At the start of Covid, many people were not aware of virtual sex work - beyond perhaps webcam models and the now very outdated 2 am Live-links commercials. However, just as with most businesses (from fast food to doctors and everything in between), sex work leapt into the virtual realm in order to sustain itself during the drastic changes which took place during the height of the pandemic. Running the gauntlet from sexting to "Netflix and Chill" via Facetime to strip shows on Zoom, and everything one could possibly conjure up in between (minus actual physical contact), it ALL suddenly became readily available online, accessible by just a few taps of a fingertip on a phone screen.
For most clients and sex workers alike, it was a steep learning curb. Online payment apps like cash app, sex worker platforms like OnlyFans, using social media to provide, market, or access content...both providers and clients had to familiarize themselves at a rapid pace to survive/get their needs met in is swiftly changing world. In many ways, it made things safer & more convenient for all those involved. However, there was one caveat to this which cannot be readily dismissed.
While in many ways, as our world slowly returns to the new normal, this has been beneficial for both sides, it has also drastically widened the already-present divides in the *"Whorearchy" into a gaping chasm. It has begun to split, even more clearly than before, sex workers into the "haves" and the "have nots". The fantasy of the gorgeous, glamorous *FMTY escort/sex worker in the public conscience, and the dark, dreary, and very often dangerous world of the "street walker". The "desirable" and the "despicable" in the eyes of the world, and all the privilege or prejudice that comes with it. It is a reflection not only on the morals & mindset of our current society, but also a window via the world of sex work into the rapidly expanding class divides in the world at large, and our country in particular.
For the next installment in my series in the era of virtual sex work (and how it is affecting the "Whorearchy"), tune in again next week!
*See the blog post "Common Terms" for more info.
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