Clients were normal, not weirdos–one of the biggest surprises according to sex workers

Unsavory characters is the expectation

I was watching one of my beloved forensics shows and the narrator intoned that when a call girl gets murdered there’s a huge pool of degenerate clients who were potential suspects. According to interviews I have done and my own memory, I would have said there’s a huge pool of regular guys who were potential suspects. I always imagined men who hired hookers were no good types, just as I imagined hookers were. Then I discovered hookers were people, and even, at one time–me (and I am close to divinity in my own mind!). I also learned that lots of men have the desire to have sex with strangers or if not strangers, women they know but to whom they are not exclusively attached. I don’t just mean ordinary guys on occasion see hookers. I’m talking about regulars. Regular clients were regular men. Yes, these ordinary guys might be a little less ordinary behind closed doors. Certainly they do not advertise their activities to their peers. Nevertheless in Honolulu, if you are looking for weirdos, you won’t find them in high concentrations among the clients if sex workers.

Every day men saw hookers, the much maligned streetwalkers, so much that they were part of the downtown Honolulu subculture and known by many of the working women. I never would have guessed that and I bet you wouldn’t have either!