Resumen

LAMAS, Marta. Sex work and intimacy. Cuicuilco. Rev. cienc. antropol. [online]. 2017, vol.24, n.68, pp.11-34. ISSN 2448-8488.

Although historically the transformation of the concept of ‘intimacy’ has been oriented towards sexual liberalization, it still preserves age-old prejudices against women providing sexual services. Much of the said rejection and stigmatization towards female sex workers is based mainly on the idea that it represents a violation of a woman’s intimacy. In the following pages, it is argued that sex-related work does not represent a violation of the sex worker`s intimacy. Some of the sexual workers interviewed maintain that nothing akin to ‘intimacy’ occurs while providing sexual services; in that sense, the belief that accepting money for personal services degrades the dignity of women and constitutes an affront to their intimacy is questioned. Based on historical and anthropological research, this essay provides an account of the legitimate status of sex workers in the past, as well as describing the recent experience of a group of sex workers in Mexico City that recently won a lawsuit, thus defying the said stigma by publicly claiming their workers´ rights.

Palabras llave : Sex work; gender; intimacy.

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