Portal:Sex work

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Introduction

Sex work is "the exchange of sexual services, performances, or products for material compensation. It includes activities of direct physical contact between buyers and sellers as well as indirect sexual stimulation". Sex work only refers to voluntary sexual transactions; thus, the term does not refer to human trafficking and other coerced or nonconsensual sexual transactions such as child prostitution. The transaction must take place between consenting adults of the legal age and mental capacity to consent and must take place without any methods of coercion, other than payment. The term emphasizes the labor and economic implications of this type of work. Furthermore, some prefer the use of the term because it grants more agency to the sellers of these services. (Full article...)

Selected article - show another

The Windmill Club in 2009

The Windmill Theatre in Great Windmill Street, London, was a variety and revue theatre best known for its nude tableaux vivants, which began in 1932 and lasted until its reversion to a cinema in 1964. Many prominent British comedians of the post-war years started their careers at the theatre. (Full article...)

List of selected articles

Selected images

Image 1News report about three brothels operating in Albuquerque, New Mexico that were raided by police in 1922 (from Prostitution)
Image 2Sex workers demonstrating for better working conditions at the 2009 Marcha Gay in Mexico City (from Sex work)
Image 3Fresco from the Pompeii brothel (from Prostitution)
Image 4Prostitute c. 1890. (from Prostitution)
Image 5A detail from plate 1 of William Hogarth's (1697–1764) The Harlot's Progress, showing brothel-keeper Elizabeth Needham, on the right, procuring a young woman who has just arrived in London (from Prostitution)
Image 6Statue to honor the sex workers of the world. Installed March 2007 in Amsterdam, Oudekerksplein, in front of the Oude Kerk, in Amsterdam's red-light district De Wallen. Titled Belle, the inscription to the piece says "Respect sex workers all over the world." (from Prostitution)
Image 7Women in an early San Francisco bordello in 1870 (from Prostitution)
Image 8Stickers affixed to a payphone in São Paulo, 2006 (from Prostitution)
Image 9A political cartoon from 1787 jesting about the notion of taxation affecting prostitutes (from Prostitution)
Image 10World map of pornography (18+) laws
  Pornography legal
  Pornography legal under some restrictions
  Pornography illegal
  Data unavailable
(from Sex work)
Image 11A prostitute in Amsterdam's red-light district talks with a potential customer. (from Prostitution)
Image 12An oiran preparing herself for a client, ukiyo-e print by Suzuki Haronubu (1765) (from Prostitution)
Image 13Brothel scene; Brunswick Monogrammist, 1537; Gemäldegalerie, Berlin (from Prostitution)
Image 14Kisaeng women from outcast or slave families. (from Prostitution)
Image 15A sex worker in Berlin in 2001 (from Sex work)
Image 16The red light district in Amsterdam (from Sex work)
Image 17De Wallen red-light district in Amsterdam (from Prostitution)
Image 18Prostitution Information Centre in Amsterdam (from Prostitution)
Image 19
  Legalization – prostitution legal and regulated
  Decriminalization – No criminal penalties for prostitution
  Abolitionism – prostitution is legal, but organized activities such as brothels and pimping are illegal; prostitution is not regulated
  Neo-abolitionism – illegal to buy sex and for 3rd party involvement, legal to sell sex
  Prohibitionism – prostitution illegal
  Legality varies with local laws
(from Prostitution)
Image 20The Procuress by Dirck van Baburen (1622) (from Prostitution)
Image 21A liberated Chinese girl who had been forced in to sexual slavery by the Japanese military sits on a stretcher and speaks to a British military serviceman. (from Prostitution)
Image 22A prostitute and her customer illustrated on an ancient Greek wine cup; the act of prostitution is indicated by the coin purse above the figures. (from Prostitution)
Image 23A street prostitute talking to a potential customer in Turin, Italy, 2005 (from Prostitution)
Image 24Tart cards in a British phone box advertising the services of call girls (from Prostitution)
Image 25Prostitutes on display in Yoshiwara during the Meiji Period, Japan (from Prostitution)
Image 26World map of prostitution laws
  Decriminalization – No criminal penalties for prostitution
  Legalization (regulation) – Prostitution legal and regulated
  Abolitionism – Prostitution is legal, but organized activities such as brothels and pimping are illegal; prostitution is not regulated
  Neo-abolitionism (Nordic model) – Illegal to buy sex and for 3rd party involvement, legal to sell sex
  Prohibitionism – Prostitution illegal in all aspects (selling and buying)
  Legality varies with local laws
(from Sex work)
Image 27An Ancient Greek urn depicts a prostitute and her client. (from Sex work)

Related portals

Selected general sex worker

Image 1

Stone in 2017

Evan Stone is an American pornographic film actor and director.

