While money is one of the main reasons for engaging in sex work, people get involved in the industry for a variety of other reasons. Some reasons mentioned:
- Flexible hours
- The opportunity to be independent
- Greater control over their sexuality
- Work that matches their talents
- Lifestyle factors
- A lack of other options
- Living under coercion
- Access to drugs and alcohol, or the possibility of using while working
- Being a marginalized person who experiences employment discrimination
- Being in Canada illegally, making it impossible to find legitimate employment
- Searching for a community or a group to belong to
This may depend on their identity, past experiences, family and relationship history, economic situation, emotional needs, etc. For some, sex work is a way to survive and make money quickly, for some it is a job like any other and for others, it is a way to empower and discover themselves.
Recognizing the diverse nature of sex workers’ experiences and backgrounds allows us to respond appropriately to their needs. To deny this diversity is to deny the value of the sex workers themselves, which is stigmatizing. One person’s negative experience does not negate another’s positive experience and vice versa.
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