Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Street roots. (Portland, OR) 1998-current | View Entire Issue (July 24, 2009)
IH street 11 roots 9 Educe Education * Dialogue * Independence INTERNATIONAL Escaping boys' town Vancouver's male sex workers fig h t to emerge from the street's shadows BY STEVE SMYSIMUIK on the escort. STREET NEWS SERVICE “This is something that’s rarely ddicted and high on drugs, Idris discussed,” he says. “Ithappens to a lot of Hudson followed, the man offering to guys. I would say in the male trade more pay for sex up to his hotel room. than the female trade, but it’s not reported. Hudson depended on the money he earned No man is ever going to walk into a police hustling, so he had to take his chances with station and say, ‘I was raped, I was willingly customers. Unbeknownst to him, a group of raped because I was picked up by'a bad five or six other men were waiting for him in date.’” - the hotel room. Hudson’s not sure of the Hudson chalks this up to shame, which he exact number, but he knows they beat him feels is near universal in the male sex trade. up. They raped him. They tortured him and “To say that they’re overpowered by kicked him out. somebody, or raped, is not something that Hudson didn’t have a home, or any most males would dare to talk about,” he - friends, for that matter. He wandered to his says. “It takes a lot of people down really temporary shelter—under a tree near the quickly. You want to die after something like Burrard Street Bridge — and waited for the that.” drugs to wear off. He êried a lot, too, Because so little is .known about the malec wondering how he .ever got to that point, sex trade, people are often unaware of the A lot has changed since that tragic day in dangers faced by male sex trade workers. September 2007. Hudson exited the sex \ McIntyre says that homophobia and trade, clean and ignorance are Idris H udson says his 15 years in the sex trade sober. When we inextricably linked to meet, he’s well th is — p e o p le are " I t h ap p en s to a lo t of dressed and sips a often stunned to learn experienced physical violence in the home guys, I would say in the fruit smoothie at Big that men work in the while growing up. Over half had involvement News Coffee on sex trade at all. The in child welfare services. Forty per cent are male trade more than the Granville Street. He term “male prostitute” of Aboriginal heritage. female trade, but it's not speaks candidly subverts the image of “Under the Radar” also found that close > reported. No man Is ever about his 15 years in alpha masculinity that to threerjuarters of those that enter thé sex? going to w alk into a police the sex trade, which society has endorsed trade are younger than 18 (a much higher came very closë to percentagethan women), making Hudson’s ; for so long and forces station and say, ' I was killing him. people to reassess case unfortunately typical. raped, I was w illingly “My life consisted their notions of * Hudson left his home of Cranbrook at age raped because 1 was sexuality and gender of nothing,” says the 15 because the small B.C. town wasn’t picked up by a bad d a te /" 32-year-old. “I was | , accepting of young gay males. He,flëd with roles r- something just wandering McIntyre says makes — IDRIS HUDSON only a backpack and went to Calgary, where F O R M E R SEX W O R K E R most people around, existing ;.. he knew he could explore his sexuality uncomfortable. Sex without fear. Unable to get into the gay barely.” work already is an Male sex trade clubs, he would wait outside with kids in the workers, face high rates of violence, usually same situation. uncomfortable issue for most, but when Older menwould pay them for sex. mixed with society’s homophobic by customers conflicted'with their own Hudson said it was a logical choice-he was sexuality. Sue McIntyre’s seminal 2005 tendencies, not many will address it. This homeless and broke. It seemed romantic study of the male sex trade, “Under the displaces the men even further. Radar: The Sexual Exploitation bf Young * too—his first trick was also the first guy he ever kissed. ' Men,” sheds light on the experiences of 157 Tragically Typical “And it was easy cash,” he says. “For an male sex workers across B.C., Alberta, irresponsible teenager, it was amazing.” Saskatchewan and Manitoba. Her study There’s no singular reason why men His boyish facial features, slim figure and revealed that more than 80 percent had enter the sex trade, but there certainly are ‘ olive skin quickly earned Hudson a steady experienced some form of violence during constants. According to McIntyre’s British stream of male customers, who eventually their time in the trade. Over 90 percent Columbia findings, 95 per cent of male sex became his only lasting relationships toward identified their work as ^dangerous,” workers in the province have a history of the end of his 15 years in the trade. something Hudson’s experience attests to. running away. Close to 70 per cent had a Because he hàd little education and According to Hudson, violence often history, prior to working the street, of being “virtually no work ethic,.” the sex trade occurs when customers are unsure of sexually violated. , became his occupation. He couldn’t fathom themselves or angry about cheàting on their Nearly three-quarters have witnessed or spouses. This aggression is then taken out a by EcoTech save energy • save money • save bhè planet Trade Ally o f v ix B S H PHO TO BY DARREN FLEET very nearly killed him. selling retail for minimum wage when he would make $200 to $300 per customer,.and he’d see maybe three, four or five customers per night. “Now that I’ve grown, I’ve realized at what cost that comes,” he says. Hustle to Survive Hudson ended up in the Downtown Eastside for about six months, addicted to cocaine, booze and assorted party drugs before he was assaulted. He says by that point, he was on the verge of disappearing into the back alleys when HUSTLE found him. • HUSTLE, the first peer support organization in Canada designed specifically to assist males in the sex trade, helped Hudson exit the trade and get off drugs one year later. He exited on his first try because he was motivated, but at least half the men McIntyre interviewed for “Under the Radar” were in and out of the trade at/least once. Hudson himself has known a lot of people who never made it out — they disappear or they die. | Matthew Taylor and Don, Presland, both former sex workers, saw the need for more support in the rriale sex trade, and together See ESCAPING, page 10 Learn how to use Energy Trust o f Oregon incentives, federal and state tax credits to make your home more energy efficient Becooier - this summer and warmer next w inter Call us at 503-493-1040 Energylrust of Oregon, foe: www.greenhomebyecotech.com Present this advertisement with your paym ent fo r a rdajor energy efficiency measure andG reenHom e by EcoTech will contribute $100 to Street Roots CCB# 155915 V is it us a t w w w .ro s e c ity re s o ù r c e .o rg
