Good Girls, Bad Girls
Sex Trade Workers and Feminists Face to Face

Bell Laurie

Publisher:  The Women's Press, 1987., Canada
Year Published:  1978   First Published:  1987
Pages:  232pp   ISBN:  0-88961-112-2
Resource Type:  Book
Cx Number:  CX3489



Abstract:  Pornography and prostitution are issues which generate fierce controversy. Often overlooked, at least until recently, have been the people who are employed in the 'sex industry': the prostitutes, strippers, and models. Good Girls, Bad Girls is different: it captures on paper the exchanges that took place at a conference which brought together sex trade workers and feminists. One of the strongest messages to emerge is the anger which women in the sex trade feel towards feminists who they feel dismiss them and their experiences, and who advocate measures such as censorship. The discussion also brings out the different currents of feminist thought on these issues, notably in Varda Burstyn's essay "Who the Hell is 'We'?" Burstyn says that "The consensus that might have appeared before or that operated as a kind of 'public face' feminism is crumbling in a very health way. We are all learning that if we're going to have a 'we' that really works for feminists and for feminist supporters, it has to be more inclusive."

Subject Headings

• Feminism
• Modelling
• Prostitution
• Sex Industry
• Sex Workers
• Strippers
• Women's Issues