POSITIONS: CAN WE JUSTIFY WORKING FOR PIMPS?

       Anonymous and Eve Ryder

       ISSUE 1.3 (2005)

There are females in the sex industry who work for pimps. I call it the underground sex industry. I feel that if a female is going to work, she should work for herself. It is also sad that a lot of women think that pimps don’t exist. That is bullshit. Please, women of this industry, don’t work for anyone but yourselves.

Pimps make all these promises that sound good and sweet, but they are lies. A pimp’s job is to brainwash whores and to rob females of all their earnings. It’s not a game when a whore does not come home to her pimp—mac, don, or whatever they want to call themselves—with a certain amount of money a night. If a whore has a bad date or gets robbed or raped, the pimp does not care. He will make her go out to make more money.

Keep in mind that a pimp is not your friend. A pimp does not care if you catch a disease or already have one. A pimp does not care if a whore uses a condom or not. Just because a female is a prostitute does not mean that she should die or risk death to make these pimps money. Our health is more sacred than all the money in the world. So please, all underground industry workers who are under pimp rule, don’t let these men control your mind, body, soul, and peace of mind. No one should let a person have complete control of their being, including anything that you work for.

It’s a shame how many whores want to get away or leave a pimp, but are frightened to do so because of the threats they get from these beasts. Just keep in mind, love yourself, work for yourself. There is a way out of this underground life. I’m living proof.

—Anonymous

No one would argue that anyone should work for a bad boss in any industry. And if working for a pimp means accepting beatings, rape, imprisonment, drug use, and then paying the perpetrator of these crimes for the privilege, that’s obviously unacceptable. But “pimping” just means soliciting clients for prostitutes for a fee or managing a prostitution business. And although a fair number of whores choose to operate independently or cooperatively, many more work by choice or default for an escort agency, a traditional street pimp, a brothel madam, or another whore.

For many, working independently isn’t desirable because of the extra time required, business skills needed, safety concerns, and isolation.

Working as an indy escort, I don’t know how many times I have called my voicemail to feign calling my “pimp” to make a new client think I have protection that I most assuredly lack. I also wistfully remember the steady, reliable money I once made working for a “gang” who gave me access to the high-rolling casino crowd. When I first moved to New York, I got wet in the scene by working for another Indy escort. I took the calls she didn’t have time for and paid her a referral fee. My bosses found it in their interest to procure my good temper and sincere smiling face, protect my health and safety, and ensure my job satisfaction.

So why did I go independent? I wanted to make more money. One day I realized that I felt confident about my ability to run my own business. I had mastered online advertising. I knew how to properly screen a client and sniff out LE. Safety was something I worried about, but I had developed a list of regulars that wanted to see me and could rely less on new clients.

It is troubling to me that taking money from a whore is so vilified because it threatens our ability to have normal lives and relationships. The adult children, senior dependents, and partners of prostitutes face social and legal consequences for just being in our lives. A whore can’t bring home her earnings like any other worker and feel proud of contributing to her family. Whores should be able to choose how we want to work without judgment.

Ideally, I want prostitution to be treated like any other business. “Whores” become workers. “Pimps” become bosses. And anyone who takes our money while beating us or raping us goes to jail. Not because of their relationship to the fact that we make our living having sex for money, but because they are hurting us and that’s wrong.

—Eve Ryder

ANONYMOUS is a self-employed sex worker in New York City.

EVE RYDER is a former streetwalker and call girl who lives in New York City.