Harassment of Escorts, Exotic Dancers, and Sex Workers in SL?

There are some interesting documents (which maybe I've cited here before??) on ResourceWoman.Org, put out by RL BDSM organizations, on distinguishing between "real" BDSM and abuse:

http://resourcewoman.org/abusive_relationships

A lot of the focus is on psychological and emotional means of control, as well as abuse, which arguably is as possible in SL as it is in RL.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UP8kHfNUzBw

Interestingly, I knew a woman in SL who was both a RL sex phone worker, AND an exotic dancer (but never an escort) in-world. She was obviously aware of the disparity in pay between the RL and SL "jobs," but chose to perform the SL work because she enjoyed it.

I am going to shamelessly toot my own horn here, because I think this is quite relevant to the sub-topic. Which, while in some respects is a hijacking of this thread, still relates to the original topic, because just like the sex workers, I too am providing a service.

I must be a "good DJ." I talk on the mic, even respond to things I see in chat while I'm voicing. I take requests. I love to take requests. Those I can't play right away I make a very determined effort to get for the following week (sadly with the new video card I have, I'm no longer able to get new music while I'm running SL, so if I don't have it at the time of the request there's absolutely no way I'm going to get it anytime before that show is over). In a competition sponsored by Bad Girls and the radio stream they use for their DJ services, out of 16 DJ's entered I took third place. That particular competition allowed me to DJ for half an hour, which I found to be even harder than doing a show for two hours or even five hours.

I also have a history of doing long shows. Case in point when I auditioned (only place I've ever had to audition for) to be a DJ at The Lift. They said it'd be no more than an hour tops. Wrong. We teleported in some people and we had an impromptu party which I DJ'd for five straight hours. I was told it was the best audition the owner had ever seen. Dj'd a charity event once for six hours. Did an eight hour 80's marathon once. Quite often my Monday night gig which is scheduled for two hours, I do three to four hours to keep an after-party going if there are enough people around. I love to DJ. I'm very much a professional.

All I want is to be reasonably compensated for the dedication, and that's where the whole thing falls quite short.

"Right to marriage"

Do they mean this in the classical sense of rights,basically the right to be left alone by the government.

Or does it mean this new perverted sense of rights: health care, not to be offended, living wage, food, shelter, big screen TV?

If it is the latter, will we be drafting people and forcing them to marry those who cannon find a spouse on their own?

It already applies to the illegal ones.

Huh ?????

Oh, I also failed to mention, I'm always engaging the audience in chat too while I'm playing the music, even when I'm totally changing the focus of the entire playlist on the fly because the mood of the crowd that night is not what I originally put together as a starting playlist. And I don't simply play the music, I know the music intimately.

I am not surprised.

I think most who do this type of work in SL either find it their best way to make a little extra money for various reasons, could not get such work in real life, or do this type of work in SL for fun/as a hobby. Roleplaying, basically (even the ones who are RL professionals.)

There are many people for whom if they can sit in their PJs and earn $5 a day they will do it.

That's the problem. What's "reasonable"? I think your number of $500L is, but the next person may not. There is no refernce scale, unfortunately.

I agree with those who say, for the most part, do what you do in SL because you love it, if you make a little pocket change great, if you make som real monety even better, but don't depend on it.

/me looks at her name, which ends in "L"...looks down at her tidy yet ample endowments, and shrugs. So much for the American male.

As for pay, I agree with Clarissa in part. People who do voice and webcam cybersex for SL rates of pay are fools. But then, I think they are foolish in any case. The danger of exposure, or picking up a stalker, are very real. I don't consider it worth the risk, even for RL pay rates.

The text-only SL escort is another matter. The pay is low...compared to RL voice/webcam sex. But there is much greater safety, and the pay is NOT low when compared to other Second Life jobs.

I have heard, secondhand, about "exploitation" of SL escorts, primarily by club owners. ("You want to work here? Then you have to give me freebies after hours...". One time in the Red Light District, I encountered what seemed to be a couple of pimps. I mentioned that the girls with them didn't seem to be having much fun, and they said, "You think this is supposed to be fun?"

Yes, I do.

SL is entertainment. If you're not doing something that's fun for you, why are you here at all? Maybe fun for you is cybersex. Maybe it's making friends, or creating things, or making money against the odds. Whatever it is, if it's not fun, you're doing it wrong.

As for the "Sex Workers' Declaration of Rights", it sounds grand. For anyone, not just sex workers. But it isn't a legally binding document. Governments and corporations can ignore it if they choose...and last time I looked, SL is owned and operated by a corporation.

Hey, maybe we should issue a Declaration of Avatar Rights! Think it would do any good?

She said the same thing really when mentioning coercion. For the two you mention, either the sub was happy to do exactly that for her own reasons (this could include her enjoyment in pretending she was forced) or he was a very poor Master indeed to truly force her to do what she did not want. This could lead to a whole bunch of derailment Pep, and I do know where you stand on this and I am not meaning to enter those waters, just wanted to say we do not always know from appearances what is really going on behind the scenes.

I didn't say they were fools, though (if that's what you meant?) I said that it's the same thing and much different pay.

I agree with you about the dangerous side of it, too, although I am sure many will shrug it off and many will try to manipulate them into thinking it's not a risk. "But I share all MY info" says the older gentleman, hardly at risk in the same way as the 25 year old female. And some fall for it.