In 2011, Stone became the third actor in history to receive the AVN Award for Male Performer of the Year three times. That same year, he was listed by CNBC as one of the twelve most popular stars in porn, being the only man to make the list. Stone has also been inducted into the AVN and XRCO Halls of Fame. (Full article...)
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Nao Saejima (Japanese: 冴島奈緒, Hepburn: Saejima Nao) (March 23, 1968 – September 29, 2012) was a Japanese AV idol and model of the 1980s and 1990s who also starred in photobooks, V-Cinema, and feature films, including Nikkatsu's Roman Porno series. She died in September 2012 of cancer at the age of 44. (Full article...)
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Kelly Jean Van Dyke (June 5, 1958 – November 17, 1991) was an American actress and adult film performer. She was the daughter of actor Jerry Van Dyke, niece of the actor Dick Van Dyke, and first cousin once removed of Shane Van Dyke. As an actress, she was known for such television programs as My Mother the Car. (Full article...)
Image 4

Aoi at the Opening Ceremony of the 28th Tokyo International Film Festival in October 2015
Sola Aoi (Japanese: 蒼井そら, Hepburn: Aoi Sora, literally Blue Sky) is a Japanese former AV idol, nude model, and film and television actress. Starring in more than 600 adult films between 2002 and 2011, Aoi is widely considered one of the most famous AV idols of the 2000s, with her popularity as an adult video actress leading to celebrity status as a media personality both in Japan and abroad. (Full article...)
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Lahaie in 2014

Brigitte Lahaie (born Brigitte Lucie Jeanine Van Meerhaeghe; 12 October 1955) is a French radio talk show host, mainstream film actress and former pornographic actress. She performed in erotic films from 1976 through 1980 and is a member of the XRCO Hall of Fame. (Full article...)
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Müller in 2014

Melanie "Melli" Müller (born 10 June 1988) is a German reality television personality, schlager singer and former pornographic actress. (Full article...)
Image 7

Sakurai in 2023
Ayu Sakurai (桜井あゆ, Sakurai Ayu, born 15 April 1991) is a former pornographic (AV) actress. She was born in Miyazaki Prefecture, she was formerly represented by T-Powers. (Full article...)
Image 8
Max Konnor is an American gay pornographic film actor and webcam model. After starting his pornographic career under the name Isaiah Foxx in 2009, he left the industry in 2012 to pursue a career in stage and television acting. In 2017, he became a webcam model on CAM4 and started pornographic accounts on OnlyFans and Twitter. He soon started performing in studio-made pornographic films and later became the most-followed Black gay pornographic actor on Twitter and CAM4's first male ambassador.

As a pornographic film actor, he has won five Grabby Awards, five GayVN Awards—including for Performer of the Year in 2022—the XBIZ Award for Gay Performer of the Year, and two Fleshbot Awards. Outside of pornography, he was one of the subjects of the 2021 documentary Being Black in Porn, has appeared as a main cast member on the OutTV reality television series X-Rated: NYC since 2023, and starred in the off-Broadway musical Waiting in the Wings: The Musical in 2023. In 2019, he launched Haus of Konnor, a pornographic agency and studio geared toward gay pornographic actors of color. (Full article...)
Image 9
Carol Ann Doda (August 29, 1937 – November 9, 2015) was an American topless dancer based in San Francisco, California, who was active from the 1960s through the 1980s. She was the first public topless dancer in the United States.

In 1964, Doda made international news, first by dancing topless at the city's Condor Club, then by enlarging her breasts from size 34 to 44 through silicone injections. A year later, she was arrested along with the owners of the Condor Club, but all three of them were cleared of charges. Her breasts became known as Doda's "twin 44s" and "the new Twin Peaks of San Francisco". (Full article...)
Image 10

Quinn in Las Vegas, January 2000

Alexandra Quinn (born Diane Purdie Stewart on March 25, 1973) is a Canadian former pornographic actress. (Full article...)
Image 11

Spears in September 2010

Randy Spears (born June 18, 1961), sometimes credited as Greg Ory, is an American retired pornographic actor and director who has appeared in numerous adult feature films. Spears is noted among porn actors for his comedic acting talent. (Full article...)
Image 12

Siouxsie Q in Hollywood in October 2019

Siouxsie Q is an American journalist, pornographic actress, and sex workers’ rights activist who identifies herself as a feminist and sex worker. She is a podcaster, singer/songwriter and playwright as well as a widely read columnist with SF Weekly in San Francisco. (Full article...)
Image 13

Sunny Leone in 2022

Karenjit "Karen" Kaur Vohra (born May 13, 1981), known by her stage name Sunny Leone, is an actress, model, and former pornographic actress. She was born in Canada to an Indian Sikh family and holds dual Canadian and American citizenship. She was named Penthouse Pet of the Year in 2003, was a contract performer for Vivid Entertainment, and was named by Maxim as one of the 12 top porn stars in 2010. She was inducted into the AVN Hall of Fame in 2018.

She has played roles in independent mainstream events, films, and television series. Her first mainstream appearance was in 2005, when she worked as a red carpet reporter for the MTV Video Music Awards on MTV India. In 2011, she participated in the Indian reality television series Bigg Boss. She also has hosted the Indian reality show Splitsvilla. (Full article...)
Image 14

Leena or Leena La Bianca (born January 5, 1963) is a former pornographic actress. (Full article...)
Image 15
Adriana Molinari (born 26 November 1967), known professionally as Alex Taylor, is a former beauty pageant winner, model, exotic dancer, and pornographic actress who mainly worked for Vivid Entertainment from around 1998 to 2000. (Full article...)
Image 16
Shannon Eaves, known professionally as Nikki Charm, is an American pornographic film actor. She is a member of the Adult Video News Hall of Fame and the XRCO Hall of Fame.

