FEBRUARY 17. 2006
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egon Camera
name and activity continued into the 70s so that hoys
would refer to themselves as ‘camp kids’ even though
they didn’t know why."
Though urban development and social services have
changed the scope and geography of homelessness, Juan
is no doubt a modern camp kid: “1 started turning tricks
when I was 16. I’ve done it for drugs, food, a place to
stay.
Social service agencies call this form of street prosti
tution “survival sex.” It’s generally the last option in a
string of petty crimes for homeless people, particularly
youth and heavy drug users of all sexual orientations.
* Although gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender youth
reportedly represent a disproportionate number of the
homeless youth population—30 percent by some esti
mates—same-sex street prostitution as an act of desper
ation is by no means limited to queer-identified youth.
“Straight guys go to Stark and know they’re a com
modity,” reported Christa-Margaret Nelson of the
Trans/Identity Resource Centre. “Some people reach a
point where they don’t care anymore about maintaining
their sexual identity.”
“You don’t know cold until you sleep on the bricks
of O’Bryant Square with jeans, a T-shirt and flip-flops,”
said David, 18, standing in a doorway near Stark Street
and Eighth Avenue to escape the rain. “1 went to bars
and approached older men. Said ‘Wanna go to the
Roxy?’ They paid and 1 went home with them—got a
meal and a place to sleep.”
The majority of Portland’s street-based male and
male-to-female transgender prostitution now occurs on
or around Stark Street with its high concentration of
gay bars. (Female-for-female prostitution, particularly on
the street, seems rare to nonexistent.) Street prostitutes
describe a process of being cruised by cars or men on foot
who generally invite them into a car or alley, although
downtown hotels, bathhouses and porn store video
booths are also commonplace.
When asked, Benjamin, 22, recalled, “anywhere
from alleys and bathrooms to hotels and huge houses,"
of his five years prostituting on the street after leaving
an abusive home. “I’ve made from $10 to $500," he con
tinued, explaining that the price is as often determined
by the desperation of the prostitute as the generosity of
the patron.
By all accounts, the street is undoubtedly the most
distasteful and dangerous venue for sex work.
“Street walking is scary...I’ve been beaten, raped
and left for dead. Raped more than once,” said Doug.
Neither the city of Portland nor Multnomah
County keep statistics regarding same-sex prostitution,
nor has either formally investigated its high incidences
of violence.
“Because we hardly spend the time investigating
street-level prostitution, nobody really keeps numbers,”
said Greg Duvic, a Portland Police Bureau vice depart
ment investigator.
The Portland Bad Date Line, however, is keeping a
watchful eye on predators of sex workers. A program run
by the Trans/Identity Resource Centre and Multnomah
County, the hot line prints and circulates detailed
descriptions of abuse suffered by prostitutes that are
rarely reported to the police.
•
Given the danger of the street, most prostitutes seek
to graduate to other venues to cast their sideways
glances. Traditionally, this has been the bar.
“ ‘Will you buy me a drink?’ seems to be the opening
line,” according to Heather Smith, a security guard of
the Boxxes, Brig and Fez compound. “Our security staff
is on top of it, but there’s better luck in the other bars
on Vaseline Alley. In the past, there were definitely
dancers at Silverado and Three Sisters who were willing
to accommodate.”
Doug concurred: “You have to do private shows at
Silverado. Some dancers make money, but they have
regulars that they hang out with in various states of
undress.”
Silverado’s general manager, Gary Opel, said he’s not
aware of dancers performing sexual favors on rhe clock.
But on their own time, “They can do what thev want.”
With the explosion of the Internet, “whatever you
want" has taken on a whole new meaning.
• Sex worker: Anyone who
including porn stars, strippers and
prostitutes. For the purposes of this
• report, sex workers were confined to
street walkers, bar hustlers and
Internet escorts.
A ‘family’ owned and operated
business since 1997.
• Sellin' ass: A no-euphemism
necessary term describing street
F
level sex work. "Whoring" and
• Hustler: Male sex worker who
Ryan and Travis satisfy customers in their basement
dungeon, through the laundry room on the left. Before the
altema-pom fad of Suicide Girls, the pierced and tattooed
Ryan started his own Web sites at age 20 to display photos of
himself and boyfriends as "a social project to show fetishes
and images of people like me that weren't being shown. " He
also sold worn clothing and his pornographic videos on the
Web site Naughty Bids until one of his customers offered
money for sex. Despite boyish features, Travis claims to have
looked an adult since 14. While sleeping with men twice his
age, he says, “A very random hookup just gave me money
and then a light bulb went on.” The two moved to Portland
last year and advertise on Craigslist both together ($200-
$300 an hour) and solo ($150-$200 an hour). "Even if I
was working a high-paying job, I'd still do this as long as it’s
fun," says Ryan.
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usually operates out of bars. A savvy
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hustler scores the goods without
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• Escort: Sex worker royalty who
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: his company but who is actually a
; glorified prostitute. Too classy for
street walking, escorts primarily
• operate through agencies,
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• • John or trick: The most widely
• used names for men who need to
• pay for sex. Subgroups include
• "trolls," "daddies," "hobbyists" and
• "cookie monsters."
Continued on Page 24
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Richard Voss,
gri abr
Principal Broker / Owner
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6110 N. Lombard St.
Portland, OR 97203
Business (503) 286-5826
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