background image
4
produces physical aspects of both men and women. IS
individuals may or may not consider gender an issue for
them.
All these categories are extremely fluid, and one
person who considers herself transgendered may dress the
same, present the same way, and have the same medical
issues as another who considers herself a cross-dresser or
a transsexual.
Sex workers are those who earn money for providing
sexual or erotic services. People who provide conventional
sexual services may be prostitutes, hookers, hustlers,
whores, streetwalkers
or callgirls. Professional dominants,
pro-dommes
or dominatrixes provide S/M scenes in
exchange for money; male professional dominants, and
pro-subs or professional submissives, do exist but are
rarer. Phone sex workers, strippers and exotic dancers,
and professional escorts are also usually considered sex
workers.
A sex worker may or may not provide conventional
sexual activities such as intercourse and oral sex. S/he also
may or may not use safer sex strategies. Most sex workers
are at some degree of physical risk (assault, robbery,
rape, homicide) and legal risk (arrest for prostitution and
related crimes).