On a side note I've run across more than one male or transgender who not only worked as a female text escort but made a lot more money at it than their rl female counterparts, according to those in the know. I don't know how I hear all these stories but I eventually do.

As for the thread topic - yes there is such a thing in Europe but I am not sure what bearing a lot of it has in SL or how enforceable it would be. Bottom line if someone is exploiting you, either AR them or log out, whichever applies. If you feel you are being emotionally or mentally manipulated by them to the point you are unsure what to do, then take a break from that person, until you know.

Very nice point.


This is very much along the lines of what I have been told . . . again, however, second hand.


And neither the girls nor the pimps were simply RPing?


No, it's not binding; it doesn't even have the patina of legal legitimacy that adoption by the UN might give it. But it's still worth working for. Even in SL (if it is, in fact, needed).


YESSSSSS!!!!!!

After seeing a documentary on trafficked teen girls, and seeing how their pimps force them to go online to earn, I wonder if the female avs Lindal saw could've been there against their will.

The documentaries made the excellent point that a girl does not have to be trafficked to another country in order to have been trafficked, which means this has been happening here for decades before it became a hot news story about 'trafficking'.

With places like Craigslist becoming more strict in policing online prostitution for some of those reasons, what are the odds that there are some people in SL being forced to do voice or cam work against their will, or who are underage? Or both.

A really excellent point.

I guess my reservations would stem from the fact that a trafficked girl would (presumably) be earning much less for her pimp HERE than she would on a sex cam chat site. And I assume that a pimp would want to maximize his take, rather than settle for low sums in L$ he'd get by working his girls here.

Nonetheless, something to think about, certainly. It does seem to me (and I am mindful of Des's earlier warning . . .) that if the girl were OBVIOUSLY underage, it might be "safer" for the pimp to have her working here.

Yes that's what I was just thinking Scylla. Putting her on a website might require giving them a name, might require the website operator risking their business on her/the pimp, and might be more widely seen. Also, much easier to find again.

In SL they could make a new av a day, hit a freebie mall and be in business. All they'd have to do is put 'cam girl' in profile and stand around an escort sim.

I've heard SL cam and voice girls make nearly comparable money to website ones - but I don't know. Well what I've heard is they make a lot more than text ones.

They could work from their laptop though, holed up in some hotel room. Instead of posting a pic on craigslist and waiting for outcalls, just go into SL and make a little cash. I mean I don't know, but it's a troubling thought.

aren't these the Universal Declaration of Human Rights?

True. But it's not something that LL could do anything about, IMO. I mean, if some girl is in thrall to a RL pimp, and he's making her prostitute herself on the web, how is LL (or any service provider) going to a) find out, or b) prevent it?

Scylla: I was being sarcastic about the Avatar Declaration of Rights. I don't think it's possible to successfully rebel against the Gods. Unless maybe you can enlist the ACLU and an army of lawyers to march with you as you storm Mount Olympus.

You're doing WHAT with your cannon?

Provided they/law enforcement wanted to, then I assume in the same way they policed Craigslist - hanging out there, watching it and cracking down.

That one would be hard to implement without significant restrictions on the freedom of speech and religion of others.

Hm. From what I've seen in life, most dominant and submissive relationships aren't safe, sane or consensual at all ~ remember we are using the word *most* here.

I've seen far too many submissives that are trapped spouses caged either by finances, health, or the potential fate of their children. Or have such low self esteem from prior causes, that they lack the confidence to stand up to the partner.

This isn't gender specific, either. I've seen it play out across married couples, single mothers (and fathers), unskilled employees and abusive bosses.

I can fully appreciate a healthy relationship where two people choose how to trust each other, and don't have to answer to the preconceived notions of anyone else. I can also appreciate a situation where one party really *should* make all the big decisions ~ not everyone is all that bright, bluntly stated.

It's kind of like playing with fire, though; all too frequently one party knows deep down that there is no escape, no matter the conditions. Even if there is escape.

Been there, done that.

Declared 26 Feb 2007, Victoria City, Caledon. Applies to the nation and all crown colonies. Enforced by estate managers, and yours truly, to the best of ability. Copy of said rights in the covenant.

Residents and visitors alike know they inherently have some protections, and there is no such thing as "you are banned because I don't like your face." And yes, it seems to have helped overall. I'm amazed that so few other estates have picked up on it (some did, taking Caledon's wording nearly verbatim).

Other implementations have been a bit weaker though; for instance I have no ban whatsoever on certain rather well known activist bloggers, in spite of being personally called an *******, an *** **** and accused of ****** ********. But some of the other estates with rights do ban these parties for even less cause (or insult). The fancy words have to match the facts on the ground, or they don't mean much.

Avatar Rights have been a matter of debate for quite some time; I don't follow it, but last year there was a panel discussion on the topic, which included Robin Linden and a representative of the MacArthur Foundation, among others. The term has been extensively discussed by Prok, and I include a pointer to her blog about the panel discussion, which I believe *somewhere* has pointers to other references.

http://secondthoughts.typepad.com/second_thoughts/2008/01/getting-it-righ.html
.

Des, I think you are talking about physical/emotional abuse as practiced in "vanilla" relationships. D/s lifestylers will tell you that "their" way provides a lot more up-front understanding on the part of both parties, and more protection. For example, how often does that henpecked husband have a safeword...one that his wife will honor?

I think this is why Englishmen used to have clubs.