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Sex workers in our country are seen as less than human.

One only has to scan a newspaper or turn on a TV to learn how we feel about women who, by choice, use their bodies to survive.

These anti-sex worker feelings stem from deeply rooted puritanical, anti-pleasure, pro-Christian and anti-female sentiments buried deep within our nation’s consciousness; sometimes not even buried.

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I read a recent headline about the bodies of prostitutes being discovered on Long Island. It was only four words long but the impression you got from the headline, and the copy editor, was that these women were not worth anything, that they were non-persons unworthy of love or reclamation.

Barbara Terry, 52, above, has no shame in her game and is a survivor. She’s proud of her accomplishments and hopes to retire soon. That’s what irks people, judging by the comments I heard while discussing this woman’s chosen profession: prostitute/sex worker. 

Barbara Terry, 30 something, is also proud of her career. She is one of the most sought-after experts in automotive sports and off road race car drivers in print, radio and TV.

She’s been the spokesperson for Turtle Wax, she writes a column on cars in Houston and contributed articles to the New York Daily News. Terry is pretty, blonde, has all her teeth, looks young and is adored by the media.

Her namesake is African-American, has four kids, two of them with college degrees, has false teeth thanks to diabetes, owns a house in upstate New York and, for 30 years, has worked as a hooker in the Hunts Point Section of The Bronx. 

Both these women’s first names in Greek means stranger or foreigner. Their surnames mean “ruler of the people” in German. By virtue of their names alone, they should not be where they are: in a space usually occupied by males, in one sense; and in another, reserved for shame. 

Besides their chosen occupation, what makes them different from one another? Is it opportunity, race or class? All of the above? 

African-American Barbara Terry became a prostitute at 21 after she was abandoned by her husband in the 1980s, during the Reagan Era when hip-hop was a fetus. At the time, she was studying to be a lab technician and completed two years of college. She’s from Red Hook, Brooklyn but spent some time in North Carolina.

Since making the decision to earn her living and to clothe and feed her kids via her body, the only thing she has control of in a capitalist/materialist country which stresses individualism and entrepreneurship, she’s lived a comfortable and exciting life, listening to her tell it via the New York Times.

Elder Barbara’s video and article has been circulating in my circle of friends on Facebook since the weekend and was widely discussed on and off line.  

There was shock, derision and lots of moralizing about her chosen profession, which has inspired some artists’ friends to consider making work about being a prostitute.

I don’t agree with that. I’d rather hear the story from Barbara’s mouth because it’s an authentic experience and it’s her truth. I think she’s a strong and beautiful lady.

You can read Barbara’s story here.

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Barbara Terry, Speed Expert.