Why Aren’t the Anti-Porn Folks Standing Up For Tera Myers?

[NinaBrooke]

Hoi Ladies and Gents,
Here is an article with an intriguing question about social stigmatizing, would be pleased to discuss comments :-)
Nina


"The other night, I was watching a cop drama. The story centered on a murder case (as they often do) and the cops uncovered information that the victim had been blackmailed for hiring a sexworker. So they tracked the escort down, thinking that she’d been behind the scheme. But as it turned out, she not only didn’t know about it, she was really worried when she heard about it. Rather than following the usual “sexworkers lure men into these schemes to ruin them” plot, the writers decided to change it up a bit. The escort explains that she has dreams and plans of her own and having it be known that she’s working as a sexworker would destroy them just as much as it would have affected the murder victim.

This has been on my mind lately, since a St. Louis high school teacher has resigned after a student discovered that she’d been a porn performer. Apparently, Tera Myers had also lost a job in 2006 for the same reason, and I can’t help but think that she resigned this time rather than waiting for the axe to fall.

Separate from the question of why people might think that a former porn performer might be unsuitable as a teacher, I can’t help but wonder where all of the anti-sexwork and anti-porn folks who vociferously proclaim that they want to help women leave the industry are. (They don’t ever seem to notice that plenty of men are also sexworkers, btw.) After all, if they genuinely want to support women and make it possible for them to change what they do for a living, don’t they have a responsibility to advocate for them when former sexworkers face these kinds of barriers? Do they not see that it’s harder to quit being a porn performer or a sexworker when it’s pretty clear that there’s no support if their past is discovered? And in this era of tube porn sites, pirated movies, and such, the odds of being able to stay in the closet gets smaller all the time.

This isn’t the first time someone has lost a job for having been a sexworker without the anti-sexwork folks making a sound. And I think it really highlights how they don’t really want to help women leave the industry. If they truly did, they’d be standing up for Ms Myers and making sure that people had job options and protection when they stop making porn or seeing clients.
Just sayin’.
Source: www.charlieglickman.com (http://s.tt/124SM)

[Bebe Le Strange]

That is exactly it Nina. These are people who want to continue stigmatization and stereotyping people in the sex industry. Their ultimate goals are behind their religious beliefs. In addition they claim some how someone like this who has gotten out of the sex work industry are somehow harmful to our kids, so on and so forth. All these people are hypocrites plain and simple. It all makes great News headlines, and ratings, but doesn't show any truth whatsoever.

She probably was a decent teacher, but they think that if a kid comes across her porn material on the net, then somehow the kids become tainted.

[NinaBrooke]

Yep it`s kind of a two sided sword to want women to get out of the business and making it impossible for htem to do so at the same time

[charlestudor2005]

You know, for a nation that believes in second chances (in all sorts of situations), it looks like a former porn worker can't get a break.

They're afraid that somehow her former career will be transferred to the kids. Probly nothing could be further from the truth. If anything, she's probly like a reformed smoker.

Let her teach the kids.

[NinaBrooke]

True too. And besides, those kids will end up watching porn anyhow. Sooner or later. :-).... SO if she has something substantial to say it might well end up in a teaching career. Plus, if the kids are small they won`t realize what porn is anyhow. Anything above 16 is grown up and porn capable in my humble opinion (at least in europe that is). People start having sex nowadays with 13 years old, so it probably would be good advice to watch a few porns where they teach on how to use condoms in a proper way....:-)

[discreetgent]

Originally Posted by ninasastri

True too. And besides, those kids will end up watching porn anyhow. Sooner or later. :-).... SO if she has something substantial to say it might well end up in a teaching career. Plus, if the kids are small they won`t realize what porn is anyhow. Anything above 16 is grown up and porn capable in my humble opinion (at least in europe that is). People start having sex nowadays with 13 years old, so it probably would be good advice to watch a few porns where they teach on how to use condoms in a proper way....:-)

In the US you run into huge legal issues showing anything like that to kids under 18. The conundrum really is how to teach kids and not cross that line. Sure, teaching and discussing at home provides more leeway but school is a tough question.

[NinaBrooke]

Originally Posted by discreetgent

In the US you run into huge legal issues showing anything like that to kids under 18. The conundrum really is how to teach kids and not cross that line. Sure, teaching and discussing at home provides more leeway but school is a tough question.

True too. Wasn`t considering the heteronormative legal issues.

[charlestudor2005]

Originally Posted by ninasastri

True too. And besides, those kids will end up watching porn anyhow. Sooner or later. :-).... SO if she has something substantial to say it might well end up in a teaching career. Plus, if the kids are small they won`t realize what porn is anyhow. Anything above 16 is grown up and porn capable in my humble opinion (at least in europe that is). People start having sex nowadays with 13 years old, so it probably would be good advice to watch a few porns where they teach on how to use condoms in a proper way....:-)

What dg said.

Plus, in the US, the age of consent (for sex) is all over the map depending on what state you are in. Some states have very complex laws in this regard. Rule of thumb, don't have sex with any one under 16.

But dg is right about 18. And certainly 13 would shock most US citizens, I think. I'm not naive enough to think it doesn't happen. I just think most USers would be shocked.

[Capt. Lincoln F. Stern]

Originally Posted by ninasastri

Hoi Ladies and Gents,
Here is an article with an intriguing question about social stigmatizing, would be pleased to discuss comments :-)
Nina


"The other night, I was watching a cop drama. The story centered on a murder case (as they often do) and the cops uncovered information that the victim had been blackmailed for hiring a sexworker. So they tracked the escort down, thinking that she’d been behind the scheme. But as it turned out, she not only didn’t know about it, she was really worried when she heard about it. Rather than following the usual “sexworkers lure men into these schemes to ruin them” plot, the writers decided to change it up a bit. The escort explains that she has dreams and plans of her own and having it be known that she’s working as a sexworker would destroy them just as much as it would have affected the murder victim.

