Anything that is going to be good for sex workers is going to be good for women across the board. Less women… — Melissa Gira Grant Be good Copy Share Image
I have to do this all the time - choosing what to print based on how it might come back to harm… — Melissa Gira Grant Choosing Copy Share Image
A lot of the political change that could happen is going to be super boring. — Melissa Gira Grant Boring Copy Share Image
Everyone's politics are born of self-interest, particularly around sexuality. We just have to own up to that. — Melissa Gira Grant Politics Copy Share Image
It's actually not much of a risk to say, "I don't think we should put sex workers in jail." That's a decent,… — Melissa Gira Grant Believe Copy Share Image
Women in the past thought all they had to do was see if he comes home late, or smells like cigarettes. But… — Melissa Gira Grant Chance Copy Share Image
One person was basically saying that feminists aren't interested in criminalizing prostitutes, that they don't want to do that. I responded that… — Melissa Gira Grant Feminism Copy Share Image
I remember being in high school in the '90s, and even then somehow hearing about the the Canadian Supreme Court's Butler decision… — Melissa Gira Grant Decision Copy Share Image
When I interviewed the evangelical Christian youth group who were protesting the Village Voice, I wanted them to feel they could freely… — Melissa Gira Grant Christian Copy Share Image
Work doesn't have to be great in order to dignify it as work. Work just is. It's quite value-neutral. The issue is… — Melissa Gira Grant Commonality Copy Share Image
Once when I told sex workers about my own sex work, it ended up building inappropriate trust with some people. But there… — Melissa Gira Grant Building Copy Share Image
It makes me so angry when people say, "We never hear from people who are happy doing sex work." Well, that's because… — Melissa Gira Grant Activism Copy Share Image
Most people aren't encouraged to think of their labor as very valuable. We usually think of it as the necessary thing we… — Melissa Gira Grant Ability Copy Share Image
Kristin Gwynne has been writing some great stuff about the sexually violent element of "stop-and-frisk." This isn't just "turn out your pockets."… — Melissa Gira Grant Cop Copy Share Image
The biggest difference in what's going on in New Zealand versus the rest of the world, aside from the decriminalization of sex… — Melissa Gira Grant Change Copy Share Image
Most of the time, people are not actually concerned with prostitution and sex work. They're concerned about seeing people who they think… — Melissa Gira Grant Community Copy Share Image
Almost everything I've learned about journalism has been from other friends who are journalists, taking advantage of the money I hope they… — Melissa Gira Grant Books Copy Share Image
What shocked me was three different anti-prostitution feminists asking me to justify that I had been a sex worker, to prove it.… — Melissa Gira Grant Different Copy Share Image
Look at how successful the domestic workers movement has been. But it's different when it's your husband hiring someone. Domestic workers quite… — Melissa Gira Grant Different Copy Share Image
I went to college in Amherst and lived in Northampton for many years and we had our quaint little feminist sex toy… — Melissa Gira Grant College Copy Share Image
The value we're all raised with, that women don't have the capacity to make moral decisions for themselves, particularly around their sexuality.… — Melissa Gira Grant Being responsible Copy Share Image
I respect people who come forward and speak, but I'm not asking most of the sex workers I interview now about their… — Melissa Gira Grant Intellectual Copy Share Image
It's a misnomer to say you can criminalize one part of the transaction and not criminalize the entire transaction. For example in… — Melissa Gira Grant Changed Copy Share Image
I've always been a writer. I started getting paid for writing in college. Where it transitioned from commentary to journalism was in… — Melissa Gira Grant College Copy Share Image
We hear from sex workers who have through their own volition become media figures, or have despite their own wishes become media… — Melissa Gira Grant Advice Copy Share Image
In the current situation with criminalization, we've created situations where sex workers have very little power and control over their lives. Increasing… — Melissa Gira Grant Current situation Copy Share Image
In New Zealand, sex workers are regarded as workers, as people who are members of the community, people who have a stake… — Melissa Gira Grant Collateral Copy Share Image
Even at legal brothels, sex workers have very little power and control over their workplace. They might have power with their customers… — Melissa Gira Grant Broken Copy Share Image
Our feelings alone don't change what happens with the police, what happens in jail, what happens when someone tries to go to… — Melissa Gira Grant Academic Copy Share Image
Looking at the huge number of transgender women of color who have been murdered since the beginning of the year - that… — Melissa Gira Grant People Copy Share Image
Say you're a sex worker and your partner knows you're a sex worker, but you're not out to your family. That could… — Melissa Gira Grant Conflict Copy Share Image
I think sex work gets over-mystified and overcomplicated because it's about sexuality, and women's sexuality in general. What strikes me when I… — Melissa Gira Grant Alignment Copy Share Image
I wouldn't advocate for a feminism that's buttoned-up and divorced of the messiness of our real lives. Your feelings are your feelings,… — Melissa Gira Grant Autonomy Copy Share Image
I've moved away from writing about and describing actual experiences of sex work, whether mine or anybody else's, because the culture is… — Melissa Gira Grant Behavior Copy Share Image
I don't use "feelings" as a diminutive word. I'm trying to take feelings back. I think of everyone on the internet whose… — Melissa Gira Grant Feelings Copy Share Image
This is the hardest thing to articulate: I think that there is a legitimate space for sexual commerce. And like every other… — Melissa Gira Grant Business Copy Share Image
Sex workers are the last women police stand in to protect. Sex workers are the last people that room is made for… — Melissa Gira Grant Advocacy Copy Share Image
I think the anti-prostitution feminists need to do some consciousness-raising amongst themselves about their feelings. But that's a different political activity. Asking… — Melissa Gira Grant Different Copy Share Image
I hesitate talking about a program for change because we're in this moment where no one is listening to sex workers about… — Melissa Gira Grant Activist Copy Share Image
Another sex worker and writer I respect put it this way: she said that as a writer, you're not about pleasing people,… — Melissa Gira Grant Fantasy Copy Share Image
