SEX
SEX AND COVID:
INNOVATIONS AT THE END OF THE WORLD Support the sex worker movement in Canada By Thomas Iglesias Trombetta
Locked in but never disconnected, many of us have been forced by COVID-19 to innovate in the face of uncertainty. Whether due to financial instability, a desire to explore one’s sexuality, or a need to express art through content creation, many have migrated to OnlyFans (OF). But how has this pandemic changed how we interact sexually with one another? How have sex workers adapted through a global lockdown? We interviewed eight sex workers on what they wish others knew about sex work and those who do it.
SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2021
Many, like Sarah and Drew, started their OF journey during the pandemic. Drew, a 23-year-old gay man who is a recent graduate in Edmonton, had been thinking about OF for about one year before actually starting. “It was never really a necessity at that point…but when COVID hit and I was at a place of job uncertainty, I had a lot of free time, and decided to go full throttle and actually start it [OF].” Sarah, an artist and social justice advocate from Alberta, began by creating and posting boudoir and semi-nude content on her social media. “It was about taking back my power. When you grow up as a South Asian woman, sexuality isn’t really something that is celebrated or applauded, so it was my way of breaking into sex positivity. OnlyFans was something I thought about for a long time since I was already taking that content, but held off for so long. I was nervous about the stigma.”
Dirk, also from Edmonton, started off with Chatterbate and then got into OF. Although he makes less money on OF, Dirk says Chatterbate is a harder platform to moderate when it comes to boundaries and harassment. OF became the better option given their tools that allow for stronger moderation agency. It was easier to hide his identiy on OF, which was important given that the lockdown, financial instability and the possible loss of employment made him move back with his parents. COVID really “forced” Dirk to evolve, and OF has been a slow progression for him. OF also appeared to accommodate for different audiences and kinks, really allowing creators to perform what they actually want to and are comfortable with. Zero, who’s finishing his graduate studies and working full time, says that “a lot of fans like heavier kinks, like knife play, leather, pups, dominatrix, and also shibari.” Both Zero and Sarah choose not to show their genitals on their OnlyFans, since that’s not something they’re interested in, which has not impacted their ability to engage an audience. Getting into sex work can feel like an isolating experience, as very few resources and supports are available. Molly Jo Parton, a selfdescribed super-nerdy introvert from Toronto, started in-person sex work after her sociology undergraduate degree. “I went on a few dates with somebody who ended up telling me they do sex work. It’s something that I’ve always been interested in, but I never knew anyone into it or how to start – it’s not like there’s an easy guide. I wish I had started so much earlier, but all of the fear I had went away pretty quickly.”
Sarah was lucky enough to be employed during the pandemic, but her partner was not: “Employment stability was rough.… We lost a lot of income and I thought to myself, ‘What can I do to It is perhaps the perception and treatment of sex work as being supplement this income loss?’ and ‘Would this be good for me, my ‘less than’ that has made for a very protective community of sex mental health?’” When Sarah began on OF, her partner was very workers who look after each other. Given the difficulty of accessing supportive about the boundaries she set and even gave her a ring light. basic employment protections and resources, this community 18
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