This has been on my mind lately, since a St. Louis high school teacher has resigned after a student discovered that she’d been a porn performer. Apparently, Tera Myers had also lost a job in 2006 for the same reason, and I can’t help but think that she resigned this time rather than waiting for the axe to fall.

Separate from the question of why people might think that a former porn performer might be unsuitable as a teacher, I can’t help but wonder where all of the anti-sexwork and anti-porn folks who vociferously proclaim that they want to help women leave the industry are. (They don’t ever seem to notice that plenty of men are also sexworkers, btw.) After all, if they genuinely want to support women and make it possible for them to change what they do for a living, don’t they have a responsibility to advocate for them when former sexworkers face these kinds of barriers? Do they not see that it’s harder to quit being a porn performer or a sexworker when it’s pretty clear that there’s no support if their past is discovered? And in this era of tube porn sites, pirated movies, and such, the odds of being able to stay in the closet gets smaller all the time.

This isn’t the first time someone has lost a job for having been a sexworker without the anti-sexwork folks making a sound. And I think it really highlights how they don’t really want to help women leave the industry. If they truly did, they’d be standing up for Ms Myers and making sure that people had job options and protection when they stop making porn or seeing clients.
Just sayin’.
Source: www.charlieglickman.com (http://s.tt/124SM)

One would think the religious crowd would jump in and defend this "poor sinner who has now found his/her way" I mean why get all hoity toity abut saving a soul from a life of sin if you are going to harass and shun them afterwards?

[NinaBrooke]

Originally Posted by charlestudor2005

What dg said.

Plus, in the US, the age of consent (for sex) is all over the map depending on what state you are in. Some states have very complex laws in this regard. Rule of thumb, don't have sex with any one under 16.

But dg is right about 18. And certainly 13 would shock most US citizens, I think. I'm not naive enough to think it doesn't happen. I just think most USers would be shocked.

Well, in this regard europe is a lot different. I think porn is legal too with 18, i will have to doublecheck if its 18 or 16. Drinking alcohol and smoking ins legal with 16. As long as the people having sex are not significantly age different its not such a big issue. Means 13 and 13 is ok. Legally spoken a 16 year old screwing a 23 year old could be a problem, but i never saw anyone sueing either. Exception: Homosexuality. Here the legal consent is higher at age, i think its 18 for men and 16 for women. Interesting the legal distinction between gay sex and lesbian sex. An attorney told me once its because of the penetration issue. In some cultures the act of penetrating something with a penis is considered sexual, and some women doing it is not really sex. Which is typical for heteronormativity. They might secretely hope if they forbid having gay sex in early ages it might still happen that a closet hetero might be hidden amongst this young gay person :-).

I legally lived alone since i was 15 in a foster home, but under so called premature grown up conditions, a legal guardian was advised, but i was living alone and just being supervised once a week - i was on my own living like a student til 18. So i assume in europe you can be a grown up and getting treated like one way early´- given the conditions are cruel enough that custody gets removed ...

[gnadfly]

The problem is the longevity and availability of the web so she is "sinning" every day.

The NSFW link: http://stileproject.com/video/5595/t...-about-facials

Back in Dallas in the early 70s, there was an elementary school teacher who had appeared topless in Playboy. She was one school "over" but people would point her out when she was in public. The parents knew and she was allowed to keep her job. It was only until 10 or so years later that I saw the picture. Pretty tame and not all that hawt.

[NinaBrooke]

Originally Posted by gnadfly

The problem is the longevity and availability of the web so she is "sinning" every day.

The NSFW link: http://stileproject.com/video/5595/t...-about-facials

Back in Dallas in the early 70s, there was an elementary school teacher who had appeared topless in Playboy. She was one school "over" but people would point her out when she was in public. The parents knew and she was allowed to keep her job. It was only until 10 or so years later that I saw the picture. Pretty tame and not all that hawt.

You make a really really good point with that. I heard there are internet assistants out there who can help to delete all that information on the net?

[charlestudor2005]

Originally Posted by ninasastri

I heard there are internet assistants out there who can help to delete all that information on the net?

(I don't think so.) They really helped the Pentagon do that with Wikileaks, right?

[NinaBrooke]

Originally Posted by charlestudor2005

(I don't think so.) They really helped the Pentagon do that with Wikileaks, right?

(rotflmao and scaring the cats) ---- true, i should have precised what i meant. I meant ordinary folks accessing information via search pages like google. That can be deleted or assisted in not being found anymore. Other than that: Well once it`s out there its out :-)

[Marshall]

I completely understand why this teacher was fired. If it was unknown that she was in porn, then no harm. Once it is known, you have the issue that she is a role model for the children. While it is this lady's right to do porn, it is also society's right to disapprove. The majority of people have the right to convey to their children that being in porn is not acceptable. Only does firing her relay that message to the kids.

Also, you have the issue of respect. Every student in the school, if not the district, will know. She will not be respected by the children, and thus will become ineffective as a teacher.

Usually there will be some conduct clause in the teacher's contract which permits the firing. Children are the most valuable resource in a society. Society is allowed to protect them. The rights of children outweigh the rights of this teacher.

I realize that the ladies wish sex work was more accepted by society, but you have to accept the society you are in or go elsewhere. If one chooses to break the rules, you have to live with the consequences and not cry about it.