Well, she did ask...

But I seriously doubt she actually wants me, or anyone, to answer this there....so then...

First off, no one has the creds, despite what they think, to declare who is a feminist and who is not. I could personally care less if people call themselves a feminist, a FM feminist, a real feminist, a pro-porn feminist, or the Grande Empress of South Beach. I am the happy exile of expatria, and frankly, I couldn’t give a flying fuck through a donut as to who says whom and who are not “real feminists”. That game is never going to end, and the prizes suck.

But I will address a few things:

One: those who call themselves (or, in often cases are labeled, erroneously, as pro-porn) are not often, in fact, pro-porn. Sometimes they actually dislike the majority of, if not all, porn, if not in act, in context. However, they are hesitant to believe the slanted research of anti-porn/sex work advocates and more keen to the idea of the autonomy of some women, and the rationale behind their choices to do any kind of sex work. They also recognize that yes, there is porn out there that is geared towards women and far more woman friendly than much of mainstream porn is, and lend an encouraging voice to the women who are making such…well…erotica- as the term porn is so tainted anyway. Pornography, of course, coming from the Greek and meaning “Writings about Whores (speculated often to mean those coming from the lower classes). In which case, shit, if I ever need a new blog title, I might just call this dive “pornography"-

Anyway, these supposed pro-porn feminists are not always the label they are slapped with, and the assumption that they (like a certain jack-booted mercenary who will remain nameless) are right in line and behind supporting the multi-million dollar het male oriented and appealing mainstream/gonzo/California porn juggernaut is often, by leaps, bounds, and light-years, utterly overused and incorrect. Many of these women have huge problems with, even hate, mainstream porn as it stands. However, they do recognize that it is not going away any time soon, and the first and foremost concern in such cases is getting the unwilling out, seeing to workplace safety, and why yes, listening to the women who say “I choose to do this” without immediately assuming each and every woman who says such is a junkie victim too damaged to ever render a decision about her own choice of employment….

And that is going to lead us right here: What is the plan, anyway? You know, a lot of us are taking hits for saying “The sex industry? It’s not going anywhere, so let’s work for harm reduction and getting those who want out the help they need, and leave those who want in alone…” So yeah…what is the Amazing, Super Secret Plan to Rid the World of the Sex Industry? We’re dying (figuratively and literally) to know. In the mean time, what with all the talk of not allowing it to be normalized, without ever accepting it as work, without ever giving sex workers any sort of legal status and voice…well, women are being abused, raped, killed, dehumanized, and marginalized. So I ask, in the quest to end the sex industry, are you willing to sacrifice the women working in it here and now to reach that goal…if it is even attainable? That is a question I’d really like to have answered, yet I suspect, such an answer will never come. My answer to that is obvious. No. I’m not. Especially when “the Plan” is never revealed, hence my support of harm reduction, programs for those who want out, aid, workplace safety, and why yes, decriminalization.

And the tactics of the people you take to heart? Wow. Let’s see…violation of federal law 2257, use of stolen research with no credit given, funding from the government, Universities, Private Anti-Porn groups, alliance with Religious Right Organizations & Bush, opposition to AIM, harassment of porn performers at their own events, censorship of and refusal to give equal time to opponents when demanding it themselves, use of porn performers images without their consent (and profiting from such), and the use of their words out of context and without permission. (which yes, I did once to prove a point, using images already used on anti-porn blogs, which of course, was then turned around on me in order to ignore the fucking issue.)

And let's not forget assumption and shock tactics.

Hey, why wouldn’t anyone be right on board with that?

And by the way? We know a not monolith when we see it. The sex industry? So not a monolith.

And yep, I am biased. I am a woman whom has chosen, of my own free will, to make my living in the sex biz…without having been raped, sexually abused, beat up by a man or a junkie. Please, do not attempt to save me from myself! I freakin’ cheer every time I hear of some sort of normalization, the real deal, and not the Hollywood drama y’all seem to take as such, because then it means in some legal sense, well hell, we almost get to be treated like humans! And until I hear this grand plan, that’s what I’m concerned with. That’s where my loyalty, money, and voice go. I will stand with those working to help sexworkers, in the here and now, rather than pretend that the abolitionist plan will not have scores and scores of victims, won’t lead to more cases like this, won’t become Big Sister is ruling my body rather than Big Brother. I am all for making a difference, right now. Choice and right of Domain over ones body goes beyond abortion after all.

And if being a “real feminist” means ignoring all that in order to move forward with “the plan”? Well then I thank god, goddess, and all the little deities that I am not a real feminist. I’ll stick to being a sex worker. Or whore. Or anything but your overused, patronizing term of prostituted woman. In some cases that fits, but damn if the size isn’t wrong for a lot of us yet you keep trying to force us in!

As for empowerment? Please, it’s been done to death. Nah, the sex biz is no bastion of empowerment for tribe woman, but funny, it doesn’t have to be.

“Tell me, pro-pornstitution "feminists", do you seriously think this is feminism what you're doing? Real feminism?”

You asked, so I answered. So now, I ask, do you think what you’re doing is real work to save the women actually working in the sex biz (whether they want it or not), or putting faith in a plan (?) and “real feminists” for a time that may never come…damn the feelings, bodies and choices of the sex workers/whores/prostituted women you leave in your wake?

Riddle me that!