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• I knew this was fishy from the start. If a "Union" cannot declare their legal government backing, or even proudly declare their legal representation, something is wrong. The first part of starting any business or entity is developing trust with the people you want to do business with.
  This lady fails to do so. From her typing, I can also see that she is very uneducated and lacking the most basic language and grammar skills.
  Even a major union would have to jump through TONS of legal hoops to fine another entity.
  I would advise all to stay FAR away from this sham of a union attempt. It is ill conceived, under funded, has no legal backing, no clear cut plan for success, and being led/promoted by a person that has no history of project successes.
  And I like unions as a whole...

• Is there going to be trouble on sets when performers in this dummy's union refuse to work w/ performers in Rob Black's union or Nica Noelle's union?

  LOL!

  I won't feel bad for anyone ripped off by this broad.

• South's such an idiot. I truly think he would sell out his own mom if it could find a way to work FSC into it. Of course he supports this. He supports everything bad about porn

• Mike South haven't been relivent in years. He's a buffoon with a Wordpress who will write up anything. The truth had never been anything he cares about

• Even though I stopped working in the sex industry in 1985, I have worked most of the time since that year as either "self-employed" or as a freelancer 1099 type of employee.

  Most of my "day job" as well as much of my volunteer activities are as a paralegal. I volunteer to do many things to help men and women who are exiting the sex industry with a lot of the chaos that can often accompany a sudden exit to the industry.

  Which happens sadly if you suddenly get an HIV/AIDS positive test result, or if you find yourself getting arrested and put on probation, or you get slapped with a divorce and the spouse is fighting you for custody and the only way to keep your kids is to not be connected to the sex industry, or 100 other things which can come at one from out of nowhere making one exit the industry without much time to plan anything.

  Sudden exits are often accompanied with things like fighting an eviction because it's hard to suddenly switch careers when rent's coming due, restraining orders when your boyfriend/husband isn't too thrilled with the news you're not in the industry any longer, injunctions against invasions of privacy when ex-boyfriends decide to send photos of your porn spreads to your new boss, and the list goes on of things where I've found myself either offering volunteer paralegal work to those coming out of the industry needing help where they can't afford an attorney, things where an attorney wouldn't really want to get involved because there's no money in the situation for them, or even arranging for attorney's when someone really needs one but can't afford the retainers most ask for.

  Because of my paralegal work, I've developed a large network of attorney's who will donate help to sex workers, ex-sex workers, etc., as long as it doesn't interfere with their "reputation". I say that because many attorney's are willing to help us, they just don't want their name on public records connected with the sex industry for one reason of another.

  On the hotline I answer for http://www.sexworkersanonymous.com some really disturbing calls have been coming in which started about 2013. I find the trends I'm hearing disturbing for a few reasons - one is I'm quite shocked at the number of very young people under the age of 24 years old who are actively working in the industry who not only have no idea about things like an HIV/AIDS vaccine being available, they are completely misinformed about how to contract the virus and thus are not properly protecting themselves, and further they tell me they have never had one single HIV/AIDS test to date.

  When these calls started coming in at the rate like I was seeing happen in the late 1980's when I started answering the hotline at a time when we were having an epidemic of the virus within the sex industry - I went online to start doing some digging. I started finding report after report from not just the USA, but also other countries such as Mexico, China, Korea, etc. where there is a documented epidemic of the HIV/AIDS virus raging through the sex industry they're a part of.

  Since I helped organize the very first AIDS outreach teams to sex workers back in the mid to late 1980's starting in Los Angeles, California, I had a lot of experience in putting together such campaigns which were well received, and for which I have studies backing up how effective these campaigns were at lowering the rate of infection among sex workers to that of even lower than non-sex workers.

  Which is why when I relocated back to Los Angeles a few years ago, I thought people like Michael Weinstein would love to get a call from me offering my help to organize outreach campaigns not just to the porn performers - but to the industry as a whole. I soon learned not only was he not interested in even speaking to me about my past work, let alone how I could help today - but for some strange reason he seemed to want to only fixate his efforts on porn performers. Meaning he had zero interest in doing any type of outreach to strippers, webcam performers, dominatrix's, massage parlor workers, prostitutes, or anyone who wasn't a porn performer for some reason.

