Whores for Gloria

A Profile of a Tenderloin street prostitute (1985–1988)

If it pleases you to collect generalizations as some collect postage stamps, then this little whore's album may be of interest to you. Of course that folly of statisticians, the composite person, does not exist. Nonetheless, many of the street prostitutes whom I have met in the Tenderloin share important similarities, which I list below. — But before we get to them, the following points: (i) I have always assumed that the prostitutes who answered my questions told the truth (ii) it would most likely be very foolish to apply this profile to other groups of prostitutes, such as call girls or senators. Nor would the street prostitutes of even ten years ago necessarily match those described here. The current deadly plague of sexual disease has probably made streetwalking a more desperate and dangerous activity than it used to be, with concomitant natural selection of its practitioners (iii) this profile does not begin to address the issue of whether or not the prostitute is a victim, whether her relationship with her clients is particularly exploitative to one party or the other, etc. However, one conclusion is apparent from the facts presented. The unpleasantnesses of her profession are largely caused by the criminal ambiance in which the prostitute must conduct it.

The points below apply to prostitutes who are women. There is an addendum on transvestite prostitutes.

1. The prostitute offers sex without commitment.

White prostitute, early 30s: The street's a pretty scary place, but a lot of them are just normal men who want a blowjob before they go to work, a piece of ass, just got in an argument with their wife, it's their revengeful trip, you know. As long as they use a rubber, it's cool. Don't bring your wife home nothin'. I was married for a great deal [of] years; I respect that. When I married my husband, I asked him if he had any desire to stray. And he said I'm looking, I can't deny that I'm looking, I'm noticing other women. I said just make sure she's a prostitute, 'cause I know she'll give you back. And it worked. We had like five six happy years together after that. Alcoholism's what broke it up.

2. In general, she does not enjoy the work for its own sake

White prostitute, early 30s: I run into a real lot of nice guys, but, you know, it's an automatic shutdown. Like when he got out of the pen it took me a day not to shut myself down with him, 'cause I hadn't been with him for so long. He took it pretty offensive. All I could tell him was hey I'm sorry. But that's what it's about. We just shut ourselves down, an' do what we know.

3. However, she does appreciate the money, which can be phenomenal

Black prostitute, mid 20s: When I was working in an office, it didn't matter how whether I was sick for a day or whether I worked an extra day. I always knew exactly how much I'd make at the end of the week. I couldn't stand it. Out here I can make as much as I want to make.

White prostitute, mid 30s: I once made $7,000 from a single trick. And it was nothing fancy, either.

4. She is well aware of the risks of disease, and usually insists that her Johns use a rubber

White prostitute, early 30s: As far as I'm concerned, as long as you're clean about it, and you always take the precautions of a rubber, there's nothing wrong with it, 'cause the only thing I've ever made love to out here's a rubber.

Black prostitute, early 20s: I always use a condom, and I check 'em; if their penis looks raggedy, if it looks like they have an infection or it leaks, all money isn't good money. I won't go with them.

5. She is or has been a junky.*

White prostitute, early 30s: It fills the emptiness.

6. Her Johns, particularly drug dealers, often prefer to pay her in crack. It is cheaper for them, and they know that they exercise more control over her by dangling a fix in front of her. She is well aware of this.

Black pusher, late 20s: You want to get your dick wet? Don't never give her no money! Give her a little smoke, and then start walking away from her. She'll do whatever you want to do. I ain't never paid for pussy yet, and I ain't never used a rubber.

Black prostitute, mid 20s: There's a lot of girls out here that do things just for rocks. That's not something I believe in. . because then you're just trading yourself for a drug. I don't smoke cocaine. I have, but not much.

* Younger prostitutes tend to be crack users; older ones are intravenous drug users.

7. She was usually introduced to prostitution by a girlfriend already in the profession.

Black prostitute, late 20s: My first date was in 1981. My girlfriend said you want to know how to get some money? I'd rather get paid than do it for free. When I got money I said this is cool.

8. Her career progressed so gradually that the first trick was no particular milestone.

Black prostitute, late 20s: Supposedly you'd be fired [from the massage parlor] if they caught you fucking, but everybody did it. I didn't at first. But then I found out I could get $5 more for jerking them off a little, $10 more for taking off my top, $20 more for taking off my bottom, so I kept doing a little more and a little more. .

Black prostitute, late teens: I'd always been fucking around. Why not get money for it?

White prostitute, mid 30s: First I just gave blowjobs. I never had to take down my pants. Then I gradually started flatbacking.

Black prostitute, mid 20s: Q. Who was your first one? A. I don't even remember.

9. She sets limits to protect her privacy and her sense of self.

Black prostitute, mid 20s: I won't never kiss anyone except my son's father, and he's in jail in Arizona. He'll be getting out in 1991; then I'm gonna marry him.

White prostitute, early 30s: I won't let men abuse me or call me bitch no matter how much they pay.

White prostitute, late teens: You can call me Suzy; that's my trick name.* Don't matter what my real name is.

