Unlike pretty much anywhere else in the world, sex work in New Zealand is the same as any other job, legally speaking. Since the Prostitution Reform Act decriminalised prostitution in , sex workers have the same rights and protection as any other industry.
Gwyn Easterbrook-Smith, 27, got into sex work five years ago because it made sense in terms of earnings and hours. They Gwyn prefers non-binary pronouns makes a living as a full service escort and dominatrix, while completing their PhD thesis on media coverage of the sex industry in New Zealand since the law change. Their schedule might include working five nights a week in a brothel, seeing the odd private client, and creating a nest of coffee and papers in their lounge while they tap out versions of a chapter for their PhD.
Mostly, this suits them fine—Gwyn is a night owl by nature and being able to arrange work around their studies gives them the flexibility to keep a healthy balance of free time and a social life. Gwyn's passionate about talking about sex work to reduce the stigma around it. Despite it's open legal status in New Zealand, the local industry is shrouded in social taboos and that, they say, puts the rights of its workers at risk. Congratulations, you've won capitalism!
This, I think, is extremely unhelpful because it collapses together a bunch of different experiences and strips people of their agency. Gwyn arrives for their shift at 4 PM, puts on makeup and makes arrangements for their 6 PM booking. It's not all about leather and chains, if anything Gwyn typically wears a pencil skirt and button-down blouse, to reduce dry cleaning expenses. First up, there's a youngish chap, maybe mid-thirties. He mentions he got divorced a few years back.
The first hour is sort of sex, Gwyn guesses: "Including like a blowjob, sex in a few positions, really terrible kissing—he has trouble staying hard so I spend a fair amount of time checking the condom is still on.