Between 1984 and 1990, Charm appeared in nearly 50 videos and was a contract performer with Vivid Entertainment for some time. Charm stopped appearing in adult videos in 1990, but spent some time as an exotic dancer. She made a brief return to the adult-entertainment industry between 1998 and 2000, when she appeared in six titles. (Full article...)
Image 17
Hotaru Akane (Japanese: 紅音ほたる, Hepburn: Akane Hotaru, 25 October 1983 – 15 August 2016) also known as Anna Akizuki (秋月杏奈, Akizuki Anna) and Hotaru (ほたる) was a Japanese actress, HIV/AIDS activist, and AV idol. She was active in many media formats in Japan including mainstream theatrical film, and was a popular blogger. Her adeptness at female ejaculation in adult videos (AV) earned Akane the title, "Shiofuki Queen". She retired from AV work in 2008. (Full article...)
Image 18
William M. "Sonny" Landham III (February 11, 1941 – August 17, 2017) was an American actor. He portrayed Billy Bear in 48 Hrs. (1982) and tracker Billy Sole in Predator (1987). (Full article...)
Image 19

Cody at SXSW 2024

Brook Maurio (née Busey; born June 14, 1978), known professionally as Diablo Cody, is an American writer and producer. She gained recognition for her candid blog and subsequent memoir, Candy Girl: A Year in the Life of an Unlikely Stripper (2005). Cody received critical acclaim for her screenwriting debut film, Juno (2007), winning both the Academy Award and the BAFTA Award for Best Original Screenplay.

She wrote, produced, and made her directorial debut with the comedy drama film Paradise (2013). Cody has also written and produced the films Jennifer's Body (2009), Young Adult (2011), Ricki and the Flash (2015), and Tully (2018). (Full article...)
Image 20
Holly One (born Oliviero Migliore; April 12, 1965 – September 8, 2006) was an Italian porn star who was foremost known for his short stature (around 120 centimetres (3.9 ft)).

He settled in Spain in the 1980s and started to perform in shows at night clubs in Ibiza in the 1990s. He was discovered by Juani de Lucía, the owner of the Barcelona night club Bagdad, and became a protagonist of erotic spectacles staged at the place. He made his hardcore debut in the movie Pequeño pero Matón in 1997. Until his death, he performed in numerous porn films along with famous actors Rocco Siffredi and Nacho Vidal in scenes with Katsumi (Who Fucked Rocco?), Kelly Stafford (Rocco e Kelly indecenti a Barcelona), and other distinguished (mostly Spanish-based) porn actresses of the period. (Full article...)
Image 21
Bobby Hollander (April 20, 1929 – March 7, 2002) was an American adult film director, performer, and magazine publisher. He directed 59 pornographic movies between 1979 and 1995. He was one of the pioneers of the shot-on-video porn movie. Hollander was most famous for discovering and managing porn superstar Shauna Grant. He is a member of the XRCO Hall of Fame. (Full article...)
Image 22

Hart in 2002

Jane Esther Hamilton (born October 27, 1956) is an American former pornographic actress and current adult film director who performed under the stage name Veronica Hart during the 1980s. She is sometimes credited as Jane Hamilton, V. Hart, Veronica Heart, Victoria Holt, Randee Styles or just Veronica. Hart is a member of the AVN Hall of Fame.
Director Paul Thomas Anderson has called her "the Meryl Streep of porn." (Full article...)
Image 23

Payton in 1953

Barbara Lee Payton (born Redfield; November 16, 1927 – May 8, 1967) was an American film actress best known for her stormy social life and battles with alcoholism and drug addiction. Her life has been the subject of several books, including her autobiography I Am Not Ashamed (1963). Also, Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye: The Barbara Payton Story (2007) by John O'Dowd, L.A. Despair: A Landscape of Crimes and Bad Times (2005) by John Gilmore and B Movie: A Play in Two Acts (2014) by Michael B. Druxman. She married five times. (Full article...)
Image 24

Keyes at the 2005 FOXE Awards

Johnnie Keyes (February 21, 1940 – June 3, 2018) was an American pornographic film actor. (Full article...)
Image 25

Yoshikawa in 2017
Aimi Yoshikawa (Japanese: 吉川あいみ, Hepburn: Yoshikawa Aimi) (born 20 March 1994) is a Japanese gravure idol, actress, and retired AV idol. Active between 2012 and 2018, she starred in over 200 adult films during her career and was known for her short height and large breasts. (Full article...)

Did you know...

... that Lea Ackermann, a German nun of the Missionary Sisters of Our Lady of Africa, fought against forced prostitution and sex tourism in East Africa?
... that a Harvey's franchise known for being a hub for sex work was described by one artist as a "legendary Toronto icon"?
... that the posthumously released documentary Clean centered on the life of Sandra Pankhurst, a former sex worker, drag queen, and crime scene cleaner?