White prostitute, early 30s: An Oriental no I don't want to call him Oriental I'm sure he's an A-rab of some sort picked me up once and wanted to go to the hot tubs and he kept talking about how he really wants to be in me and how he wants to eat my pussy and really be involved and well that's not what we're about here. We don't make love to our dates. We service them. We make ourselves available for them to go ahead and get inside. Well he got me so shook about he couldn't be rushed he needed a lot of time he was pretty detailed what he wanted to do with my body an' I got the impression he wanted to crawl right up inside me so just before we got to the hot tub I said look I'm sorry but I don't think I can accommodate you. I knew I could get away with saying that 'cause I'm real soft spoken I have a real good upbringing I was married for thirteen years.

10. Being a professional, she takes pride in her skill, either to satisfy her Johns or else to "process" them quickly and efficiently.

White prostitute, early 30s: But it's my choice to give a man pleasure, 'cause I'm real good at it. Most of 'em are married and they need a different taste of woman.

* Note. Trick names often fall into one of three categories: (1) words associated with pleasure (Joy, Felicia, etc.) (2) words associated with luxurious things than the John can eat or drink up (Candy, Brandi, etc.) (3) names that sound "aristocratic" or "fancy" (Stella, Melissa, etc.).

White prostitute, early 20s: I lie there and spread 'em; I give 'im twenty minutes. End of that time, either he leaves or he pays me more money. You see, I know how to do it!

11. For the same reason she likes to claim that she, not her Johns, is in charge. But she more often expresses fear than confidence.

White prostitute, mid 30s: You know, a woman in here is really in control. It's really up to us. [But a few seconds later she said: ] If they pull a knife on us all we can do is talk our way out of it.

12. She has a list of safety rules for herself to follow.

Black prostitute, early 30s: You have to be a good judge of character, for one. I won't go somewhere where I'm not familiarized. If someone wants me to go to their house, I get half an advance at least, at least a hundred dollars depending on whether they're close. I let some one always know where I'm going. I make 'em show me a driver's license.

13. However, she will break the rules if they prove inconvenient.

White prostitute, mid 30s: I don't usually date black men but it was pretty hot out policewise and so I made an exception. Black guy drives up in a nice car, looks pretty proper, he's got a briefcase in the back seat. That's what we check for — what kinda business he might be in. And another thing I don't like is anybody taking me past Market Street. That's too far out of the territory. I allowed him to do that.

14. She has been raped by a trick once or twice.

White prostitute, early 30s: I never dated black people, 'cause I always heard that black people were the ones that would go off on the prostitute. — Bullshit. — I've had two bad experiences, an' it's been by white men. And what was so killing about it was it's been by older white men.

First one was in '81, his name was John, and he was 47 years old. Big old fat sonofabitch. He was in a pickup truck with a gas station uniform on. He told me that he wanted a blowjob for twenty-five dollars in the truck; I said cool. And at that time we was usin' this parkin' lot around the corner here, an' when we got to the corner I says turn, turn; he didn't turn. He stepped on the gas; he went through every light from Turk Street down to the other side of Market. People keep on saying well how come you didn't jump out? Motherfucker you think I'm crazy you think I'm gonna jump out as fast as he was goin'? Mmm-mmm. So when we finally go to where he was goin' he did what he pulled a gun out and held it up to my head. From 7:30 to 10:00 that night he had me fuck him suck him. He dropped me off on Broadway at that restaurant Clown Alley and when I got out I was cryin' and cryin'. Some man picked me up I told him what had happened and stuff, so he ended up giving me a hundred and sixty dollars an ' takin' me home.

Two weeks later a guy in a Volkswagen came up to me. I don't know how he knew my name. Anyway he says Sandy where's your girlfriend Candy? And at the time I was hanging around with a girl named Candy. I says well she's at home. He says well you wanna go instead? I says well what's up? He says I tell you what I do he says I take five pictures and I pay seventy-five dollars. An' I says cool. I got into the Volkswagen, and I'm telling him what happened to me with the man with the gun an' he's giving me all thus bullshit an' he's oh that's a goddamned shame they oughtta stiffen the laws on people like that. Well OK, so we finally parked; he reaches down in between the driver's seat and the door; next thing you know, click! there came a big old fucking knife. It happened so fast! I say you lousy motherfucker! A knife I'll talk shit, but a gun. . well, I can't outrun a bullet, OK? And all he wanted me to do was suck nice and I said you can get your dick sucked; just don't hurt me, OK? Just don't hurt me. He says I'm not gonna hurtcha. So we had a discussion. Why you tell me about Candy and stuff? And what happened, Candy burned him. He was into cocaine. You know, half these tricks that come down here are into cocaine, OK? They want to front the girl their money and then they're gonna get their cocaine and shit like this. Half the time they end up getting burned, so what the John does, he ends up picking up somebody else, you know with dark hair or blonde hair or whatever's similar to her, and ends up taking it out on her. . I just happened to have dark hair and long legs.

