Prostitution politics
By Kerry-Ann
I have read mostly about women in prostitution and their plight. We all have. But how many of us question the validity of the same predicament when it comes to men ?
If you think I am talking about gigolos, think again. Gigolos are defined as “professional lovers” who are “educated, know about the world, are independent, sexually experienced and understands what a woman needs”. So it suffices to say, a gigolo is a heterosexual male who not only acts as a prostitute but also as a companion. Male prostitutes in Bangkok on the other hand, are more commonly known as sex workers.
As the whole group of us ventured into the streets of Patpong, we were approached by men and women alike with visuals and signs, all to entice the needy, or in our case, the curious. Rather blatantly, a Thai woman came up to us, ” You want to see? Men and men? 200 Baht only.” It was a little intimidating walking into the club; there were no women around and only a couple of middle-aged men blending into the background.
We were seated, and before our eyes were at least 20 to 30 men clad in only their undergarments, paraded on the stage like handphones ready to be sold on those classy lit shelves. For the first few minutes, it seemed amusing. My friends and I were joking in reference to the female gaze and the objectification of men on women. After a while, the jokes hit me as some sort of distorted reality and it was not so funny anymore. Here we were, gazing at the males, subjecting them to the treatment of objects of desire.
We picked out lads from stage and decided to ask him the questions that were taunting our curiosity. We spoke to two men that night. Wan, a 27-year-old who has been working there for three years and Blue, a 21-year-old undergraduate who had just started work for less than a week. They hate their job. They detest standing up there every night, being treated like mere objects.
After talking to both Wan and Blue, it seemed that gender politics for male prostitutes were obviously different. Wan has been working to pay off a hefty debt, while Blue needed the money for his family in the North and to pay for his education in a nearby university in Bangkok. Unlike the women, male prostitutes were not likely to hook up with farang (foriegn) men or women in order to escape their realities. Male sex workers here are marketed mainly for the gay crowd, and for many of them like Wan and Blue, they consider themselves to be heterosexual still, who service their male clients as “just part of the job”.
I remember hearing the term ‘male prostitute’ for the first time a few years ago. Back then it seemed a joke. Not that no one took it seriously, but for us girls, it just seemed too easy a job for men, if you know what I mean.
hi girls, remember, a expert prostitute will tailor his/her answer to her/his clients. so he simply told u what u want to hear and hope u will be a customer. of course he will tell u he is straight and give u a story that will evoke ur sympathy. he wants u to be a customer. Take whatever a prostitute say to u with a large dose of salt. treat it as role play and foreplay.
Comment by anthony wong — August 9, 2005 @ 7:05 am