Melodie Garcia is a Public Nuisance Feminist

And I'm just getting started.

Sex work is work, and sex workers are people.

As I’ve been immersing myself into the world of social justice and feminist philanthropy this past year, I often find myself talking about the concept of sex work as work— because it is— yet, many feminists recognize only the experience of sex workers to be exploited victims, or lacking agency or ability to make their own choices. Aside from and completely in opposition to sex trafficking and general labor exploitation (which happens in every industry), sex work can and does happen consensually for the purposes of economic security, sexual liberation, social mobility, and gendered survivalism. I am a sex worker and a philanthropist trying to bring visibility to us, and to find funding for our movement.

I’m ready to be visible.

I have been so afraid to put out this content because I know that I will be subject to further discrimination and criminalization— but I am ready to be visible and help move this movement.

The movement for sex workers’ rights in the USA is growing, especially amid the pandemic where hundreds of people every day were signing up to sell adult content on platforms like OnlyFans, Manyvids, Pornhub, AVN Stars, and more. I’ve gone to 15 conferences this year across the country, taking each opportunity to advocate and speak about my story, and I am just getting started.

Being othered makes me qualified to critique.

I want to talk to you about the experiences of sex workers, drug users, people with mental illness, people with feminized bodies, and the ways in which we are “othered.” Being systematically othered gives us critical insight to systems of oppression that are overlooked, undersold, and dismissed and legislated as “public nuisance.”

I need your attention and energy.

Being a sex worker managing my own business for many years, I understand that consistency is key to growing an audience— and, I’m willing to do that if you, reader, can meet me half way. Subscribe at no cost, or Pledge to donate to my efforts which will go to mutual aid efforts for my community… Or, just email me, I want to you unpack what all of this means as it’s being written about. Let’s learn together.

Please: subscribe, interrogate, reflect, and share.

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