Transactional Romance

International Sex Workers Rights Day March 3
Pimps, Whores & the Kardashians

by Chris London

March 3, 2011 was International Sex Workers Rights Day.  Some may be confused and think that this means a day off for married women on Park Avenue,  Great Neck & The Five Towns of Long Island, Palm Beach, Florida,  Aspen, Colorado, Beverly Hills or Orange County, California. And no it also does not provide for a day off for one of Kelsey Grammer’s latest wives, wherever she may be, unfortunately.  Likewise, it does not mean that matchmakers like Janis Spindel or Patty Stanger can’t send their 27 year old models  on dates with 55 year old men.  

To rectify this confusion, I am here to tell you that it actually pertains to the “human rights” of women and the private citizens with whom they freely contract with in matters pertaining to “transactional romance”, and the right to live free from needless harassment, persecution and prosecution.

And guys, try to remember that not even the Chinese food guy "delivers" for free. Be grateful, not resentful or vindictive.

This is true whether the women who provide this sensual service to mankind operate from a townhouse, condo, co-op or visit you in a hotel room by the hour, daily, for a weekend, sit next t0 you at Samantha’s Table or live with you for the rest of your life.  And guys, try to remember that not even the Chinese food guy “delivers” for free. Be grateful, not resentful or vindictive. Truth is some men have given up their home, half their net worth and more for the privilege of this service. So why beat up on the hourly’s?

The issue raised here is should those who choose to opt out of the conventional marital or romantic relationship or through the force of life circumstance(s) have to forgo sexual pleasure or engage in manipulative or deceptive gamesmanship to fulfill their needs?

Regardless of the subjective value judgments that some may have about the character or nature of "sex work", consider that many women in all kinds of relationships might tell you, in confidence, that providing pleasure to men is in effect "WORK." Thus, "pay for play", as long as the sum paid is fair and reasonable to the pleasure provider, without an excessive cut or percentage paid to any "love broker", is probably one of the most honest transactions between men and women in a capitalistic society.

Truth is that most sex workers don't generally LOVE their work or LOVE every client, despite the appearance to the contrary. Yet, I do suspect that a great many high end GirlFriendtrEpreneurs do it because they can earn a substantial living by filling a basic human need; a need which if left widely untreated could have an even more detrimental impact on society.

There is a false dialogue perpetuated on issues pertaining to “transactional romance” in our society.

This dialogue undermines human rights in the name of a disturbing morality play and unnecessary value judgments placed on our citizens, men and women both, to contract with one another openly and freely.

Consider the "whorification of America" represented best by Kris Kardashian Jenner who learned how to make "lemonade out of lemons" by pimping her daughter.

Yet there is less of a value judgment on the modus operandi of many so called legitimate matchmakers or love brokers who in effect peddle the flesh of younger women for older high paying clients in ‘the millionaires clubs.’ 

Or consider further the  “whorification of America” represented best, of late,  by the likes of Kris Kardashian Jenner who learned how to make “lemonade out of lemons” by pimping her daughter, alleged fame whore, Kim Kardashian’s 15 minutes of fame from being featured on a sex tape with Ray J and taking a Golden Shower into a $65 million dollar per year family empire and industry to enrich herself and her family via Ryan Seacrest Productions. Talk about pimps! Even top pimps would have a hard time Keeping up with the Kardashian’s.   Kourtney & Kim’s have not so much taken New York as they have brought Hollywood’s polluted culture back east. But who am I to judge as they seem to be giving the people what they want.

According to the Global Network of Sex Work Projects, “The criminalisation of sex work, increases the vulnerability of sex workers to human rights violations and violence.”    

Due to a lack of sex work awareness, attacks on sex workers are all too often rationalized and tolerated as part of the  effort to curb human trafficking,even though in most cases they have absolutely nothing to do with human trafficking.

Human trafficking is, however, a more  serious and complex problem, involving very powerful global slave traders, organized crime figures who operate in the shadows turning unwilling women into sexual slaves for profit. Since they are difficult to crack down on, all too often law enforcement at the behest of political leaders crack down instead on the proverbial low hanging fruit (i.e., “sex workers”)  to make it look like they are dealing with the more serious problem.

Dehumanizing treatment of sex workers should not be tolerated by any civil society that truly values its women.

Dehumanizing treatment of sex workers should not be tolerated by any civil society that truly values its women.  If we truly love, respect and value our women, end the moral judgments, leave sex workers alone and focus on the real criminals, those who abuse women. 

There may ultimately be fewer busts, photo ops and news headlines, but there will in effect be a far greater regard and respect exhibited for womankind.

Let us remember before we throw stones at other people’s glass houses that in a capitalistic society we are all pimping or ho’ing to one degree or another.  All you have to do is take a look at Kris Kardashian,  Ryan Seacrest and American Patriarchy’s Top Sex Workers to consider who is actually contributing to or sponsoring the greater abuse of women, before we conveniently pick on the increasingly diluted power of independent women and Courtesans (See: Venetian Courtesan)  practicing “the world’s oldest profession.” 

In conclusion, one might even argue that the independent sex worker who operates in privacy and with discretion contributes far less to the disintegration of our culture or its values than the mass media ‘fame monsters’ do.

The sex worker is merely servicing an existing demand for companionship in an otherwise often cold and lonely world for many men, a need that otherwise not met might be channeled far less constructively and perhaps to the detriment of society; all jokes about the ‘DSB’ aside.  Fame monsters leave a far more indelible impact on the young and impressionable.

Chris London, Esg. is a New York City based lawyer, activist, writer and founder of ManhattanSociety.com, a 501 (c) (3) conduit; a free press vehicle for essential New York Charity and Culture.   Sheepshead Bay High School 1980. Boston University, B.A., Economics with High Honors, 1984. University of Pennsylvania Law School, J.D., 1987.