here are many occupations within the sex industry, including prostitution, porn acting, erotic writing, and dancing. Erotic dancing has typically been looked down upon, and strippers are often viewed as "deviant" and "bad" (Sweet & Tewksbury, 2000). What would make a woman want to take off her clothes for money? Women who strip for money have been found to have: an early physical maturity and early sexual experiences, early departure from home, an average level of education, a lack of father figure in the home prior to adolescence, and a history of "exhibitionistic" behavior (Thompson & Harred, 1992).
Although there is a stereotype that strippers are uneducated, research has shown that today’s strippers are typically high school graduates and many have attended college (Sweet & Tewksbury, 2000).
I asked students about strip clubs and their thoughts about such clubs.
Here are some of the answers to the question: "Have you ever been to a strip club? If so, what did you think of the club?" As you read through the following answers, notice how many women talk about visiting strip clubs mainly on special occasions (such as an engagement or wedding shower), whereas the men are more likely to visit female strip clubs for no particular occasion.
Female: The dancers at male strip clubs are always very nice because they love seeing girls in the club.
Male: Watching a lap dance is hysterical and much more humorous when you see an old guy trying to get the dancer’s attention. The dancers are all about money.
Female: I thought it was hysterical to see how far some dancers go to get money.
Male: The dancers were only nice to us to get money. They would act like they liked me, but I didn’t want to give them any money.
Female: The guys at the male strip clubs are always so muscular and just beautiful.
Male: I question the psychological health of using your body as a pseudo-sexual object for money.
Female: It is amusing. A nice break from the stresses of the world because it is so carefree in the club. The dancers all appear to really like what they do.
Male: Some of the female dancers are really young, around our age.
Female: The male dancers are all so beautiful and in shape. They are always so nice to us since we don’t try to take advantage of them.
Male: I was shocked because the strip club I went to was in a shopping center with a grocery store. The chairs we sat in were lawn chairs. The place was dark and dimly lit.
Female: The men were all ugly and greasy.
Male: It was a little uncomfortable since I didn’t know what to do with my hands during the lap dances.
Source: Author’s files.
[1]It should be noted that Cossey was born with a chromosomal abnormality, XXXY chromosomes, compared to XX for a normal female and XY for a normal male. In most cases of transsexualism, however, no abnormal chromosomes are found.
[2]See, for example, Cass, 1979, 1984; E. Coleman, 1982; H. P. Martin, 1991; M. Schneider, 1989; and Troiden, 1989.
[3] Antipornography laws were sufficient as they were written, but law enforcement efforts should be increased at all levels.
• Convicted pornographers should forfeit their profits and be liable to have property used in production or distribution of pornography confiscated, and repeat offenses against the obscenity laws should be considered felonies.
• Religious and civic groups should picket and protest institutions that peddle offensive materials.
• Congress should ban obscene cable television, telephone sex lines, and child pornography in any form.
[4] began prostituting when I was nineteen and met some working ladies. I was intrigued by what they were doing and saw the money they had and what they could do with it. . . .
I’ve made $2,000 in one week, which is very good money. I charge $20 minimum, short time, just for straight sex. That’s ten minutes, which will not sound very long to most people, but when you consider that the average male only needs two or three minutes in sex—I had some guys finishing even before they get on the bed. I make all my clients wear a condom and I’ve put the condom on them and by the time I’ve turned around to get on the bed they’ve already blown it. In most of these cases it’s the guys who are most apologetic and feel they have fallen down on the job.
I always check my clients both for any disease or body lice. If I am at all wary of a client I always get another girl to double-check. I go to the doctor once a week and get a report within ten minutes. There are some girls who will take anybody and don’t use any protection, and they don’t know how to check a client properly anyway. Girls on drugs are less careful than they should be, and in the parlors condoms are generally not insisted on.
[5] only prostitute occasionally—about once or twice a week—but I used to do it nearly every day. I usually work for about two hours at a time until someone picks me up.
I got involved in prostitution because I knew I could make the money. It’s taken as quite a common thing to do with the people I hang around with. None of us like it but it’s easy money. I don’t do it that much anymore but it’s there if I need it. I’d like to stop but who’s going to pay for the food? There’s nothing else I can do to get an income.
The usual procedure is quite simple. I just go to the park, take a seat and wait. Normally I don’t have to