The existence of prostitution as we know it is based on the compart-

Whoring In Utopia mentalizations of male sexuality and female identity. There are women
1994 whom men marry and with whom they have children, and there are
women whom they screw for a set fee. The wife-and-mother class is not
supposed to acknowledge the existence of the whore class because that
would destroy the "good" woman's illusion that her faithful, loving hus-
band does not have an alternate identity as a john. The opportunity for
paid infidelity (as long as it is hidden and stigmatized) makes monoga-
Even people who are supportive of sex workers' rights often assume th at mous marriage a believable institution . Of course not every married
prostitution would somehow wither away if women achieved equality man has sex with hookers, but enough of them do to keep the black-
with men or industrial capitalism fell on its blemished, bloated face. market sex economy booming.
Whoring, like other devian t and thus "problematic" sexual behavior, is The illicit sex trade interacts and overlaps with other underground
assumed to be an artifact of sexism, American imperialism, racism. economies such as stolen merchandise and the circulation of illegal
insane narcotics laws , Christianity, or whatever institutionalized aliens. But the most influential of such economies is the narcotics trade.
inequity has the pontificator's knickers in a twist. While large and Street prostitution is the only occupation that provides most female
sweeping social change would probably alter the nature of sex work, the (and more than a few male) junkies with enough money to support
demographics of sex workers, and the wage scale, along with every addiction to the overpriced, adulterated narcotics that our "Just Say
other kind of human intimacy, I doubt very much that a just society No" social policy on drugs has caused to flood the urban environment.
would (or could) eliminate paying for pleasure. Also, as tech nology grows more complex and educational opportu-
Prostitutes, both male and female, have been with us from the earli- nities for workers constrict, prostitution has become one of the few
est recorded time. The "art of prostitution" and "the cult of the prosti- forms of employment for unskilled laborers. (Another slot for unskilled
tute" are two of the me (sacred treasures) given to the Sumerian goddess laborers, which is generated by laws against solicitation, is on the vice
Inanna by her father Enki, the god of wisdom. When Inan na takes the squad. Cops are often the socioeconomic counterparts of the people
me back to the city of Uruk in the boat of heaven, the people turn out in they harass. blackmail, bust, and control.)
droves to cheer in gratitude. A hymn to Inanna which describes the So what would happen to the sex industry if some of these shaping
people of Sumer parading before her says, "The male prostitutes comb constraints were lifted? What if narcotics were decriminalized and
their hair before you . They decorate the napes of their necks with col- addicts were able to get prescriptions for maintenance doses of good
ored scarves. They drape the cloak of the gods about their shoulders." drugs at decent prices? What if prostitution itself were decriminalized
These poems are thousands of years old. In fact, Sumer is the first civi- and destigmatized? If women had the same buying power that men do? If
lization from which we have written texts. And there's no reason (other racism no longer forced so many nonwhite citizens into second-class
than a certain wistful prudishness) to think that commerce and sex citizenship and poverty? If the virgin/whore dichotomy and the double
won't continue to intersect as long as either has meaning or a place in standard melted away? If everybody had sex education, access to con-
human culture. traception and safe-sex prophylactics, and we no longer believed sex
In America today, the sex industry is shaped by several negative was toxic? Wouldn' t the free citizens of this wonderful society be able to
forces. First of all, because the work itself is illegal or plays pretty close to get all the sex they wanted from other free agents?
that edge, it attracts people who are desperate, who believe they have Of course not! One of the dominant myths of our culture is that
few or no other choices, and people who embrace the identities of rebel, everybody longs to participate in romantic heterosexual love; that it is
outsider, and criminal. Very few sex workers are able to be open with romance which gives life meaning and purpose; and that sex is better
their children, lovers or spouses, friends, and families about how they when you do it with somebody you love. We are also taught to assume
earn their livings. This need to hide pu ts enormous stress on people who that romance and money are mutually exclusive, even though the
are paid for relieving the stress of their customers. heroes of romance novels and neogothics are almost always as wealthy

