{"id":332,"date":"2022-07-19T18:35:00","date_gmt":"2022-07-19T18:35:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/redinsight.org\/?p=332"},"modified":"2026-11-10T16:53:27","modified_gmt":"2026-11-10T16:53:27","slug":"brexit-triple-threat","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/redinsight.org\/es\/articles\/brexit-triple-threat\/","title":{"rendered":"Brexit triple threat"},"content":{"rendered":"<ul class=\"wpm-language-switcher wpm-switcher-list\">\r\n\t\t\t<li class=\"wpm-item-language-en\">\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/redinsight.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/332\" data-lang=\"en\">\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/redinsight.org\/wp-content\/plugins\/wp-multilang\/flags\/gb.png\" alt=\"English (UK)\">\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span>English (UK)<\/span>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\r\n\t\t\t<li class=\"wpm-item-language-nl\">\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/redinsight.org\/nl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/332\" data-lang=\"nl\">\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/redinsight.org\/wp-content\/plugins\/wp-multilang\/flags\/nl.png\" alt=\"Nederlands\">\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span>Nederlands<\/span>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\r\n\t\t\t<li class=\"wpm-item-language-es active\">\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span data-lang=\"es\">\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/redinsight.org\/wp-content\/plugins\/wp-multilang\/flags\/es.png\" alt=\"Espagnol\">\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span>Espagnol<\/span>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\r\n\t<\/ul>\r\n\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">From catering to leafletting, I\u2019ve had many jobs\u2026 But only one that was sustainable enough for my rent and for my mental health. I found my niche in BDSM. Pro-domming has kept me going through the bad times; homelessness, debts, escaping abuse, and being a full-time carer. Cracking the whip has also funded the good times; university, working in the arts, and even more glamorously, international travel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Travel<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Most often I arrived from the UK into the Netherlands, with working holidays in Holland every few months, and easy access to the rest of Europe. I\u2019d show up on a crimson lit street, sharing a stroopwafel and a strap-on with an old friend and colleague. The venue was well equipped and welcoming, I felt safe working with my friend and we were a dream team.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That is, until Brexit (and Covid 19) happened, and I was suddenly locked in the grey UK with no income. Because of Brexit, I lost my European status. I cannot spend more than three out of six months in Europe, and I have to wait another three months to return. I need a permit to work in the EU, and this industry doesn\u2019t present official job offers or employment visas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Migration<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Over time, the UK felt less diverse &#8211; British flags appeared in peoples\u2019 windows, along with increased xenophobia and racism. European friends frantically applied for rights to stay, and some had to leave. While those from further afield faced the same ongoing paperwork struggles as always, with enhanced checks and border control. All of these changes added up to increased government control, putting sex workers even further into the spotlight.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Income<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Before Brexit, Britain had attracted a steady stream of international bored businessmen. In town for some kind of meeting, they\u2019d often arrange another more interesting meeting. Almost overnight, Brexit caused companies to shut down or stop trading in the UK. The man meetings stopped, as did most of my work. Most industries faced economic instability, and the few remaining local, loyal clients were strapped for cash. I lowered my work standards; dropping rates, offering more services, advertising more and screening less, which didn\u2019t feel great.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>New problems<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">So I contacted old clients, wondering if they\u2019d see me overseas. But my ability to travel or work abroad was restricted, having to keep careful count of the days away and a closer eye on the labour laws. In the Netherlands, my Dutch friend and colleague suggested I present as the \u201cwife\u201d of a client, so that we could work together (even if I am half his age and already known to the premises). At licensed sex work venues, officials may visit for regular check ups, so we could be caught, arrested and fined.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">To keep clear of her workplace and have full anonymity, we considered using an illegal space instead. But this option is also risky, since we\u2019d lose security systems including staff, surveillance, emergency buttons and the option to call the cops if we needed to. If found out, we\u2019d then&nbsp;<em>both<\/em>&nbsp;be considered illegal workers, and risk being fined and assumed not to be paying any tax, which could trigger an investigation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>New solutions<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Sadly it is not possible to kiss and tell, or share the end of this story about the lucky little gimps who may or may not be getting double-Dutch-dommed at any given moment. But we have found ways to continue making money out of masochistic men. Since we are both cis presenting, white workers with some language skills, we\u2019re still in a relatively privileged position &#8211; especially when compared to our sex working sisters who are undocumented, trans or of colour.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Many sex workers lost their income due to Brexit, and there\u2019s no UK government fund to help. And even though sex work is legal in the Netherlands, many of us in Holland were left unsupported throughout the global pandemic. I had suspected that there was no special safety net for sex workers, but I had relied upon my passport and my femme skills to survive. I didn\u2019t realise how privileged I was to be an EU citizen, until I wasn\u2019t. Luckily I can still rely on myself &#8211; it&#8217;s my job to find creative sadistic solutions.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-post-author\"><div class=\"wp-block-post-author__avatar\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/redinsight.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/casstraitor-150x150.jpg\" width=\"48\" height=\"48\" srcset=\"https:\/\/redinsight.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/casstraitor-150x150.jpg 2x\" alt=\"Cass Traitor\" class=\"avatar avatar-48 wp-user-avatar wp-user-avatar-48 alignnone photo\" \/><\/div><div class=\"wp-block-post-author__content\"><p class=\"wp-block-post-author__name\">Cass Traitor<\/p><\/div><\/div>\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-post-author-biography\">Cass Traitor is a sex worker, artist, and freelance writer and editor. They create work with the Sex Worker\u2019s Opera and the Sexquisite Collective, and carry out research for various sex worker rights organisations.<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>From catering to leafletting, I\u2019ve had many jobs\u2026 But only one that was sustainable enough for my rent and for my mental health. I found my niche in BDSM. Pro-domming has kept me going through the bad times; homelessness, debts, escaping abuse, and being a full-time carer. Cracking the whip has also funded the good [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":13,"featured_media":333,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"off","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[31],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-332","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-articles","et-has-post-format-content","et_post_format-et-post-format-standard"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/redinsight.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/332","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/redinsight.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/redinsight.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/redinsight.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/13"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/redinsight.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=332"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/redinsight.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/332\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":633,"href":"https:\/\/redinsight.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/332\/revisions\/633"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/redinsight.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/333"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/redinsight.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=332"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/redinsight.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=332"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/redinsight.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=332"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}