Sunny is a sex worker in Amsterdam. You will sometimes find her at the Prostitution Information Center, sitting on Enge Kerksteeg 3, ready to answer all your questions over a steaming mint tea waiting to be served. The Center is very beautifully decorated, pictures and posters adorne its walls, and towards the back is a spacious wooden table.
Pressure is high when you are working in the Red Light District, everything moves quickly, you need to negotiate, and I am terrible at negotiating! I really respect the girls that power through hour shifts. I would say society pushed me in this direction because I needed money, but it was always my choice.
Sunny has a management degree and rich work experience yet, after changing sex, she could no longer find a job neither in Belgium nor the Netherlands. Sunny hoped that her difficulty in finding employment 10 years ago was due to the fact that, despite having already undergone surgery, she still lacked a woman passport.
However, 2 years ago she gave it a second attempt and the same scenario repeated itself. The first scenario is considered normal and acceptable, but many would be keen to label the second as exploitation.
But is it exploitation, or is it choice? If the girl seems happy with her decision, are we in a position to judge? Indeed, sex workers have recently been a big target for politicians, adding flame to the stigma fire.
