She is a sex worker and her case was being tried in a rural, conservative part of the state. Financial status, mental health, drug use and domestic violence all fall under consideration. Take the case of Finley Fawn, who lost custody of her 6 -yearold son in Fawn performs legal sex shows on the internet, but the courts decided that filming from home allowed her child too much awareness of the job.
Juliana Piccillo, a former sex worker in Tucson, Ariz. When, in , she decided to pursue child support for their disabled son, he tried to use her sex work against her. Though she won, she recalls the experience as drenched in bias and belittlement.
Her ex-husband served as his own counsel, Piccillo says, and tried to embarrass her with images from her website. In , Piccillo helped start Red Umbrella Babies , an anthology about sex work and parenting.
Liz Afton argues that many sex workers make great mothers not in spite of the job, but because of it. Cutter says raising her child with another woman in the field feels like a safer bet when it comes to retaining custody. Piccillo, for example, is involved with the Sex Workers Outreach Program, a network of 28 chapters dedicated to advancing sex worker rights.
Skip to content. Published in February Carrie Weisman is a journalist based in New York City. She reports on sex, relationships and culture. Have thoughts or reactions to this or any other piece that you'd like to share? Send us a note with the Letter to the Editor form. More articles by Carrie Weisman. Some Advocates Say Yes. Carrie Weisman. Similar articles. Eman Abdelhadi. Dispatch The Right-Wing Issue.