  But things have changed a lot in this industry since the 1980's. Hell things have changed a lot in our whole society for that matter. For example, I'm now getting calls from women who signed over a release for their image/likeness, along with their names, voices, and any representations for their person to a manager, agent, producer, etc. They're also signing a "non-disclosure agreement". After signing these documents, they are then seeing whole social media accounts being set up and run by people who are pretending to be them in a "catfish" manner. When they try and shut it down, or defend that this "person" isn't really even them - they're getting lawyers coming down on them threatening things like breach of contract to get them to shut up and back down from trying to enlighten the public those images and representations are not in fact them. I'm sure you've seen these ads where people are offering to "rent out your Facebook page" where they can pretend to be "you". Imagine if someone was doing something like that with your porn performers and persona - you could be a Trump opponent for example and suddenly be staring back at an image of you on social media calling to vote for Trump. That's the kind of thing I'm hearing about now.

  And hearing about it from performers who aren't paralegals, and didn't have the cash to go out and pay some attorney to review their contracts before signing them. Hearing about it from performers who are talking to lawyers hired by their producers, agents, managers, etc, who have in their "best interests" that of who is paying them - not someone who isn't paying them. Which means I've also been hearing about a lot of performers getting a lot of bad legal advice like what I'm hearing discussed above here.

  This thing about condoms and "filing complaints" and the "union" - I don't believe a union is for you to use them to negotiate your working conditions for you individually. I think that's your agent's job frankly to negotiate things like whether you can wear a condom or not.

  Nor do I think this is something you should take to the union first if this happens to just you personally. Because from what I've seen of this industry over 30 years now, you're not a paid salaried employee of these producers and production companies. You are doing these films generally as a "freelancer" with a 1099 tax form.

  Now as a "freelancer" in ANY job, whether that job be as a porn performer, or a typist or a hair stylist - if an employer dictates anything with respect to the "tools of your trade", conditions upon your work such as insisting you work certain hours they set for you, including what type of costume and/or "uniform" to put on while working for them - which a condom could be considered as a health and safety issue - or it could be viewed as a "costuming" problem - for your employer, or customer, to dictate any type of terms to you for your work - you no longer are a self-employed 1099 freelancer. You then become an "employee" of that person.

  So if you're on a film as a freelance 1099 performer, and your producer insists that you can't wear a condom but you wish to use one - then I personally would recommend you sit down and have a talk with them about whether or not you're going to be "their employee" or a "freelancer".

  As a "freelancer", if I contract a disease during the course of my work I'm not entitled to things like workers compensation, disability and/or unemployment benefits. Not without other things taken into consideration anyway. Because once you allow your boss to dictate things like your hours, or costuming, or even safety equipment you use to you - you then become an "employee" who can then turn around and sue said employer for things like workers compensation if you do contract a disease on the set of that film. Whereas as a "freelancer" you don't except again with certain conditions.

  Including whether or not the film you're making while the issue of a condom comes up is a "legit" one. For example, it's really only legal to shoot porn performers in California. It's not legal to film porn in some states such as Ohio. On the other hand, if you're in Ohio and you want to post a tape up of you having sex with your spouse or lover you can challenge this based on your "right of free speech", or your right to "express yourself" any way you see fit. But then frankly you're going to have to drag the court into the middle of this to decide if what you're doing in that tape falls within protected free speech, or if it's a "porn" film which is then illegal to be doing in Ohio. Which if you're engaging in an "illegal" porn job, then no you can't turn around and demand your right to wear a condom during the course of that work because something illegal isn't even considered "work".

  Things are not that simple either. We've read now that 9 women have accused James Deen of rape. At least one of them gave an interview saying he raped her while she was on set doing a film and this rape was in fact filmed. The victim even said the other production crew on the set applauded him once he got done.

  Now she could have a semen sample taken out of her vagina and that by itself doesn't constitute "rape". All it proves is that she had sex with him which was the purpose of her porn performance in the first place. Meaning a semen sample than only represents that he "did his job" technically.

  The only way to prove something was in fact "rape" like this would be for there to be a complete video of the act done for the judge to see it was in fact a forced act, or other witnesses step up to validate she was truly being forced. But what line has to be crossed for it to actually BE rape and not a "film of a rape"? Sex on tape isn't considered as "sex" because then by paying for the sex act you're actually committing an illegal act of prostitution. But insert a camera into the middle of that same scene - it then isn't "rape" but in fact "porn".

