Ignorance and disrespect towards trans sex workers’ issues is widespread outside of the sex worker community, so it is especially important that cis sex workers support their trans siblings within it. Whether you have trans sex workers as close friends or simply want to support us as a collective, there are many things you can do to be an ally.
Though the suggestions in this article are a good place to start, nothing beats talking to the trans sex workers in your community and asking what they need from you. Pay attention to what we’re advocating for, get to know us, follow us on social media, and follow our lead!
Use trans-inclusive language when discussing sex work
When you are addressing other sex workers, in your group chat or at events, try to use gender neutral language. Cis women who do sex work might mean to be fun and casual when they greet everyone with “hey ladies,” but it’s likely to make any non-binary people and men within the group feel forgotten or disrespected. Trans men and non-binary people make up a significant portion of sex workers and on average they’re going to be a lot more hurt by that kind of misgendering than cis men who do sex work are. Similarly, cis men who are in groups of sex workers that appear to be predominantly women at first glance should not presume to be the only man present or make statements to that effect.
Not only should you avoid assuming what gender other sex workers are, you should also avoid universalizing experiences that are related to body parts. If a cis woman is in a room full of other sex workers who are all women, that doesn’t mean she can assume they will all relate to her struggle of working while on their period. Trans and intersex people are not always obvious or ‘clockable’ and it can feel very isolating to be othered because of what body parts you have. Swap out assumptions for statements where you share your personal experiences. Let other people tell you if they relate.
You can also go a step further and make a point of stating that trans people are welcome in the sex worker spaces you spend time in. Learn about trans sex workers so that you can mention them when discussing the history of our profession, and share statistics about trans sex workers alongside those you might use when highlighting sex workers’ experiences more broadly. Include and highlight us when you speak to non sex workers, both cis and trans, to inform and maybe correct any beliefs they might already hold about the demographics who engage in sex work.
Place pressure on the adult sites you use
If you advertise sexual services online, you probably use sites which have separate categories or tagging for trans sex workers. These might be porn categories with transphobic labels, awards for performers who get the most views on their videos which don’t have a category for trans people, or escort directories with a search function for clients to seek out exclusively trans people. The way these sites treat trans people can have a significant impact on our income or visibility!
Instead of ignoring these issues when they don’t impact you directly, use your voice to call out transphobia built into the adult websites you use. Do so on social media, by complaining to the websites themselves, use your presence on the site as a person who makes them money and brings in traffic to add weight to your requests. Encourage the other cis sex workers around you to do the same thing, because you’re more likely to see success when you make complaints as a group.
Some agencies and studios do not accept trans sex workers onto their sites at all, and you can show solidarity by boycotting them or placing pressure on them to change their policies. In cases where you can afford to turn down work offered to you by a transphobic group or company, it’s a good idea to seek alternatives, and to make clear why you have done so.
Help trans sex workers gain attention
Use your platform to share trans sex workers’ advertisements, in the same way you do for cis people, in line with your audience. Indiscriminately sharing trans sex workers’ crowdfunding links or clips is unhelpful, because it will not necessarily put their content in front of the right audience, so you should be considerate about who and how you share. If you are a cis woman with a predominantly straight male client base, it makes sense for you to share trans women rather than trans men, for example. This increases the chance that they will find clients, instead of solely risking transphobic harassment from members of your audience. To make it even more likely that sharing posts will have an impact, consider following trans sex workers who share your niche and mutually reposting ads for each other!
Outside of supporting trans sex workers to reach a wider audience of clients, you can also help them gain wider traction in the activism sphere. Be mindful of who else has been invited to speak when you are sharing your experiences at events and uplift trans voices when you can. Encourage the trans sex workers around you if they are nervous about getting into sex worker activism, and be one of the people backing them up.
Once you start making the effort to support trans sex workers, you’ll meet more of us. Our community becomes richer when we support each other, and your allyship will only improve the community for us all.
Are you a sex worker with a story, opinion, news, or tips to share? We'd love to hear from you!
We started the tryst.link sex worker blog to help amplify those who aren't handed the mic and bring attention to the issues ya'll care about the most. Got a tale to tell? 👇☂️✨
