The hidden trans men in sex work

Jack Parker shares their insights and experiences

When we talk about sex work, the focus is almost always on women rather than men or non-binary people. On occasions where trans sex workers are discussed, trans women are at the forefront of the conversation. There are good reasons this happens – the chief among them being that women make up the majority of sex workers and trans women in particular are targeted for extreme violence. It makes sense, considering where the attention rests, that many people don't consider trans men and transmasculine people in sex work at all.

We don't have good statistics or estimates for the population size of transmasculine sex workers. Part of that is a lack of data on sex workers in general, but part of it is that trans men are often not visibly trans when they participate in sex work. A lot of the trans men and transmasculine people who sell sex do so under a female persona. The escorting profile of a trans man might be indistinguishable from the profile of a cis woman – intentionally on his part – to attract as many clients as possible. This means that in practice, this segment of the transmasculine population are recorded as cis women.

If we were to assume the population of trans men selling sex was accurately reflected by the profiles visible on escorting sites, we would likely come to the conclusion that trans men are a tiny group within sex work. The reality is that even openly trans men are much more likely to engage in more informal kinds of sex work, such as on apps like Grindr or with people they meet and in social spaces, just like cis gay men who sell sex.

The transmasculine people who claim to be cis women whilst working do share needs with cis women who sell sex, but such resources do not serve all the needs of those hidden trans people. Trans men who are not socially or medically transitioning are driven to sell sex by the same forces which push women to sell sex, with the added pressure of saving money towards transition care and the certainty that they will not be able to sell sex under a female persona forever. Their clientele are also much more likely to shift towards gay and bi men when they do come out, which will change the experiences they have at work and may change their health concerns.

A lot of the trans men and transmasculine people who sell sex do so under a female persona – to attract as many clients as possible.

If a transmasculine person is trying to be viewed as a woman at work so they can earn money, despite the dysphoria that likely induces, they’re not going to want to keep that up in other social environments too. Yet with trans men being such an invisible population in sex work, it’s hard to convince the groups providing resources of a need for inclusion.

So on what basis do I assume the real numbers are so much higher than the few ads we can find online? The impetus for my initial wondering was prompted by the fact I sold sex for many years before I even came out to myself as trans. And I continued to work under a cis female persona until I had been on testosterone for several months. I’m not arrogant enough to think I’m an exceptional case, so I kept an eye out for others like me. 

As I began to speak about my experiences in sex worker group chats, on social media, and in meetings with advocacy organisations, I began to hear from many others in the same situation. Every time I speak up, I hear from more trans men and non-binary people who are hidden. No advocacy group is going to find these people unless they identify themselves this way, and transmasculine people are unlikely to do that when an organisation is explicitly geared towards women.

I’ve heard from more trans men working under female personas than the total number of openly out trans men advertising across all of the escorting sites I use. I’ve never explicitly asked anyone if they have this experience – they’ve all come to me. And with every story I hear there’s a common thread: they want to medically transition, but fear losing their entire income when they do.

Top surgery is a definitive end to being able to work as a cis woman for most, but even testosterone alone can be prohibitive given enough time. By three months on testosterone, clients were beginning to suggest I was a trans woman who’d had genital surgery, and were much more violent with me. This kind of violence rooted in transmisogyny won’t be everyone’s experience, but it happens.

The mental health impact of long-term dissociation and dysphoria involved in playing a role whilst selling sex doesn't necessarily go away once a trans person is able to access transition care.

Part of getting trans men access to services which support them as sex workers and as trans people is making all kinds of services inclusive of trans men. Resources and funds for gay men in sex work should include transition care. Resources targeted at women should recognise service users will include closeted men and non-binary people. And general services for trans people must recognise that many will be sex workers, factoring this into what they provide.

There’s also the mental health impact of long-term dissociation and dysphoria involved in playing a role whilst selling sex. This doesn't necessarily go away once a trans person is able to access transition care (and potentially stop selling sex or begin to sell sex as a man). We need to give current sex workers the help they need, as well as somewhere to turn if they do leave the sex industry and need ongoing support.

Trans people have to rely on each other. As ever, trans women are made hypervisible by the media focus on them, so when it comes to sex work they’re forced into the spotlight and bear the brunt of negative associations and stereotypes. Trans men, by contrast, are often infantilised and subsumed into the category of innocent victims or “prostituted women”. 

Transmasculine people need other transmasculine people they can reach out to and get advice from. We need solidarity with each other, across genders, and to connect with people who’ve been selling sex for longer, with valuable wisdom we can learn from. Those of us who make ourselves known are taking risks, yes, but without some people speaking openly, trans men are going to continue to be hidden within sex work.

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Jack Parker writes about sex work and transness, especially the intersection between the two. You can find more of Jack's writing at twitter.com/mxjackparker or at jackviolet.com