  Now do you think the other people on the set are going to rush to the police for you to file a report that what they saw done to you was actually rape and not a "film of a rape"? In this type of situation, you probably wouldn't be able to get an attorney involved to help you get back on that site because there's not really any money damages he can win generally. You probably don't want to involve the police because again even a semen sample doesn't tell them you were raped - just that you "did your job". The cop didn't witness the rape, and most likely the other performers aren't going to want to talk to a cop about what they saw either.

  Meaning in a case like this it would be very useful to have a union rep. you can call up and ask them to help you figure what to do, how to proceed, etc. Maybe have a union rep. back you up how to handle this situation if it happened on a set.

  Which is why I started talking to Amanda and Phyllisha Anne back in November to tell me more about the union they were founding. I've got more and more performers calling up our hotline not because they want to quit the sex industry - but because their working conditions have just become unbearable for them. I mean how would you like to work in an Australian mining camp where you're having to stay in an RV because there's no motels around, and then only charge $50 a toss because someone is bringing in truckloads of Asian women who having no problem with that rate, and sleeping 10 of them to a room. Now this might be an area where a union might be a good idea to help you get the going rates back up to something where you can afford your own apartment - instead of 10 of you sharing an RV bus as I'm hearing from the Australian escorts is happening down there at the mines'.

  As I spoke to Amanda and Phyllisha, I could see they clearly were no lawyers. Nor did they have a minute of paralegal experience. When I was trying to explain to them the differences between when an attorney could help vs. a union rep. could help - I wasn't getting a clear answer out of them because they're not lawyers nor union reps. So no they shouldn't be talking for the attorney's or the union reps as to what they can and can't do because you're not an attorney nor a union rep.

  But neither are the writers of this blog here attorney's either. I have seen things quoted here with respect to recording conversations that just frankly weren't true. For example, I read in this blog that you felt it was "illegal" to make a tape recording of a meeting in California without the other party's consent.

  That's not exactly true. IF the other person is someone you're suspecting committed a felony, or a harmful act towards you - and you're turning on the tape in order to "gather evidence" to turn over to the police and/or the DA's office to criminal prosecute them - then you CAN legally record another person in Caifornia even though it is a two party consent state. There are other exceptions - but my point being that you're not an attorney - and there are circumstances where you can illegally record another person.

  I believe there is a need for a union among sex workers. One that will defend their members from abuse, exploitation, and help them improve general working conditions. Especially in situations where a police officer or an attorney can't help you improve working conditions and your safety and protection - but a union can.

  Because frankly I think it's a tad ironic when I'm seeing these women being beaten up by a producer in these blogs, and no one is stepping up to help them stop it while on the other hand they're saying "one call to them and they'll come save the day". I mean if they can't shut up your attacks on them then how would I think they can help defend someone else in the industry?

  To me a union means sex work is just a job. A union rep. can then improve working conditions for that job. But a "job" means you can go do another type of "job" and still keep your friends. I can for example quit working as a porn performer or prostitute, and then go to work as a secretary or cashier and if porn is really "just a job" - and I'll still keep my friends about me despite having gone to another "job".

  But the funny thing is how when sex workers find out I'm not in industry any longer they suddenly don't want to talk to me any more. Like addicts and alcoholics - they don't hang around other people who are in other "jobs" because it makes them uncomfortable.

  Only if sex work and porn is "just a job" then many unions help out workers who then want to exit the industry and get into other "jobs". I don't know of any electricians example who turn on their buddies who have an accident on the job and decide to go get a teaching job or something which gets them off their feet.

  I say that remembering when Jenna James announced at the AVN she wanted to quit doing films because of her new marriage and children and her desire to only have sex with her husband. I heard a loud audible "boo" coming out of the audience attacking her decision to leave the industry. Why? If this is just a job then why the personal feelings of being attacked when someone says they want to change professions. Actors have special unions set up for them because their jobs are unique so why not sex workers?

  If you ask me they don't want a union because a union then would start demanding things like workers compensation for workers who do contract things who block them from continuing to work in the field such as HIV/AIDS. Something the industry doesn't offer it's performers yet.

