Image “My First Time” by Annie Ominous.
In this week’s SF Chronicle column Death of the DC Madam Hits Home, I explore the death of the DC Madam with a local sex worker — sex worker and high level sex work blog contributor Karly Kirchner (Bound, not Gagged), and I examine the state of sex work in this light from the point of view of new media. Which is way, way different that what we’re being fed in mainstream media. I’m also getting some very weird emails about it, some of which are threatening in tone. This one really brought some — uh — interesting people out of the woodwork. Here’s a snip:
The death last week of Deborah Palfrey, the “D.C. Madam,” put a sad end to the story of a businesswoman who fought the system and lost. After offering her phone list of Washington, D.C.’s elite clients to anyone who would publish it in exchange for legal defense money — and seeing the subsequent “apology” of Sen. David Vitter (R-La.) and resignation of Deputy Secretary of State Randall L. Tobias — the 13-year madam was convicted by a federal jury on all counts she faced and was sentenced to 55 years in prison.
Unlike outlets like Salon who still insist on calling Palfrey a “female pimp,” reactions on blogs have been overwhelmingly sympathetic. Political group blog Liberty Guys called Palfrey’s situation, “A victimless crime … until the government steps in … She never harmed anyone by supplying willing female companions to willing clients … I guess now the feds can claim that prostitution does indeed claim victims.”
The business of prostitution is indeed legal in certain parts of the United States. Recalling the Prohibition days (13 years during which the sale, manufacture and transport of alcohol were banned nationally and alcohol-related racketeering, crime and corruption were rampant), we could say that Palfrey had the unfortunate situation of being caught providing services in a “dry state.”
According to Karly Kirchner, a San Francisco escort and high-level contributor to popular sex work blog Bound, not Gagged, Palfrey’s death and the senselessness surrounding the entire situation have been felt both locally and nationally. Kirchner explains,
“Providers everywhere have been struck with this news. Whether it was suicide or murder, this is a terrible tragedy. It’s been too much for some to handle. I’ve noticed that several women have taken down their sites, announced that they are no longer seeing new clients and/or announced that they will no longer participate in community boards since Palfrey was found dead. We’re all talking about Brandy Britton, who was once employed by Palfrey and was also found hanged last year. (… read more!)
Thanks for using my photo on your kick-ass blog.
Cheers, Annie O
Well put, aliyah. The US prison system is meant as much to show you who’s boss as much as it is to reform or punish. No, wait, it’s ALL ABOUT showing who’s boss in Palfrey’s case. How dare she go back to fulfilling a market need after the federal goons’ attempt to convert her into a compliant, tax-paying drone? It reminds me of Winston Smith at the end of “1984.” The State didn’t want to kill him. That would mean that they would lose and Smith would win as he hadn’t yet loved Big Brother. I guess in her own little way, Palfrey won in the end despite the horrible price.
i read your article earlier this morning on s.f. gate. i can’t imagine what palfrey was going through. she had been in prison before and had decided “never again”.
that she was convicted flies in the face of reason. the people who were commenting in on the page there about how her business was not without victims, i.e. families, the women, etc. well, guess what? she is a victim of this.
her business model allowed women to make the choice to provide a service. the men who called to make appointments were making a choice. they were all adults. no one was coerced into this.
the victimisation came by way of the ultra conservative government poking their nose into it.
why can’t adults be allowed to be human? sex is in our nature and should be celebrated. not vilified.
anyway, thank you for yet another insightful article.