WHOR I NG IN UT O PIA 243

242
as they are handsome. It would be foolish to deny the existence of please women and their arousal at the thought of doing so. The word
romantic passion and lust, but it would be equally foolish to ignore the "slut" would lose its gender.
people who prefer to fuck as far away as possible from the trappings of There will always be people who don't have the charm or social skill
Valen tine's Day. These people don't enjoy the roller coaster ride of to woo a partner. In a society where mutual attraction and sexual reci-
romantic love. And there will always be people who simply don't get procity are the normal bases for bonding, what would happen to the
turned on in the context of an ongoing, committed relationship. Some of unattractive people, those without the ability or interest to give as good
these people make trustworthy and affectionate, permanent or long- as they get? Disabled people, folks with chronic or terminal illnesses, the
term partners as long as they're not expected to radiate a lot of sexual elderly, and the sexually dysfunctional would continue to benefit (as
heat. But in a more sex-positive society, these folks might be able to have they do now) from the ministrations of skilled sex workers who do not
both marriage and paid sex without the guilt and stigma of being diag- discriminate against these populations.
nosed as psychologically "immature" or "incomplete." The requirements of fetishists can be very specific. People who have
It's also possible that prostitution would become romanticized and strong preferences for specific objects, acts, substances, or physical
idealized. The relatively new reality of women as wage earners has gen- types would probably con tinue to find it easier to meet their sexual
erated enormous tension in heterosexual relationships. This hostility needs by hiring professionals with the appropriate wardrobes or tool-
has been exacerbated by divorce laws which continue to force men to boxes of paraphernalia. Furthermore, a great many prostitutes' cus-
pay child su pport and alimony while depriving them of their homes and tomers have fetishes for paying for sex. It's the sight of that cash sliding
custody of their children. In a world of prenuptial agreements and law- into a bustier or a stocking top that makes their dicks get hard, not the
suits for breach of promise and sexual harassment, the "good" woman cleavage or the shapely thigh. Many fetishist scripts are simply elaborate
who was once valorized by men as a suitable candidate for marriage forms of sublimated and displaced masturbation that do not offer any-
and motherhood is increasingly perceived as a leech and a liability. More thing other than vicarious pleasure to the fetishist's partner. For exam-
men may come to believe that "nice girls" are revolted by sex and will ple, a shoe fetishist's girlfriend may not be particularly upset about her
take all their money, while "fallen women" like cock, like sex, and want or his need to be kicked with White patent-leather pumps with thirteen
only a h undred dollars or so. The current media obsession with super- straps and eight-inch heels. but performing this act is probably not
models needs only a little push to turn into an image blitz popularizing going to make her come. Especially in utopia, there would be no reason
glamorous courtesans and hookers with hearts of gold and ever avail- . for someone to play the martyr and try to be sexually satisfied by an act
able cunts-without-commitment. of charity. Cash would even the bargain and keep the fetishist from
Even in a just society, there probably would be plenty of people who becoming an erotic welfare case.
were simply too busy to engage in the ritu al of courtship, dating, and The first experience one h as with physical pleasure has a dramatic
seduction. A person with a job that requires a great deal of travel. for impact on the rest of one's life as a sexually active being. In a better
example, may n ot have a stable enough living situation to connect with world, virgins and novices would probably resort to prostitutes who spe-
and keep a steady lover or spouse. Some of these harried businesspeople cialized in rituals of initiation and education. A talented sex worker
will be women. While male sex workers- whether they iden tify as gay could introduce brand new players to all of their sexual options, show
or straight- today service an overwhelmingly male market, I can't them appropriate ways to protect themselves from conception or dis-
imagine what would stop women who could afford it from beckoning ease, and teach them the skills they need to please more experienced
the prettiest boys that money can buy to their executive limos, heli- partners. This is a sensible antidote to the traumatic rite of passage that
copters, and hotel suites. This new job market would have a tremendous "losing your cherry" often is today.
impact on the parameters of male heterosexuality, identity, and fashion. An encounter with a hooker is already a standard part of the tradi-
Straight men are currently defined mostly by the things that they do not tional bachelor party. The groom must pay tribute to the wild woman
do (wear dresses or bright colors, get fuc ked. suck dick). But in a buyer's and subsidize her freedom before he is allowed to lay claim to a bride he
market. proactive behavior is at a premium. Female customers would can domesticate. If whoring were not stigmatized, it could be used .to
prefer to be serviced by men who actively demonstrate their ability to celebrate all kinds of holidays. A visit with an especially desirable and