  However, I don't think the union can be formed by people who are still "working" within the industry at the same time. Case in point - Jimmy Hoffa. One of the best known union organizers in history BUT Jimmy wasn't driving a truck when he was also organizing the union. If he was actually truck driving back in the day instead of organizing - there's no way he would have been able to do both.

  Meaning in my opinion the union is going to be best built by people who were in the industry for a long enough time to know what the workers need protection and help with - but who are also out of the union enough to not have their threats of "you'll never work again in this town" phase them in the lease. You can't organize a union when all the producers will tell you simply "next" when you demand union working conditions on his non-union set. The threat of not working would so shut down anyone trying to organize a union while also trying to be a performer.

  So you can follow my logic in that I felt, and still feel, the best people to grow and organize a union within the sex industry are EX-performers. One of the reasons why I went to Amanda and Phyllisha Anne back in November was to lend them the support of our non-sex working members who are now so far out of the industry they wouldn't care if some owner or producer told them "well for supporting the union I'm going to blacklist you".

  But I found we were having "who's on first" conversations much like I'm seeing posted here in this blog. When I tried to set up meetings with them and with non-sex workers who were offering their time to help them organize outreach to expand the union membership, to expand what the union offers members - I kept getting a complete lack of answers out of anyone. The whole experience frankly reminded me of one of the main reasons why when I completed my probation back in 1987 I stayed out of the sex industry I had originally only left until I get could my probation officers. I found my girlfriends seemed really cool with me - as long as I was partying and hooking right along with them. But when I started talking about things like going back to school, and interning for a job I wanted doing something other than sex work I would be treated like I was some kind of traitor selling American secrets.

  Bill Margold's death was the last straw for me personally. I had resumed talking to Bill again after having dropped the friendship for about 30 years when I left Los Angeles. He was really warm to me when I called up again and started doing things like offering to put me on his show on the Porn Radio Network, and said he'd see about getting me a job selling ads down at the LAXpress, and he even offered to buy me dinner and we could hang out and talk about old times I was supposed to meet him for just a few days before he suddenly died.

  I was hit pretty hard by his death because most of my mentors have been dying over the last couple of years. I guess now I'm 56 years old - my mentors are now in their 70's and 80's and it's just time lately. I was struck by how friendly Bill was to me because he knew that I'm always going to be branded because of being in the sex industry and as such I'm still "part of the family" even though my day job has changed.

  After his death, I became concerned no one was going to claim his body so I asked around to see if someone was. I was told by one of his friends on Twitter to contact a certain friend of his to find out about his final arrangements, and if his beloved cat was okay or not. I did and this person was initially warm to me. They even offered to get me a ride to the service (my car's registration I couldn't renew until February 1st and his service was on January 27th), and told me his daughter had claimed the body. They then asked me to prepare a eulogy for him which I've done many times at other funeral sadly lately more often.

  In all the times I've written a eulogy, I've had to connect to the ones closest to him to write it. Then the night before I make up copies of the service so people can keep it as a momento. I started asking to speak to his daughter so I could write the eulogy, and also trying to get a straight answer as to who was gong to pick me up for the service. Only no one would answer me. No one would even tell me where his apartment was so I could go looking for his cat which I learned got out when the paramedics.

  I'm also grieving too mind you when this person basically snapped at me they didn't want to tell me their name even (I was talking to a text message for a while I had no idea who they were even), and then no follow-up was done to help me arrange to get to the service as offered, and by the morning of the service no one was getting back to me about helping to write the eulogy, seeing about getting me to the service, if his cat had even been found - or anything.

  Basically I was then blown off entirely. Something which Bill would never have done to another member of the family. But the sense this is a family is pretty much not the general experience any longer. Not when I'm reading this blog tearing Phyllisha and Amanda apart, nor when I'm having people in the industry act like I'm some kind of "normie" just because I like doing paralegal work and writing better than I liked sucking dick for money.

  I believe there is a huge need for a union as evidenced by everything I'm reading in this blog on both sides of the fence here. These sense of "family" and "looking out for each other" is pretty much gone when I'm reading the author of this blog bashing other women in the industry simply because they're trying to find some way to band together to provide each other with more of a heard voice. At the same time I'm not sure they're the ones to do it when they're treating me, and other ex-sex workers I know who want to help expand the union too, like that kid in the school cafeteria at lunch no one wants to sit next to.

  Frankly, the whole thing really reminded me why I quit this industry in the first place!