The refined sex work clients of San Francisco

Image by Pedro Meyer via the things i see.

In this week’s SF Chronicle column I ask some of our lovely, articulate local sex workers about the sex work market here in the Bay Area — specifically about their clients. What typifies a San Francisco “John”? Turns out, our local sex work clients are really different than anywhere else, and there are a lot of fascinating mitigating factors. I was lucky to be put in touch with a sex worker who really understood how to detail just what makes our money-for-sex guys so different, and so much more interesting than I thought. Here’s a salient snip from the middle:

When Kirchner told me about our local sex work market and how oversaturated it is with hip, smart and diverse escorts, I started wondering if that’s what the clients wanted. Was it a buyer’s market for savvy sex workers, or a sellers’ market for smart, pierced, gender-diversified businesswomen? I asked established escort and professional dominatrix Giselle Reid — who has worked in many regions of the country as well as internationally — what makes San Francisco clients different from clients from anywhere else.

Reid tells me, “My clients here, as anywhere I’ve ever worked, are primarily white, middle aged, upper middle class to upper class men. In my experience, and in general, the men of San Francisco make delightful clients. They tend to be politically liberal, with at least a rudimentary social/ecological consciousness.”

Violet Blue: How does this translate in an everyday sense?

Giselle Reid: They have good and expansive taste in cuisine. They are less obsessed with orgasm than men who, in other parts of the world, cussed at themselves or me if they came too quickly or not at all. Often they are with me to have a good time, not to prove themselves. They are eager to have their asses played with. They are less likely to smoke. They are generally more informed and supportive of sex workers’ rights issues and more willing to talk openly and objectively about sex work. They know and use the term “sex work.” They are less likely to be homophobic and more open with their sexual curiosity about other men. They are more likely to bring their girlfriend, wife or other favorite sex worker with them. They are less likely to speak ill of their wives. Some of them call or write me on holidays and my birthday. And of course, they, like everyone in this great city, are generally better looking.

Violet Blue: Is there an experience you’ve had that characterizes the San Francisco client?

Giselle Reid: Here are four experiences that I feel characterize the San Francisco client: I once had a client ask me if it was OK to say hi to me if he ran into me at Pride. (… read more!)