LOS ANGELES—Veteran adult performer Siri Dahl shares her thoughts on society's vilification of sex work in a new op-ed piece for The Daily Beast, "'Get a Real Job, Whore': The Dark Reality of Sex Worker Hate."
Having worked in the adult industry on and off for nearly a decade, Dahl says she knows all too well "how pervasive that particular mentality is. Being told to get a 'real' job is a regular occurrence for all sex workers. The verbal denigration we face is just one facet of our culture's fear and hatred of sex workers.
"Regardless of what you think of my job, there is one thing I want and, frankly, need you to understand: Sex workers have a massive impact on our economy," she continues. "Last year, for the first time in my life, I was able to donate significantly to causes I care about, such as racial justice, trans rights, sex worker rights, LGBTQIA+ youth programs, and my local stray cat rescue.
"Many sex workers use their income to support their families ... many of us support our chose families, too ... this is just what sex workers do for our communities, in a culture that would rather see us dead or barely surviving."
Dahl also notes that "it's routine for sex workers to have trouble opening a bank account, or to have an existing bank account shut down and funds seized without warning ... and, yes, we're also far more likely to be victims of violence—sexual or otherwise. Being a sex worker in 2021 feels like I'm waking up to a new dumpster fire almost every day, and I am exhausted.
"It's time that we stop erasing the efforts of sex workers simply because the word 'sex' is in our job description," she concludes. "If the impact of sex workers on our communities and economy were laid bare for all to see, that impact would be so undeniable that the new war on sex workers would be revealed for what it truly is: hatred masquerading as salvation."
To read Dahl's op-ed piece in full, click here.
Find and follow Siri Dahl at SiriDahl.com and on AVN Stars, Twitter and Instagram.
