Reviews tagging 'Drug abuse'

Revolting Prostitutes: The Fight for Sex Workers' Rights by Molly Smith, Juno Mac

6 reviews

happy_birthday's review against another edition

dark informative inspiring medium-paced

5.0

Clearly written, convincingly argued, unfailingly persuasive. Probably as good as it gets in radical literature; the sort of book that sticks with you for years and years. Also a really good first book to read if you don't really know anything about sex work, political radicalism or the politics of liberation in general. This book covers not just sex work, but the closely related topics of policing, borders, work and many other things that make it an astoundingly effective primer if you're at all interested in leftist political ideas.

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Ableism, Sexual harassment, Misogyny, Trafficking, Homophobia, Classism, Colonisation, Sexual assault, Rape, Police brutality, Domestic abuse, Racism, Deportation, Drug use, Drug abuse, Death, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Violence, Sexual violence, Transphobia, and Hate crime

beansandrice's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

5.0

This book has become the foundation for my feminist politics, my queer politics, my labor politics, my immigration politics, and so much more. Revolting Prostitutes swings hard with both theory and grounded real-life analysis, and may be one of the most profound political texts written in this generation. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Hate crime, Physical abuse, Racism, Sexual assault, Colonisation, Deportation, Gun violence, Kidnapping, Murder, Rape, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Violence, Classism, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Police brutality, Sexual violence, and Trafficking

Moderate: Lesbophobia, Transphobia, Homophobia, Ableism, Biphobia, Child death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Forced institutionalization, Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, and Child abuse

This book is a thousand things, but at its foundations it's a book about the terrible things that happen to sex workers. It treats all graphic content with the respect and dignity it deserves, and discusses this heavy reality as a way to build to a more liberatory politics. That said, it's still a heavy read.

sedgewren's review

informative inspiring reflective slow-paced

4.75

A clear and sharp analysis of the failings of the regulations around the world that exacerbate the difficulties and dangers of sex workers' daily lives. Sex work is work, and most sex workers do sex work for the same reasons most people work: for an income to survive.

This book clarified my views and helped me think through my intersectional feminist politics and applying it to the controversial topic of sex work — the combination of thorough research and compelling anecdotes provided a compelling argument for decriminalisation of sex work (this leading to sex work being regulated just like the rest of the labour market). We should be centering the experiences of sex workers when talking about regulating sex work, and criminalisation does not lead to abolition.

I would thoroughly recommend this book to any feminists who are unsure what to think about prostitution, and also to any policymakers who want to help alleviate the suffering and difficulties of the most marginalised in our society.

---

Content Warnings

Minor: Drug use, Police brutality, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Death, Drug abuse, Deportation, Domestic abuse, Hate crime, Misogyny, Trafficking, Forced institutionalization, Rape, Sexual assault, and Racism

catherinedsharp's review

challenging informative reflective slow-paced

3.5

Did I like this book? Yes and no. Let’s start with the negative.

The writing style was quite dense and academic so although this is to be expected for a piece of non - fiction, it was quite inaccessible in my opinion. Additionally there was a lot on what is happening that does not help sex workers and very little in comparison on what would help.

Despite this I found it a very interesting read! Despite the slow pace, I was always reading more and enjoyed learning about an area that I don’t know much about. There was lots of data and references to further information.

Overall I enjoyed this text although I found it difficult to read at times which has brought the rating down.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Abortion, Alcoholism, Classism, Colonisation, Death, Hate crime, Infidelity, Addiction, Body shaming, Drug abuse, Gaslighting, Misogyny, Murder, Police brutality, Sexual assault, Racism, Sexual violence, Trafficking, Sexism, Sexual content, and Sexual harassment

snowhitereads's review against another edition

challenging informative reflective medium-paced

4.0

 

Revolting Prostitutes is a non fiction book about sex workers’ rights, written by two sex workers/activists.

It’s a really short book but a powerful one.

It's a succinct and reflective book that offers real insight into the actual lives of sex workers and the impacts of various legal models.

I learned so much with such a short book, it really helped me understand the basics of a very complex situation.

It does not sugarcoat the struggles of sex workers, nor does it demonizes them. 

The authors are also honest about their privelege and shortcoming as white sex workers and activists and about how BIPOC and LGBTQ+ sex workers are often the largest of those targeted under the harms of laws/opinions against sex workers. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Body shaming, Drug abuse, Drug use, Forced institutionalization, Police brutality, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, and Trafficking

tieflingkisser's review against another edition

informative medium-paced

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Misogyny, Domestic abuse, Death, Police brutality, Rape, Sexual violence, and Sexual assault

Minor: Ableism, Addiction, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gun violence, Hate crime, Homophobia, Kidnapping, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Trafficking, and Transphobia