Ask Beastly: Should I Strip for Tuition?

An American jock considers selling it abroad.

Hi Beastly,

I’m generally an upstanding, clean-cut, athletic, boy-next-door type of guy with a very active social life. A buddy in the UK suggested I set up a profile with an escort site in London when I move there in a few months. He said there is a market for guys with my image and talents. My first thought was, okay perhaps I was a little too slutty the last time I visited him. However, being a student without rich parents and daddy’s credit card, the income potential seems enticing.

What are the realities and legalities of being an escort in London? What is the realistic income potential and hours related (seems ideal to work around studies)? Are there licenses, permits, or work permissions needed (I’m American)? What considerations are needed for safety and health (I’m already on PReP)? Given my athletic image and willingness to work sans clothing, are there other opportunities with similar income potential?

Cheers,

Mr. Fancy Man

Hi Mr. Fancy Man,

I have not lived in the U.K. since I was a small child, so I had to do some research. A quick search led me to the City of London Police website, which provided this information:

'Sex work' can be prostitution, stripping or lap dancing, performing in pornography, phone or internet sex, or any other sexual services in return for money, goods, or other agreed items. The exchange of sexual services for money is legal in the UK (apart from in Northern Ireland where it's illegal to pay for sex). But, these related activities are illegal under the Sexual Offences Act 2003: 1. soliciting (trying to get clients) on the street or other public place, including someone in a vehicle, 2. paying for the services of a sex worker who's forced or threatened into it, 3. owning or managing a brothel (any premises which is used by more than one person for sex work), 4. pimping (someone who has control over sex workers and the money they earn), 5. advertising sexual services, including putting cards in phone boxes

cityoflondon.police.uk

Sex work is legal there, with caveats. Congrats! It is illegal in the country you are moving from, the United States, and, considering its current climate, that is unlikely to change soon. So go for it.

I have never been a sex worker in London, only in the U.S. and Berlin, so I cannot say what the day-to-day realities of sex work there are like. A sex worker in London will be better able to answer these questions, which is why you must befriend others in the trade (no matter where you move to) and ask them for advice, share stories, support each other, build community, and so on. These are your comrades.

The income potential, depending on how you tailor your services and what you are willing to do, is huge. London is a rich city where rich people live. If you are willing to do kink, especially as a top, and can provide your own space, you can all but name your price and charge much higher rates than non-kinky sex workers (and you should, since kinky sex work involves a lot of planning, practice, safety consideration, cleanup, supplies maintenance, and even professional training). I do not know about permissions or taxes. Ask a local hooker. The downside to legal sex work is that it is taxable income. I never paid taxes on sex work in the U.S. (because it was illegal).

The hours are not as long as, say, a gruelling office job or law firm, but the work is tough. Dealing with people, delivering a good performance, catering to someone’s needs and wants, being an active listener, and having sex are all exhausting. You will not be able to take multiple clients a day. Yes, you will have flexible hours and free time, but do not think this makes the work itself easy. It is not.

If you are a sexually active, well-informed adult, you know that having sex with lots of people, especially barrier-free sex, amounts to a higher risk of catching STIs, and in this sense, sex work is a high-risk job. You will get more than the normal person’s share of STIs. I did. Clients are not honest about their health checkups—many have never been tested before. You are already on PrEP, which is good. Get regular STI testing. Go to a queer health clinic for regular screenings and be honest with the staff that you are a sex worker. If you have a primary care physician, tell them about your work. Never apologise for your job, even when people ask ignorant questions. However, if your primary care doctor asks ignorant questions, find a new one.

The only other clothing-optional way to make money without actually having sex is to try porn. (OnlyFans is based in the U.K.) But if you are able to do in-person sex work, do that, because across Europe and the U.S., porn is under threat by internet censorship. Now even Twitter in Germany, of all places, is no longer safe for porn stars looking for paying viewers. Things do not look good. And anyway, the porn market, especially on direct-to-consumer platforms like OnlyFans and JustForFans, is pretty saturated and it is hard now to stand out with so many others vying for customers. Globally, I imagine there is a relatively small number of people willing to pay for porn when so much free (pirated) content is still available online.

I no longer encourage porn as reliable work, at least not now. In contrast, there will always be sex workers. It is the world’s oldest profession for a reason. There will always be people with money willing to trade that money for sex. You might not become one of the few who get absurdly rich from it, but if you are good with people and good in bed, you can do well.

Love, Beastly