First, I would like to show you guys a cute video... it's a group called Carrotmob and their way of promoting energy efficiency in local businesses. I'd embed it but that doesn't seem to work...

Anyway. Watch it. It's one of those types of videos that makes you say "wow! So I can use my consumerism to actually affect change in the ways I want to see, and it can be THAT EASY... why not?"

So I think I might try to lay down the foundation to get people going on it here in London. I don't see why we couldn't do it, right? Pubs and local shops seem like a perfect first possibility.

And then I thought about it further. Ok, if it works for environmental stuff...

...what if we tried to do that with sex work?

Like, if you're in the union, you get a special union stamp to put on your site, so guys could choose to go with a union-protected sex worker if they wanted to. We could advertise that as a selling point, even! Or go around to strip clubs with a bunch of guys and say "look, if you promise the most in the way of wages and fair dealings with your workers, we will frequent your establishment more than any other, or perhaps eve exclusively". Could we make a difference?

In the current atmosphere of sex trafficking and attempts to criminalize punters, this might be a solution. If punters said "yes, I care about the well-being of the hookers I see- I choose union girls", then what we could accomplish as a group has the potential to be remarkable for the well being of the girls. Possibilities could include adding 10 quid, maybe, to our rates, that could be donated towards paying the union fees for other girls, or towards well-being workshops or something. (Just to state, there are male sex workers as well, and I think we could band together for this). Like in SF, a lot of people I know will go to the Lusty Lady but not the other strip clubs/peep shows, because the Lusty is union and a co-op (has great stage tips as well- check them out!). How can you not love a place that describes the girls as "like a Noah’s Ark of feminine archetypes"?? Ahem. Anyway. :)

I think people do care about this stuff in the sex work profession- in fact, a fair few of my clients look concerned for me when they see my bruises from my personal play at home. I just laugh and say "don't worry, it was all consensual" before pressing their faces into them for kissing. They seem to feel better about it then! But that leads me to think that these guys do want to make sure I'm doing this because I WANT to, not because I HAVE to. Having something like a union to back me up might be another indicator of my full consent and participation in the work I do. I'm not sure. Any punters out there who might be willing to say if they'd feel better seeing a girl who was union and taken care of?

I'm sure there will be a part 2 to this post eventually- capitalism and sex work is a huge thing- but this should be a good place to open the discussion up.