Let's talk about: consent

TW: Seggsual Assault

I'm minding my own business talking to a customer. Out of nowhere, a complete stranger comes up behind me and wallops me on my ass. I whip around in shock and he says "well I couldn't not!". This is the umpteenth time I've been non-consensually touched tonight. I flag down the bouncer to remove the assaulter. His girlfriend comes along and tries to placate the situation. She doesn't even look at me and pleas to the bouncer to just give him a warning and let him off this time. I force her to engage with me. I tell her what her boyfriend did. She isn't phased or sympathetic. I ask her how she would like if she were in my shoes. She responds with "well how can you blame him when you're wearing basically nothing?!".

Nothing about the above is acceptable, but it's a nightly occurence at work.

It shouldn't matter what I'm wearing or what job I do, I'm still not asking for it. Consent is more important than ever in this line of work. SWERFs who don't recognise this strip us of our humanity.

You can be a stripper and be touched non-consensually. This is wrong.

You can be a Full Service Sex Worker and be raped. This is wrong.

You can be a cam worker and be subject to a variety of non-consensual slurs. This is wrong.

We need to start treating sex workers as humans with bodily autonomy and the right to consent or not consent. To add, I might only be consenting to something if I'm being paid for it and to NOT pay for it also breaches consent.

Consent in adult work is incredibly important.

Due to the stigma around our work coupled with patriachal values, workers' boundaries are often broken.

Non consensual behaviours are rife at work. Whether that be interfacing with a customer during a service, or in situations where you aren't even actively engaged with a customer.

This breach of consent is assault.

Whatever job you do, especially as an adult worker, you are still not asking for it.

It never makes it more acceptable to assault someone in any situation; including what someone is wearing or their occupation.

We need to treat adult workers with the same respect as non workers when it comes to consent.

If you don't agree with this, you are: the literal antithesis of feminism; dehumanising us; a block to our right to safe/r working conditions; ignoring our bodily autonomy and dismissing the importance of consent.