who loves sex, I was curious. So I taped it in hopes that there would be images of naked women in the show. And there were. That alone made it great viewing. The show was first on nearly ten years ago and so it doesn't get on the schedule all that often. But I've now seen several episodes. The first thing that struck me is that the women actually seem to be enjoying themselves. Maybe that's all great acting, but they sold me on it.
I guess it goes without saying that the women were uninhibited. And I found that refreshing. There was one young lady that struck me as awfully cute and quite intelligent. In one episode she turns to the camera and says, "People always seem amazed when they realize I'm smart. It's like they believe one's brains melt out of one's skull the first time you have sex." Her name is Brooke Taylor and as I'm watching I'm developing a teensy little crush on the woman. I found her quite funny and fearless. She's doing something that many don't approve of. But it's what she wants to do with her life. So damn the torpedoes.
So in the last episode I stumbled upon, Brooke explains that she's going to get an apartment in the city and see what she can do with her music. Really! I'm in music! It's a tough field to make a living at, and I'm curious if she's had any success. So I go to Google. "Brooke Taylor." And there she is. She's got her own web site. And there's absolutely nothing there about music. But I'm curious, so I start reading. There's a page about how to make an appointment with her. There's a bio. There are photos. And as I'm looking around I'm thinking, I should write Brooke a note. She's worth more than this. She shouldn't be throwing her life away as a prostitute. That's no way to spend your life when you've got so much going for you. I'm thinking that by the brilliance of my words will lead her to a better life. I'm going to save dear Brooke. (You're supposed to get how silly I was being.)
But then I start reading her testimonials page. And it goes on and on. Some of the entries rave about how much fun she is in bed. Some admit that they had issues and Brooke helped them feel better about themselves. All of them seem to have a special place in their heart for this woman. It was a revelation for me. My whole view of the world sort of shifted. Because it finally dawned on me, how many people can say they've touched this many lives for the good? How many people are loved and admired by this many people? How many of us have been able to create this much love in the world? And yes, I do mean love. A man equates sex with love. Without sex a man does not feel loved. And that's a bad feeling. And a whole lot of men have left Brooke feeling loved and special.
This is a gift she has. She is able to accept her clients with all their flaws and problems and flab and make love to them. And she sends them away feeling better about themselves. What about that is not lauditory and honorable? She chose her profession. She's good at it. Hers is a life of eternal kindness. I admire her.
And why, for gosh sake, do we make her profession a crime? If someone's being abused and forced into the work against her will, that's a crime. Throw the pimp in jail. As far as I'm concerned a pimp is nothing more than a slaver. How did we get so distorted in our values that pimps become rap stars and celebrities? And yet we treat the women they enslaved as criminals? I really don't get it. Those women deserve our help, not our condemnation. But what if this is the life a woman has freely chosen? Why is sex a crime?
As for Brooke, she deserves our respect. She hurts no one. She helps people. I doubt if very many of us can match the kindness she's done in the world.
Afterthoughts: Since writing this I received an email from a woman who was rather upset that I was advocating sex trafficking. So I did a little bit of soul searching and study of the issue. And as far as I can tell, most sex workers chose the profession as an easier way to make a living than most of their other options. As horrible as it may be, trafficking is true for only a small minority of the women. And making sex work illegal is what allows women to be abused. They're outlaws so there's no way they can ask the police for help. Decriminalization of sex work has been supported by the ACLU, World Health Organization, Anti-Slavery International and the Global Alliance Against Trafficking in Women. If it's a woman's choice, it's none of our business. And describing them as criminals is absurd. They're hurting no one.