The delicate art of calculating tax deductions in the sex work industry
Originally published in the Pittsburgh City Paper. Last week I found myself combing through an entire year’s worth of bank and credit card statements in order to make a list of business expenses. It’s that time of year again: tax time. Perhaps others are more organized than I am and keep spreadsheets throughout the year […]
Does a sex worker’s ‘sexual circuitry’ get sunk by seas of sexual content?
I read a story years ago about the 1998 AVN awards and there was a bit about how the judges who had to watch hours and hours of film found their sexual circuitry kind of burnt out by the end. Many people can’t imagine being in that headspace for a living. Obviously, you could ask […]
Identifying, processing, and accommodating the emotions involved with sex work
I have a client, let’s call him Joe, who has been a regular for at least two and a half years. He calls me every few weeks, and we often text in between calls. He’s in a bowling league, and I keep track of when he’s playing because I like to send him naughty pics […]
Why going into sex work isn’t as easy as it sounds
Originally published in the Pittsburgh City Paper. As a writer who openly reflects on my own experiences in the sex industry, I often have folks of all genders tell me that they are interested in becoming sex workers. When I ask them why they are considering sex work, their answers overwhelmingly fall into a category […]
A Guide to Being a Good Strip Club Customer Part 2: women and couples
Originally published in the Pittsburgh City Paper. Last week I talked to three Pittsburgh-based strippers — Eden, Iris, and Sheena — and asked them what people could do to be good customers and to have positive experiences in a strip club. What I noticed in talking to all three of them is that the concerns they had […]
Being clear about your needs is the key to a satisfying sex worker experience
Originally published in the Pittsburgh City Paper. Dear Jessie, Do you have any advice for a 29-year-old virgin with Asperger’s syndrome and not a lot of money? I have never had a romantic relationship with a woman, and it is a little hard. I have thought about saving up and seeing a sex worker, though […]
What is giantess porn?
Originally published in the Pittsburgh City Paper. April Would was first introduced to giantess porn last year. Working as a phone sex operator and audio narrator, she received a custom order for three recordings: “one where I played a very cruel giantess [crushing him at the end], one where I played a very romantic giantess, […]
Jessie Sage recalls how she found her place in sex work
Originally Published in the Pittsburgh City Paper. I often get asked how I got into sex work. I understand that my own story is not representative of many folks, but it is my story and it looks something like this. I got my start in sex work on a cam site. For those unfamiliar with […]
Why Snapchat Should Be Grateful to Sex Workers
Originally Published in the Pittsburgh City Paper. In 2011, TechCrunch quoted founder and CEO of Snapchat, Evan Spiegel saying, “I’m not convinced that the whole sexting thing is as big as the media makes it out to be, I just don’t know people who do that. It doesn’t seem that fun when you can have […]
Damned If You Do, Damned If You Don’t (Shave Pubic Hair)
Originally published in Pittsburgh City Paper. In the early 2000s, at nine months pregnant, I went to have my eyebrows threaded. I told the esthetician that my baby was due in a week, and she asked me if I wanted to add a Brazilian wax. Tired, uncomfortable, and not in the mood, I shrugged it […]
