Sex workers around
the world have been hard hit by the COVID-19 outbreak and subsequent
lockdowns, especially those involved in direct forms of sex
work. Porn shoots have been cancelled, strip clubs and brothels
have been closed, and many sex workers have ended up on the
streets or trapped in overcrowded red light districts (Chandra,
2020; Hemery, 2020; Nasr, 2020). Some have employed creative
methods to continue to earn a living, such as strippers delivering
food or porn performers using video chat to film a group scene,
but many are facing extremely precarious conditions (Sparks,
2020; Stern, 2020).
Countries around
the world are providing financial support for their citizens
during the pandemic. However, sex workers are almost completely
left out of these provisions, even in countries where sex work
is legal or decriminalised, or they can only qualify for support
if they meet certain requirements, such as being registered
as self-employed or providing proof of income (New Zealand is
a notable exception) (Kirschbaum, 2020; Sussman, 2020; Woods,
2020). This leaves out many sex workers, especially those who
are the most vulnerable, such as irregular migrants, asylum
seekers, LGBTQ people, and survival sex workers (Bettio, et.
al., 2020; ICRSE, 2020; Mercer, 2020). In the United States,
these exclusions from financial support are even more far-reaching
and encompass all forms of sex work or adult businesses (e.g.
strip clubs or adult toy stores) (Nolan Brown, 2020). Exclusion
from government aid has led to some sex workers breaking isolation
orders to see clients because they have no other options to
earn the money they need to survive and to support their families
(ICRSE, 2020; Nortajuddin, 2020; Topping, 2020). They are working
under even more precarious conditions with customers who try
to take advantage of the crisis by, for example, bargaining
down prices or demanding riskier sex (Mercer, 2020; Ortiz, 2020).
Even if clients want to financially support sex workers without
seeing them during the lockdown, it may not be possible to send
money online. Many payment providers do not allow their services
to be used for sexually-oriented goods and will freeze accounts
and confiscate money from anyone who violates these rules (Survivors
Against SESTA; Valens, 2019).
An option for sex
workers during the pandemic is digital forms of sex work. Sex
workers can perform for existing customers through video-chat,
or sell content such as video clips or photos on various sites
(e.g. OnlyFans, SnapChat, or Pornhub.com’s Amateur Program)
(Dickson, 2020b). These platforms have seen a spike in both
model sign-ups and viewership since the lock-down started (Dickson,
2020a; Zoledziowski, 2020). Another digital option is webcamming.
Performers on webcam platforms live-stream videos of themselves
to viewers around the world. Depending on the website, viewers
can watch freely and give ‘tips’ or pay-per-minute
for the show.
Webcamming is often
touted as an easy way to make money from home with a flexible
schedule. However, that may not be the case. Since the lockdown,
webcam performers have reported an increase in viewers but many
have also reported fewer paying customers (Delcourt, 2020; Dickson,
2020a; French, 2020). Webcamming sites were already highly-competitive
and crowded with performers, and since the outbreak, websites
have become oversaturated with new models (both former sex workers
and people who are new to sex work) (Dickson, 2020a; Palmer,
2020). Due to the ranking algorithms on some webcam platforms,
it can be very difficult for new performers to gain a foothold
in the industry, and factors such as race, gender, nationality
and languages spoken can also impact a performer’s income
(Jones, 2020a; van Doorn & Velthuis, 2017). Potential income
for webcam models is often exaggerated, and those who do earn
high salaries have invested a lot of time in cultivating a paying
fan base. Platforms do not pay minimum wage, they take up to
70% of the earnings, and performers may spend hours online only
earning a few cents for their efforts-- far below the purported
‘six-figure’ income (Brasseur & Finez, 2020;
Jones, 2020a; Stokes, 2020).
Selling digital
content and webcamming are also not an option for many sex workers
for a variety of reasons. In some countries, making pornography
or webcamming are illegal (though it may not be enforced), and
countries which have been accused of having exploitative working
conditions have been banned from using webcam platforms (Biddle,
2012). Direct sex work can be done with relative anonymity while
digital content comes with the risk that it will be copied or
recorded and reposted, which can lead to sex workers being outed
(Jones, 2020a). This may not be a risk that individuals are
willing to take due to criminalisation and the stigmatisation
attached to sex work. Furthermore, many sex workers do not have
access to technology, technical skills, or a private space from
which to perform. These hurdles can be overcome by working from
a webcam studio which provides the space and technology but
also takes up to 70% of the earnings from the performer (after
platform deductions), and studios are likely not accessible
during country-wide lockdowns (Biddle, 2012). Sex worker-led
organisations have been helping those in need by providing meals,
medication, emotional support or financial aid (Bettio, et.
al., 2020; Chandra, 2020; Ortiz, 2020). However, more attention
needs to be paid to the government policies which have created
these conditions of inequality and marginalisation, and to challenge
the discourse that portrays sex workers as victims lacking agency
(Ortiz, 2020). The United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS)
has called for countries during the pandemic to “take
immediate, critical action, grounded in human rights principles,
to protect the health and rights of sex workers”. Some
of the measures called for include access to health care, housing,
stopping raids on homes and places of work, automatic visa extensions,
and involving the sex worker community in public health planning
(UNAIDS, 2020). The COVID-19 pandemic is an unfathomable tragedy
which has had the greatest impact on the most vulnerable in
the world, but it can be an opportunity to rethink society and
reshape policies to improve quality of life and protect human
rights.
