A feminist has argued that prostitution is paid rape and that most sex workers would rather they walked away with the money if they were given the choice.

Laila Mickelwait argued that since unwanted sex is rape and it is obvious most sex workers engage in the act for the money and not really for the sex then the sex they have with clients as unwanted sex.

She, therefore, concluded that prostitution is paid rape

She wrote:

If you tell a prostituted woman: “You have two choices: you can either take the money & leave or you can take the money & stay for the sex.” How many are going to stay for the sex? 0. They don’t want the sex, they want the money. Unwanted sex is rape. Prostitution is paid rape.

There are many things people do that they don’t want to do, but there is something inherently traumatizing about unwanted sex that makes it worthy of a name— “rape”. Rape causes PTSD, requires dissociation to survive & is a violation of the body, mind and soul.That is the point.

However, her suggestion that prostitution may be paid rape has caused some hilarious comments on Twitter.

See comments below:

If you tell a worker: “You have two choices: you can either take the money & leave or you can take the money & work.” How many are going to stay for the work? 0. They don’t want the work, they want the money. Unwanted work is slavery. Employment is paid slavery. ???????

— Albaney Baylão (@albaneybaylao) January 31, 2019

Being relegated into damaged goods by other women is icky. I hate to tell you Laila, sometimes the sex is really good when you are being paid for it 😉 but we understand, you have an agenda. And, to further that agenda, you have to describe our lives to fit it.

— Billie McIntire, MA, LPC, LAC, CHTT (@BillieLac) February 9, 2019

What if I like paying my rent while getting eaten out/having sex? (Which like most of my clients will do for me lol) Way better than when I worked at starbucks getting harassed by customers and management.

— Katrinna Blue (@KatrinnaBlue) February 9, 2019

But also, not all sw’s agree to what I personally am happy with as my job. Some work just for the income. Nothing wrong with it. Let’s say a doctor, office worker, dentist doesn’t like their job for w.e reason but the income. Why is it any different with SW?

— Katrinna Blue (@KatrinnaBlue) February 9, 2019

Because some cannot fathom that women like sex! on top of that, making a choice with our bodies to create income from our bodies, time, emotional labor (and in my +3 years experience most clients pay for emotional labor than anything else) sw is work.

— Katrinna Blue (@KatrinnaBlue) February 9, 2019

This assumes my appointments are all about 1 action, which they most certainly are not. I’ve had people pay me and we eat pizza and watch a movie. Furthermore no one I would see would talk like this. This is so generalized. Not everything is so black and white.

— Ginger (@saucygingergirl) February 9, 2019

You really are pulling this out your arse. There are men and women out here who love having sex and are getting paid for it. Stop, confusing rape culture with people who are sex workers. Research before you tweet, cause you truly have no clue when it comes to sex workers.

— Mo-Mo (@lupaPadmae35) February 9, 2019

Literally no? Lol Have you seen the people I get to have sex with? Frequently I pay them or we profit share. Not all sex work is survival sex work… stop conflating victims with workers.

— Jay Taylor (@Yippieskip) February 9, 2019