Unionising Sex Work & Harm Reduction for Strippers with Stacey Clare

In this episode, Hannah is joined by author and activist Stacey Clare, who is a retired stripper, and co-founding member of the East London Strippers Collective. Stacey talks about the ethics of sex work with first hand insight into why harm reduction for strippers needs to be at the heart of that conversation, and why she named her book The Ethical Stripper. Stacey explains how strippers have long had misclassified professional statuses, how sex workers’ rights are part of a broader workers’ rights movement, and why Stacey founded the East London Strippers Collective. Hannah and Stacey also talk about Sex Worker Exclusionary Radical Feminists and their contradictory and unhelpful arguments, and discuss what is actually needed to support sex workers in the industry.

Read the episode transcript here!

QUESTIONS FROM LISTENERS

  • What's the line between stripping and burlesque and does it bother you that the latter gets more respect?

  • My boyfriend is very lovely, but is uncomfortable with the idea of me selling anonymous pics online. He thinks it's unsafe.

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MORE ABOUT STACEY CLARE

Stacey Clare is a retired stripper, writer, theatre performer, activist and co-founding member of the East London Strippers Collective (ELSC). Her book The Ethical Stripper was published earlier in the year, and chronicles her journey into stripping alongside a rigorous analysis of sex industry regulations and legal regimes. She is one half of the Edinburgh Fringe hit show "Ask A Stripper" where she and her work-wife and fellow stripper Gypsy Charms invite audiences to hold dialogue with them, to unpack some of the biggest stereotypes about sex workers. She currently spends her time between her home in Scotland and working in London, where she organises events and community projects with fellow ELSC members.

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