I thought Katherine Elaine Bliss’ article on prostitution and family ties was interesting to read. I was saddened to read that most women found their way to sex work through domestic servant positions that their families placed them in because they thought those families would care for their young daughters. Unfortunately, reoccurring sexual abuse from male family members sent these girls running back to their families who refused to accept them now that they had sexual experience. A question I had about this was why wouldn’t they take back their daughters? I assume for religious reasons of virginity and purity.
When I read about the familial community in the brothels I thought of all the various groups of castaways–those who are not accepted by their own biological families are so look for families elsewhere amongst people like themselves. I thought of drag and how drag queens always have a drag mother–someone that takes them under their wing and shows them the ropes–protects them. I compared drag mothers to brothel Madams or Mothers. The brothels were a family community. The girls would look out for each other, relying on each other to protect their interests while they were sick–which also allowed sick women to go get help when they needed it. I found it satisfyingly odd that there were no men–that is to say no pimps–in charge of these women’s work. When Bliss wrote it all seemed rather tranquil. Which leads me to my next question, what kind of contraception did the women have–condoms? What kind of sex education were they exposed to and by whom? At the end of the article Bliss mentions that some people work to make prostitutes aware of their rights and seek to protect them from abuse and STDs. My questions is who are these people? How do they seek to protect prostitutes? And where was any mention of the risks these women take? Bliss does state, these women threw themselves into the street putting themselves at risk of abuse, violence, disease and they did so to protect their children. I wonder if prostitutes were a target for serial killers like they are/were in the United States. I’d love to see some numbers and hear about that. I’m sure it can’t be all happy go lucky like Bliss implies it is.
RachelH 