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[CreativeMind]

Originally Posted by Bionca

Interesting turn this has taken. I want to go on record saying I support my sisters 100%. My sisters include natal and trans women, Drag Queens, guys who get a sexy "kick" out of wearing their wive's undies, guys who cross-fress to express their "feminine side" and the whole variety of people who fall somewhere in that mix, but not so neatly. We, all of us, get the same shit for the same reasons. They are my sisters.

Well, I think that's something we can all basically agree on. That's all that I was trying to stress before. Namely, that respecting people for "who" they are -- particularly as they try to find themselves in life -- would be a starting point we could all agree on. Bionca might view others as her "sisters" because of her own personal situation in life -- meanwhile, to me, they're fellow human beings and should be treated as such. After all, we're all flesh and blood. And we've all got to share this planet no matter what. So showing a basic dignity towards all...fresh out of the gate and as a starting point to build upon...is something that I think we should all strive for. So, I think we can all agree that's a "good" thing.

In my personal opinion, sex-work is one of many valid ways to make a living. Social opinions make that option more dangerous than it should be. I actually have more respect for a tranny escort who is open about her status and her life than I am with a deep-stealth post-op lawyer who wouldn't breath a word of her past to ANYONE.

Well, I can agree with that...and not. As I said in my post above, I think there's a difference between someone "finding themselves" or trying to find acceptance in the world or earn people's respect versus a flat-out acceptance of everything (such as the sex trade) just because it's easy to toss out a covering blanket of acceptance by saying "anything goes." Like I said before, then we're comparing apples and oranges. Then we've gone from discussing "Are you tolerant of TS women" to "Do you believe prostitution should be legalized and that sex work is okay?" Any way you slice it, those are two totally different notions.

Look, if nothing else but to explain myself, let's take it out of the TS and Sex Worker arena and frame things in an entirely different way...

Do I want to respect my fellow human beings? Yes.

Do I get up each day trying to respect my fellow human beings? Yes.

Do I respect people who work low end jobs to pay the bills, for example flipping burgers for minimum wage at the greasiest spoon imaginable or whatever? Absolutely. I admire their courage and conviction for doing "something" to stay fight back, to retain their dignity, and to stay afloat.

Do I respect people...as fellow human beings...who sell drugs to young kids at the local school yard? Hey, that's their way to make a living and stay afloat too, right? So pushing drugs should be cool, right?

Sorry, but not on your life. I have NO respect for someone like that AT ALL. In fact, that drug dealer is lucky I don't whittle down a big stick of wood in order to make a bat, at which point I would go all Sheriff Buford T. Pusser on his ass. (That's a reference for those who have ever seen the movie WALKING TALL. And I'm not talking about the crappy remake starring The Rock. I'm talking about the ultra cool original with Joe Don Baker. Bonus points to the movie geeks who've seen THAT!) So again, we're back to the notion that it's good to give your fellow human beings respect -- but that doesn't mean everyone should get respect. As a society, we obviously have to start drawing some lines over certain things. Personally, I could never subscribe to an "anything goes" mentality. There has to be SOME lines drawn in the sand otherwise we would be a complete failure AS thinking humans and AS a society.

My issue with the sex indusrty is that it is often the only option available to trans*women (particularly women of color) to make a living. The flip-side of that is it is also often people's only window into what my life may be like. The images from "Shemale Gangbang 12" become projected on me. So, "forced" or "choice" the decision to work in the sex industry isn't an issue for me. It is the way that industry is used by men to frame the lives and sexual desires of ALL Trans*women is.

I didn't even know there was a "Shemale Gangbang" 1 through 11!

But I would agree that porn is (sadly) often the only window that men will get into the TS world (or into other things as well). Then again, I've been lucky. I live and work in Los Angeles and have met more than my fair share of transgenders, most of whom have been exceedingly nice or even been good friends at one point or another. And I've heard firsthand (and in some cases seen) the fights they've had to endure to simply be accepted in the workplace or in life in general.

On the other hand, I do worry about the difference between someone being "forced" into the sex business versus engaging in it by "choice." And I say that because sadly I've seen firsthand how some have been forced into the sex trade. I mean, it's hardly a "choice" they made. They were literally "forced" into the life by the intolerance of others. And as a result, it was their sole remaining option to get by. And personally, I think THAT'S something that there should be a stop to. So maybe we have come full circle then to the topic of respect and the power it can grant, as well as the harm that can be caused when you get none...