I’m almost 28, and I’ve been a sex worker since I was 18.  I have no plans to leave sex work any time soon, but the “what would I tell potential employers” thing always seemed like a no-brainer to me, so long as one doesn’t mind lying.  Here are two completely plausible lies that a potential straight employer has no way of disproving.

It’s not out of the question that a person was living on a trust fund or inheritance.  That might not be the most dignified thing to claim, but it may well be preferable to saying that you were a sex worker.  I’ve met people who live on trust funds into their 30s or 40s, so this is not totally unheard of.  I would imagine that many sex workers would rather be thought of as spoiled than an ex-ho.  If you can carry yourself as a privileged-seeming person, this is one idea.

Or, if that’s not an option, why not explain a large resume gap by saying something like, “I was dating someone who was well-off, and they kindly supported me so I could spend my time following other passions.”  This is also not a completely bizarre explanation, and it has a small kernel of truth, in a way.  It might be better to hint at being a sugar baby or gold digger than an out-and-out ho.

One of my fall-back solutions throughout life has always been “act like you’re rich.”  It’s amazing how often that can get you out of trouble or get you what you want so long as you can play a privileged role fairly convincingly.  It’s basic social engineering.  I love the aspect of sex work that you can “fake it til you make it,” invent whatever persona you want, and if you can carry yourself in a certain way, people will accept your claimed status at face value.  In this way, I find class barriers to be so much less intimidating, because in many situations, the barrier is purely psychological.

Furry Girl
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FurryGirl is an advocate who champions Sex Worker Rights as well as being a sex worker herself. You can find her at feminisnt and swaay.

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