A level playing field

When I became a sex workers' rights campaigner, I knew that when I stuck my head above the parapet there would be consequences. I knew there would be mockery, name calling etc. but that's okay with me. I'm a very strong woman, and when I'm let off the leash I'm fierce too, especially when it comes to the rights of our so often stigmatised group.

I was ready for it all, and boy did I get it in spades. In particular, the Irish abolitionists have been hard work, and they fight dirty. I'll never prove it was them of course, but I now find myself in the middle of a tax investigation which I could really do without on top of studying, working, parenting and campaigning. I'll get through it in time, it's just tedious.

In Ireland, to have a current sex worker prepared to go on camera and talk openly about the realities of the sex trade is as rare as hen's teeth and it is a valuable media platform which must not be wasted, not for a second. By waste, I mean that nothing should stand in my way of getting the most important message across which is that my twenty years of experience are absolutely nothing like what Rachel Moran and The Magdalene Sisters (Ruhama) have been peddling, in order to continue with the sales of her book and of course their continued funding.

In her evidence to the NIA, Moran was asked to comment on my evidence as a woman who said she enjoyed the sex trade, and her response was a lofty - "We call them the pimp's union." In addition, Jim Wells and Co. alleged that I'm funded by pimps and am effectively a front for pimps, all of which is absolutely untrue.

I came to the conclusion that in order to be an effective spokesperson for sex workers, I need to stand on my own two feet and speak from my life experience without abolitionists screaming - "PIMP LOBBY", every time I open my mouth. You see, I don't mind if they shout and bawl at me, truth be known I enjoy a robust "debate". But when a constant stream of hate is propelled my way because of the actions of others, that's not fair. And since I appeared at the NIA it has been absolutely vile, with comments about my daughter "coming of age" and one man who speculated whether I had a special uncle who liked to play games in the wendy house with me - I wish I was joking. This, (he said) is the only reason he could see why I "hang out with pimps".

That was the last straw.

For those reasons I have decided to step back from the IUSW, my health and welfare and that of my daughter come before anything else. Always have, and always will. Rest assured, I'm not going anywhere, I will campaign for sex workers' rights until the day they put a tag on my toe (wonderful expression). In fact, later this month it looks like I'm off to Westminster and of course the Labour Party Women's Conference is coming up too.

All I ever needed was a level playing field, because justice and truth have always been on my side.

LL xx

Celebrations and Campaigns

Good evening and greetings from home where I am not long finished supervising the construction of a rather impressive erection. It's an assault course for Fatty, apparently designed to appease boredom but if you ask me it wouldn't look out of place on The Krypton Factor and it should take her the best part of a week to get through it. I wouldn't mind but there doesn't even seem to be a reward at the end of it, I mean even Skinner's feckin' pigeons fared advantageously. Still, she seems content enough or maybe that's complacency, only time will tell.

Meanwhile a HUGE thank you to everyone who sponsored me for the Race for Life, it was tremendous as always and I know SCOT-PEP are very grateful to every one of you for your generosity, as I am. Since then I've not really been in circulation, quite simply I've been up to my ears in it.  I had to do an academic sprint which involved a lot of coffee, swearing and anti-social behaviours but I got there in the end and ultimately I am now study free until mid-August, splendid.

Speaking of splendid, huge congratulations must also go to Dollymopp who has recently been awarded "Sex Worker of the Year 2012" at The Erotic Awards in London, well done that woman ! She is one of the loveliest women in this industry, a nicer person you would struggle to meet so I am thrilled. I am also thrilled that having had the glorious news that Dr. Brooke Magnanti is to become a patron for SCOT-PEP, I am finally going to meet the lady herself in August. Waxing and nail buffing will be in abundance prior to that evening, and not an item of Primark underwear will be found anywhere near my corpus, nae chance.

Next week I am off to Edinburgh on Tuesday and Wednesday and I will be around Edinburgh for most of the working week after that, because Catherine Stephens will be there and we have many exciting meetings lined up, not to mention the later commitments I have with SCOT-PEP too. That's all you need to know for now, otherwise I might as well print up an itinerary for the anti's and abolitionists and we can't have that. I can exclusively reveal though, that we are taking time out to visit the pandas. I'm told that they are actually quite somnolent which is a blow, I mean I don't expect them to fire walk or juggle but even so. You'd think, wouldn't you, that when they get one chance a year to copulate they'd seize the opportunity but no, apparently chewing leaves and sleeping hold more appeal, rather like moi after a hard day's touring I suppose.

The reason there is going to be an upsurge in political activity is because the submission from Rhoda Grant is going before the Justice Committee at Holyrood on the 19th of June. Ms. Grant is seeking to have the submission approved on the basis that all of the relevant and required evidence was collated during the Godman consultation. Any right thinking individual can see how inherently flawed the Godman consultation was and it is my fervent hope that common sense will prevail. In the meantime, over the weekend I plan on writing to the Justice Committee although I am off to Liverpool in the morning with Mr. F and won't be back until Sunday night so it will be another ferocious burning of midnight oil session with a heavy reliance on spellcheck and vast amounts of taurine. Yay.