15. She has also been robbed or attacked by people other than her tricks.

White prostitute, early 30s: I been jumped out here, 'cause like I said my male was in the pen. I didn't have anybody representing me. My man is not a pimp, but everybody knows when a woman's out on the streets alone. I had six guys jump me for my money, so I was robbed once. I've had two jealous women jump on me, one because of another guy that I dated — I didn't know that that was the one she was tryin' to pursue and date — my other one was a big fat black chick out here, who's robbed every woman there is out here because she can't get a date, so she takes our money.

16. She takes going to jail from time to time as a matter of course.

Black prostitute, early 30s: Like the first night I did it I went to jail. And that would become a pattern. Every time I came to a new town, I'd go to jail the first night. Then after that, I'd make MONEY. . The Vice will always bust a new girl, one that don't know what they look like.

Black prostitute, early 30s: What happened was, Japanese guy got me a case, thirty dollars for a blowjob, and so then he told me he was a cop, and no problem; I don't ever give 'em no hassle or anything, because it is a misdemeanor and I will be released. So, just go through the preliminaries of going down there and getting booked and then getting cited out. When you're in jail it's just girls. They only talk about shit that's on the streets, what they wanna do when they get out; if they're new to jail they wanna make themselves seem like they're hot shit.

17. She may support a man on their earnings. (He too frequently has a drug habit.) She buys him clothes, a car, etc. She loves him, but often feels exploited.

White prostitute, early 30s: You know, up to now I've never given a man the space for a relationship, due to the nature of my job, 'cause what they want is the money I'm capable of making. I never really chose a man until last year. Then I did and I got quite hurt by it, I just really loved him. He was no pimp, mind you. Never tried to pimp me. But it doesn't hurt him to take my money. I had a real nice bank account waitin' for him when he got out, bought him a car, and he started an argument about does my name need to be on the registration of the car? I feel that it should, since it's my money that paid for it, but he wants it all his. OK, so I let that go. He gave me a beautiful jade necklace, beautiful. Took that back last night. Just told me he wanted it back. So I gave it back to him. And I found out he pawned it today. And that crushed me. It's really difficult. We had a relationship before I ever came up here, but he knows how to take advantage of it.

18. Her man can be abusive.

Black pimp, late 20s: Some of those girls you just have to politely hit 'em upside the head. One minute they want you to love 'em; the next they want you to abuse 'em. I think they're confused.

19. He can also protect and assist her.

Black prostitute, early 30s: I don't worry when I hop in the car 'cause my man he take down the license plate number.

Black pimp, early 30s: Oh listen man am I glad to see you. She's in jail. I need forty-five dollars to get her bail and I've gotten most of it but I'm still fifteen short. Can you help me out? I swear to you, man, I'll give it back to you on Saturday.

20. She remembers a happy childhood.

Black prostitute, early 30s: I was a very happy little girl. We did lots of fun things. I remember going to Knott's Berry Farm, stuff like that.

21. She also remembers playing sex games, and feeling slightly guilty about them.

Black prostitute, late 20s: One of the things I remember as a kid was the first time I played doctor with the little kids, somewhere between three and five. I think I was about four. And this little girl that I used to play with and her older brother, they got me, and I was playing with them in a garage in the back of their house. I remember being on the table. It seems there was something draped over the table and I was on the table. [Laughs.] Had my clothes off, I'm sure. They had a bottle of fingernail polish, and he was paintin' my privates. It seemed fun at the time. I remember knowing there was something wrong and not wanting my mother to know I had fingernail polish down there. I remember he later got mumps on the bottom of his feet, and they moved away.

22. She distrusts most or all the other street prostitutes, but remembers a Golden Age when they all helped each other.

White prostitute, late 20s: I remember the days when all the girls tugged on each other's coat tails to warn you if the Vice was coming. All that changed when the black girls started coming in from Oakland. They and their pimps would rob you and jump you soon as look at you. I don't trust anybody now.

23. She is pessimistic about her future.

White prostitute, early 30s: Q. So what things do you think are going to happen to you in the future?

A. If I don't get out of this I'll have to go back to bartending. And that's not really that good of an option.

Q. How long do you think you can do this?

A. Not too much longer. I'm gettin' real tired from it. Real tired. [Long pause.]

Note on the Transvestite Prostitute

Not all the above points apply to this lady. She often does enjoy the work for its own sake, and sometimes volunteers her companionship gratis. She is less cautious about disease. She is, in fact, less cautious generally, since she has a man's body and a man's strength to even the odds a little against those who seek to prey on her. (Many transvestite prostitutes have also been raped, however.) She less often sets limits with her clients; she rarely supports anyone else, and she seems much more optimistic about her future. She is less often a drug addict.

Extras

Rubber Free (prostitute carries)

Entry into trick pad $3-$5

Use of hotel room in trick pad $10-$15

For scholars only

Interviews Free or 50c-$l/minute

Portrait photographs Free or $3-$5/photo