#018: Interviewing Sex Worker Gemma Paradise and Feminist Studies Scholar Dr. Heather Berg

Thanks to helpfully critical feedback we received on our W.A.P. episode, we were lucky to make contact with guests Gemma Paradise and Dr. Heather Berg. Gemma is a full service sex worker (which she says many know better as "escort" or "prostitute") and Marxist sex worker organizer. Dr. Heather Berg is a feminist scholar who teaches Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies at Washington University in St. Louis.

In this episode we talk about struggles facing sex workers seeking mental health services; whether sex work should be considered an especially exploitative form of wage labor under capitalism or just another form of wage labor; the political weaponization of sex trafficking laws and survivor narratives used against sex workers; why some men feel more comfortable hiring sex workers "for therapy" than actually seeing a therapist...and a lot more!

Resources referenced in the episode:

Marxist reading group for current sex workers: https://twitter.com/who_revolution

Revolting Prostitutes: The Fight for Sex Workers’ Rights: https://www.versobooks.com/books/3039-revolting-prostitutes

We Too: Essays on Sex Work and Survival: https://www.feministpress.org/books-n-z/we-too

Porn Work: Sex, Labor, and Late Capitalism https://bookshop.org/books/porn-work-sex-labor-and-late-capitalism-9781469661926/9781469661926

Heather's website: drheatherberg.com

More information on the EARN IT Act: surviveearnit.com

ATTENTION! This is a Boring Dystopia/Obligatory 'don't sue us' message: This podcast provides numerous different perspectives and criticisms of the mental health space, however, it should not be considered medical advice. Please consult your medical professional with regards to any health decisions or management.