The upside to stress and being busy is that I have lost a hell of a lot of weight, so I have decided to get some new saucy pictures done and re-vamp my site, which I am looking forward to immensely. The site itself is out of date in that it's not compatible with iPads or iPhones both of which are popular browsing devices now for prospective clients trying to steal a surreptitious glance whilst on a boring train journey with colleagues, I have had those whispered calls from inside a hideously noisy Virgin train toilet cubicle.

Before I head to the land of nod I fancy a brief word on lobbying against the forthcoming proposed changes. I would never ask anyone to become an activist, aside from anything else I know the grief that goes with that. Once you stick your head above the parapet you become a target for all kinds of people, from those who pray for your soul right through to the false reviews, threatening phone calls, bandying your real name about, rumour mongering and basically any and every attempt being made to discredit you, both as a person and as a sex worker. Balls of steel are required and a willingness to bite back as and when required, with the correct amount of restraint being shown regardless of how despicably the other side have behaved. The underhand tactics of some of the abolitionists would take your breath away. It's water off a duck's back to me now, I really couldn't care less what they hurl at me any more provided they leave my family and privacy alone, which reminds me, if you're going to send me prayers in French, at least make a decent feckin' stab at it and don't just run it through google translate. (sigh)

If the submission gets through the consultation stage though, what I will be asking YOU to do is use your voice which is as powerful a tool as can be, because you see what the anti's rely on is that we will be too frightened as sex workers to speak up. You can use your work name and email address or a completely new email address for privacy, it's up to you. There are an estimated 80,000 sex workers in the UK and this legislation could completely change YOUR job and YOUR earnings. Please don't leave it to a select few motor mouths and hope that it goes away, how I wish that were the case.

LL xx

Tears, Tours and Tetanus

Morning all, I'm at home following a very enjoyable evening with a new client, what a gentleman. We had a laugh and a half, thank you D. :)

My phone has not stopped going for the past couple of days with texts and calls from some of the loveliest women I know. Jeez, I've been blown away. Amanda, Amber, Anna Aroma, Claire, Susan, Caitlin, Louise, Faye, Hannah - if I've forgotten anyone I apologise. They've all taken the time out to find out how I'm doing and I have been very tearful just reading the messages. Thank you ladies ( and also to the gents too, you know who you are. )

I'm doing OK, I don't really want to go into details but I'm staying positive. :)

Now then, I've done my diary until the end of August and my planned tours are as follows -

* London City - 22nd and 23rd of July
* Inverness incalls 29th and 30th July
* Newcastle incalls 3rd and 4th August
* Inverness incalls 12th and 13th August
* Carlisle incalls 18th and 19th August

I'm limited in my touring opportunities for August because at the end of the month I am off to Catalonia again with Mr F which I am looking forward to more than I can possibly describe, ( apart from the Ryanair flight, which can't be helped. )

Meanwhile it looks like we might need another trip to my GP. *sigh*

I have brought the light of my life up to love animals and if I catch her so much as squashing a spider she is in big trouble. There are two downsides to that.

1. She regularly marches into the kitchen announcing; "RIGHT, WE'RE ADOPTING A DOLPHIN." I have to carefully explain that whilst I appreciate it's only £5 a month and you even get a picture ( Goddamn those TV ads ) I already donate to animal charities every month and we both sponsor a dog.

2. She insists on petting every mutt tied up outside Asda. I have told her until I'm blue in the face that some dogs are very nervous and you can't just launch yourself on them to see if they fancy a belly rub. Yesterday this resulted in a short sharp shock which has just about broken skin and since I can't remember when she last had a tetanus, it's the doctor's tomorrow. Oh joy.

Have a great Sunday everyone.

LL xx

Pals and Prossies

Evening all, greetings from home.

I've had a wonderful couple of days but very hectic, to put it mildly. On Thursday night I went to meet two very dear friends for dinner and I think we finally toppled over at about 3.30am, gibbering quietly. It was fantastic, we laughed like demented donkeys and talked about everything, from the state of the new coalition to the crucial issue of salad cream versus mayonnaise.

Friday saw the first meeting of the GPS, ( Glasgow Prossie's Society, obviously ). Susan, Hannah, myself and a new lady called Faye met for lunch and it was fantastic. I have always been a firm believer in networking and getting to know other ladies because I believe that the industry can be a very lonely and isolating place if you don't have someone you can confide in, even if it's just to say - "Urgh, I was so looking forward to that appointment but Shrek opened the door". Some of our other members such as Caitlin and Casey were away, but we have decided to make Amanda a member by proxy. She's not Glasgow based obviously, but she behaves like The Barras finest on tour, so that's good enough for us. ( She's going to murder me for that ).

Back to the new lady, she came to me via the buddy scheme and has just launched her site, there's a link to it here ;

www.fayeglasgow.co.uk

Err, do you think someone on high is trying to tell me something ? That's the second lady I've buddied who is blonde, slim and gorgeous. Grrr. Anyway, Faye and Hannah are off to Heathrow on their first tour together this week, so all the very best ladies, 'ave it large and enjoy yourselves. :)

Finally, the appointment has come through; mammogram on the 13th followed by an appointment with a consultant on the 15th. I'm not scared, not at all. A big strapping lassie like myself ?

I'm petrified.

LL xx

Tribune and Tours

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