244 Il l. SLUTS I N UTOPIA: THE FUTURE OF RADICAL SEX WHOR I N G IN UTOPIA 245
skilled sex worker would probably make a great gift for grandma when to be thought of as sexually gauche. Perhaps there would be collective
she came out of mourning for her deceased husband. A pregnant wife brothels where people could perform community service to work off
could thank her husband for being supportive and patient by giving him parking tickets or student loans. A stint in the community pleasure
a weekend with the girl or boy of his dreams. Paid vacations could house might be analogous to goin g on retreat.
include sexual services. Bar mitzvahs and other puberty rites would be The people who took up sex work as a profession would be more
obvious occasions for incorporating orgasms for hire. likely to pursue the erotic arts as vocations, just as priests and artists do
Since human beings are a curious species, and many of us need today for their professions. They would be teachers, healers, adventur-
adventure, risk, and excitement, I would hope that the sex industry ous souls-tolerant and compassionate. Prostitutes are all of those
would continue to be available to fulfill those needs in positive ways. The things today, but they perform their acts of kindness and virtue in a
thrill of arranging several sexual encounters with people you don't milieu of ingratitude. The profession would attract people who like
know very well certainly seems more healthy to me than big-game working for themselves, who are easily bored, who want a lot of social
hunting or full-contact sports, which are high-risk activities sanctioned contact and stimulation. It would also attract dramatic, exhibitionist
by our society. The story of the hero who meets a beautiful stranger and performers and storytellers. As computer technology is used for sexual
wins her favors is archetypal. If we are fortun ate, we encounter the purposes, sex workers will need to be computer literate. The ideal sex
anima/animus in our beloved. But until that magical moment, those of worker might be somebody skilled at creating virtual realities, program-
us who require refreshment, insight, and sexual nourishment could pay ming environments, characters, plots, and sensations for the client.
for receiving that blessing. We may have an innate human need to take This programming ability might become more compellingly sexy than a
that mystical journey of transformation into a stranger's arms. pair of big tits or a ten-inch dick.
Perhaps sex work would even find its spirituality restored. Those Sex work would also attract stone butches of all genders and sexual
who wished to worship icons of womanhood, manhood, or intersexual- orientations-people who want to run the fuck but are not interested in
ity could perform these sacred obligations with sex workers who were experiencing their own sexual vulnerability and pleasure. Often these
guardians of the mysteries of the human heart and loins. The Great people are the most adept at manipulating other people's experiences.
Rite, the ancient sacred marriage between earth and sky, teaches us to They are more objective about their partners' fantasies and do n ot
respect the ecology of the natural world. Perhaps the Sierra Club could become distracted by their own desires, since their needs to remain
sponsor an annual hieros gamos as par t of its major fundraising drive. Of remote and in control are already being fulfilled.
course, the performers in such a majestic pageant would have to be There are other social changes which would continue to alter the
compensated for their efforts. dynamics of the sex industry. In a society where everybody was doing
It's obvious that the range of people who sought out sex for money work they enjoyed for fair wages, the meaning of money (and work
would change dramatically in a kinder, gentler world. But what about itself) would change. It would cease to be a gender marker, for one thing
the people who would do sex work? I wonder if the boundaries between (I am male, so I earn a paycheck; you are female, so men give you
whore and client might not become more permeable. The prostitute's money). This change is already underway. In a postindustrial society
identity is currently rather rigid, partly because once you have been where power was cheap or free and survival was no longer an issue,
"soiled" by that work you are never supposed to be able to escape the money might even cease to be a marker for social class. I believe human
stigma, but also because such rigidity creates clarity for the heterosex- beings would still have the need to group themselves into smaller tribes
ual male. He is what the prostitute is not (male, moneyed, in charge, or social units based on affinity and common interests, but the parame-
legitimate, n ormal). In a world where women were as likely to be clients ters of these groups would change. People would have new, now unfore-
as men; sex workers were well paid and in charge of their own lives; and seen, ecological slots as "those who pay/give" or "those who get
prostitute were as valid a social identity as Senate majority whip, there paid/receive" for possessing certain characteristics or performing differ-
would be less need for the high walls between "good" and "bad" people, ent activities.
"men" and "women. " Everybody might expect to spend a por tion of her Unfortunately, it's doubtful that any of these visions will be real-
or his life as a sex worker before getting married, if she or he didn't want ized. As AIDS paranoia grows and nation-states continue to consolidate

246 Ill. S LUTS IN UTOP IA : THE FU T UR E OF RAD IC AL SEX WH OR IN G I N UT OPIA 247

and extend their power, it's much more likely that sex workers will face
harsher penalties and stepped-up law enforcement campaigns. In a few
radical locales, prostitution might be legalized and subjected to strict
gover nment regulation as a social experiment to control AIDS and
other sexually transmitted diseases. People seem to be suckers for any-
thing that promises to make them safer, whether it's motorcycle-helmet
laws or the Brady bill. But there is no guarantee that making the federal
government the greatest pimp of all would do a goddamned thing to
m ake sex work a better career or to protect the health and safety of the
customer. In such a system, prostitutes would be like mill workers in late
nineteenth-century England.
But a state that believes it has the right to send young men off to die
in a war or conduct above-ground testing of atomic weapons in popu-
lated areas eventually will try to take over the hands. mouths, dicks,
cunts, and buttholes that are sex workers' means of production. So the
About the Author
h alcyon, golden days of prostitution may be happening right now. This
may be as good, liberal, and free as it gets. So you might want to visit Pat Califia is well-known as a sharp critic of repressive American
your ATM, take out a couple h undred bucks, and hurry to the red-light attitudes toward sexuality and pornography, a long-time
district now, before it becomes as antiqu ated as a Wild West ghost town. activist for gay rights and the right to free sexual expression,
and a lecturer on sexual politics. She has authored twelve
books and published numerous articles and essays in national
publication s, including The Journal of Homosexuality, The Advo-
cate, Co-Evolution Quarterly, High Times , Brat Attack, Taste of
Latex, Skin Two, Invert: The Jo urnal of Gay and Lesbian Sensibility,
On Our Backs, Drummer, and The Spectator. She lives in San
Francisco where she is completing her M.A. in counseling psy-
chology at the University of San Francisco.

248 Ill. SLUT S IN UTOPIA : T HE FUT URE OF RAD I CAL SEX 249