I’ve spent this afternoon transcribing an interview that I did in London last week with a male escort, which will form the basis of a story I’m currently looking at. One interesting aside that came up during our discussions was one of the main jealousies that can arise between men and women working in the sex industry: namely the issue of pay.
Now it should be said that this guy works in the upper echelons of the business…he has a lovely flat in Covent Garden, in London’s West End, is educated and middle class, has made a lot of money through escorting and did this work completely out of choice. He now works as GMB union branch secretary, supporting members who work in the sex industry. I’m not really sure how i feel about this but here’s what he said:

“There is definitely jealously between male and female escorts, and that largely relates to money. Female escorts get paid twice or three times as much as male escorts. Funny that, isn’t it? Have you ever heard a feminist admit that?
“Why would they not want to tell you that? Why – given all the writing that exists within feminism about every aspect of the sex industry – does no one admit that it’s the one business where women earn more than men? And it’s true all around the world…go to North Africa, to Eastern Europe, to Australia, America, and here in Britain, it’s the same. Men get paid a third to a half of what women do.
“So going on prices in London at the moment, at the top end of the industry, £130 an hour would get you a male escort, while it would cost about £350 an hour for a female of equivalent standing. In a female brothel – a flat or house where a group are working – you could pay £120 to £150 an hour. In a male brothel it would be about £70.
“Even when I went on jobs where I had to arrange for a female escort to come with me, she would get paid two or three times what I would. It’s about supply and demand, of course. But it’s certainly not something I’ve heard the feminists say anything about.”

A viable way to survive the recession? Things in the media are looking pretty dire but I think I’ll try to hold out a little longer…