Behind the Scenes

Virtue or Vice Series: a reflection on a decade long ban from a country bc of my forte. The concept of “prostituting” oneself…and how a nation ranks the various tropes as: immoral, debased or legal and socially acceptable.

The week before I was pulled into secondary questioning and ultimately banned from entering the US...a courtesan colleague of mine was also pulled into secondary. After being interrogated for hours and missing her flight, she was admitted into the states.

The difference between my outcome and hers was that she admitted to being the "mistress" of her sole client. She may have had a credit card in his name, he had bought her house...but there was no proof that she was involved in the exchange of money for an intimate connection. ie: an email stating she wanted monetary compensation for this trip or that... or an advert on a sw portal, "plying her trade."

A week later, I was not as fortunate. The border had a file on me because I had been face out advertising for 4 years and it was a US mandate to stop known sex workers from crossing the border. I could not deny the advertising and I did not have just one lover. I was slapped with a 10 year ban even though I did not admit to compensation for sexual services. (The patrol officer sent me back across the border without the file of my sworn statement. Ultimately when I finally received the file through a lengthy process with a US immigration lawyer, my statement had been changed to reflect the idea that I sell sexual services for money).

I have already spoken at length of how this mark on my passport has changed my life. But I can't help but ruminate over the ease with which some women are free to carry on between our two borders without interrogation. Shaming women for doing what they wish with their bodies, time and money is misogyny.

Photog and creative collab: @kellyclipperton

You can see my instagram page for the shots with comments and hashtags.

There is no shame in sensual expression...

xoxo