Sex Education

“If you hate people doing gross stuff for money, what you hate is poverty and not prostitution,” says Kaytlin Bailey, creator of Whore's Eye View. A former sex worker, now performer and host of The Oldest Profession podcast, Bailey is utterly devoted to making people rethink what they think they know about the oldest profession.

“We cannot arrest our way out of poverty,” she shrugs. “For so many people, prostitution has become a symbol of violence against women and exploitation. But we will do nothing to address poverty or gender-based violence by making it harder for consensual adults to make money or have sex. More of us are speaking out against antiquated laws that don't make anyone safer.”

Bailey, an advocate for sex worker rights and decriminalisation, recently toured her show to New Zealand, where sex work was fully decriminalised in 2003. She met sex workers, clients and brothel owners who negotiate sexual services openly without fear of arrest. “Spoiler: It’s great for everyone!”, she says.

Whore's Eye View, like other shows coming to this year’s Fringe, including Stories from the Office of a Sex Dungeon, hopes to debunk outdated myths around sex work, and platform real people whose lives can otherwise be reduced to dangerous stereotypes. “I've been doing stand-up comedy for 13 years, so that's my background,” says Bailey. “If you can make people laugh, you can make them listen. I also have a background in policy and history so this show is absolutely edu-tainment.”

Kaytlin Bailey / Photo by Mindy Tucker

Michaela Burger is an Australian actor bringing a one-woman play about the high-end escort and decriminalisation activist Grace Bellavue. Bellavue, real name Pippa O’Sullivan, rose to fame on social media before dying by suicide in 2015, aged 28. The State of Grace features 90% verbatim quotes from Grace’s real diaries plus hip-hop music and statistics. “I’ve fallen so in love with Grace,” says Burger. “She’s such an inspiration. She lived fully. If she was alive today she’d be so well known because of her intelligence and sass.”

Researching the role has been an at times chilling education for Burger. “Reading about sex workers being assaulted by police officers, or unfairly criticised by feminists, it’s really opened my eyes. There is often a lack of education about sex work. I wanted to learn. Sex workers are human beings doing a job.” Bellavue began sex work aged 17 as she was “horny and bored” and didn’t want to be ordinary. As the former digital marketer shared sex tips, experimented with her image and lobbied the Australian government, her fanbase grew. She used her voice to draw attention to sex worker rights. “When she was raped, she called out her rapist on Twitter,” says Burger. “You empathise quickly with Grace’s story. She just wanted to be safe.”

Ryan Patrick Welsh is a San Francisco cabaret singer who has done sex work for eight years now. “You could throw a stone in San Francisco and find a sex worker. There’s not so much criticism here. But there’s a lingering feeling in [wider] society that sex work is shameful, or disgusting or weird. Sex work has been a huge gift to me, personally and professionally. It’s allowed me to pursue life as an artist.” His late-night musical show Sex, Camp, Rock ‘N Roll is autobiographical, “starting off ludicrous, high energy and camp, then becoming more heartfelt”. Welsh says attitudes towards those presenting as male or female often differ. “There are still those clichés of being slutty or being a player,” he nods.

“I’d like to demystify sex work. It’s a fact. It exists in the world. But actually sex work and stage work are so close – people pay for your presence and your labour. Both involve teasing, edging, some release.” While Welsh’s show doesn’t go into decriminalisation, he thinks that definitely needs to be the first step. “At least after my show you will know at least one out sex worker. It’s like Harvey Milk used to say to gays and lesbians; being out and visible can ‘break down the myths, destroy the lies and distortions’. That’s how we normalise sex work and take ownership.”