We Too: Essays on Sex Work and Survival (Feminist Press)

This collection of narrative essays by sex workers presents a crystal-clear rejoinder: there’s never been a better time to fight for justice. Responding to the resurgence of the #MeToo movement in 2017, sex workers from across the industry—hookers and prostitutes, strippers and dancers, porn stars, cam models, Dommes and subs alike—complicate narratives of sexual harassment and violence, and expand conversations often limited to normative workplaces.

Writing across topics such as homelessness, motherhood, and toxic masculinity, We Too: Essays on Sex Work and Survival gives voice to the fight for agency and accountability across sex industries. With contributions by leading voices in the movement such as Melissa Gira Grant, Ceyenne Doroshow, Audacia Ray, femi babylon, April Flores, and Yin Q, this anthology explores sex work as work, and sex workers as laboring subjects in need of respect—not rescue.

A portion of this book's net proceeds will be donated to SWOP Behind Bars (SBB).

“While mainstream media does not allow the space for a complex and nuanced portrait of sex work, because such coverage is often weaponized, this book is salvation. The writing is unfailingly keen, each piece individually capable of inducing radical empathy. This book and its fierce creators are ready to change the world.” —Booklist, starred review

“We Too: Essays on Sex Work and Survival embodies the rallying cry: ‘Nothing about us without us.’ Featuring incisive essays by sex workers of all backgrounds, this vital anthology centers diverse narratives about sex work, labor rights, sexual assault, trauma, and healing that too often go unheard. Raw, gut-wrenching, and transformative, We Too is a powerful addition to the canon of books by sex workers and for sex workers and their allies.” —Kristen J. Sollée, author of Witches, Sluts, Feminists

“We Too offers a sharp indictment of this world and a warm invitation to build another one. Against a #MeToo movement that represents some at a high cost to others, We Too places sex workers at the front lines of an anti-violence movement for the rest of us. We Too’s vision knows the state is no ally, that freedom won’t come without solidarity, and that real cultures of consent will come from the ground up.” —Heather Berg, author of Porn Work: Sex, Labor, and Late Capitalism

“A necessary, wide-ranging, preconception-smashing collection of essays by writers who speak from experience within the sex industry. At turns, these essays are devastating, astute, funny, and heart opening. Taken together, they are a welcome antidote to the reductive narratives about sex worker experiences that we hear too often. We Too is an anthology that honors the humanity, diversity, and depth of insight within the field. Reading it made me want to stand up and cheer.”  —Melissa Febos, author of Whip Smart and Abandon Me

Natalie West is a Los Angeles based writer and educator. She worked as a professional Dominatrix while obtaining her PhD in Gender Studies. Her personal essays have appeared in Salon, Autostraddle, Kink Academy, Columbia Journal, and them. She moonlights as a sex work, BDSM, and queer community authenticity consultant for film and television.

Sonya Aragon is a writer and artist who lives in New York. She works at the intersection of intimacy and capitalism.

Vanessa Carlisle holds a PhD and has worked in the sex industries for over twenty years. She is a founding member of the Hookers Army of Los Angeles and author of Take Me With You. She also teaches workshops and classes on a variety of topics on sexuality and gender.

April Flores is a plus size model and performer with a cult-like following, having appeared in hundreds of films, books, and magazines in her bright career. An award-winning porn star, Flores has appeared in countless adult films in every genre of the adult industry and was the first BBW to win two consecutive AVN Awards for her groundbreaking work. She's also the model behind the first-ever "fat pussy" cyberskin sleeve. April Flores is also a writer and advocate for positive body image, published in multiple anthologies and journals speaking on her experience as a plus size artist, activist, and sex worker. Catch her book FAT GIRL: April Flores by Carlos Batts, follow her on twitter at https://twitter.com/theaprilflores or check out her premium feed at onlyaprilflores.com.

Milcah Halili is a nonbinary writer, web developer, and performer. They write about intersectionality, cannabis, sexuality, and web development. They've been published in the book Coming Out Like a Porn Star, Witch Craft magazine, the Rumpus, and Filthy Media. Follow him on Twitter and IG @milcahhalili.

Yin Q is a BDSM educator and writer based in New York City. Their media work includes the dramatic web series Mercy Mistress and the short documentary Yang Song: Fly in Power. Yin is founder of the production collective Kink Out and codirector of Red Canary Song, a grassroots Asian American sex workers organization.

Skylit: We Too group reading with editor Natalie West and contributors Sonya Aragon, Vanessa Carlisle, April Flores, Milcah Halili, & Yin Q