Email Response to Tagaris’ defense of Doroshaw
Via email Feb. 14, 2023.. “She” refers to the sex worker advocate, Doroshaw.
Except "she" doesn't think it is sad that they have fallen into prostitution. "She" advocates for prostitution as sex work. Distinctions such as this are important.
While I do not dispute that caring for everyone is noble, there is a difference between caring and endorsing, and we can pick and choose what things we want to applaud and what things we find immoral, or improper, or even well-intentioned but resulting in bad outcomes.
I would argue that promoting sex work is a bad outcome regardless of the intent. Sex workers are routinely physically abused/suffer violence, get sexually transmitted diseases, and often have drug and addiction problems. Is the best that we can hope for any person: a freedom to pursue sex work without interference? Is that aim even high enough that we would consider even implying endorsement of it to impressionable youth that we are responsible to teach?
Would we not rather choose another transgender person who is doing something worthwhile? Is this the best we can aspire to? That is a sad state of affairs.
Tolerance/respect is not saying everyone's beliefs are equally good. If it were, Mother Theresa and Hitler would be equally admirable. Tolerance/respect is saying "I will be kind to you and hope for your best outcome in life regardless of how abhorrent I may find your ideas." In this instance, we are called to treat Hitler with as much compassion as we might be able to muster when sentencing him for his atrocities against humanity. In the case of Doroshaw, my hope for this person would be that they are able to live a healthy life, to find healing for their emotions, and to have meaningful work that provides them with an income. Personally, I would hope that they come to a faith in Christ, understand whatever the trauma was in their life that led them to enter sex work and transitioning, and to find healing for those things and to embrace their manhood and become a voice to the dangers of prostitution. If they hate Jesus or don't want any of that, then, sure, I hope you are healthy and have work that meets your needs, but I still would not hope that they work to help doom others to "employment" giving strangers blow jobs. How is that even honorable? That IS what advocating for sex workers is. And it's still illegal in NY, last I checked.
What do the rest of you think? Seriously, I'd love to know.
A few choice words from Doroshow in the article:
“We're whores!” she shouted when she reached the mic, perhaps as a way of clarifying her affinities first and foremost.
“Venmo @glits!” she added. “We're still raising money, motherfuckers!”
“They put me in a dorm with a bunch of boys,” she tells me. “I spent that whole entire night sucking dick!”
Sad to hear that this is the person you feel who exemplifies what we hope for for our children. Horrifying that this is the article you would send me to try to win me over to see what a wonderful example Doroshow is. It sounds like someone clueless trying to make the best of an incredibly abused and sad life.
Not that there is nothing redeemable, there is. But choosing this person sends the message that this person is the person most worthy of the honor.
And wow, we could not disagree more.