Photo taken at Paul Pratt Memorial Library (Cohasset, Massachusetts)
A book geared towards minors and available at many South Shore libraries tells them it’s a normal job, much like any other.
The book is m Seeing Gender: An Illustrated Guide to Identity and Expression, by Iris Gottlieb; it was released in 2019.
A section that begins on Page 150 is called “ ‘Sex Work’ Is Not a Bad Term.”
“One important thing to note is that sex work is work,” the author writes. “It’s a job like being a store clerk, an architect, or a freelance writer. We all, unfortunately, have to do work to make a living. Some of us hate our jobs and some of us love them — the same goes for those who do sex work. Sadly, sex work is generally misunderstood, judged, and criminalized, and it’s often dangerous for those who do it regardless of whether it’s out of enjoyment, necessity, or both.”
The book adds later:
“Whether or not you agree with it, sex work exists everywhere. And because it exists, those who do it must be granted basic human rights to access medical care, legal action for cases of sexual violence, safe housing, and acknowledgement that what they do is actually work. It’s important to suspend judgement and bias for those in this line of work and begin to talk about it in a non-stigmatized way.”
Among places south of Boston, the book is available at Brockton Public Library, Canton Public Library, Cohasset Paul Pratt Memorial Library, Duxbury Free Library, Hingham Public Library, Holbrook Public Library, Norwell Public Library, Plymouth Public Library, Scituate Town Library, Sharon Public Library, Stoughton Public Library, and Weymouth Tufts Library, according to the Old Colony Library Network catalog.
It’s in the young adult section in Duxbury, Holbrook, Norwell, Sharon, Stoughton, and Weymouth. The audience for young adult is 12 through high school, according to the Library of Congress.
The book is in the nonfiction section at the public libraries in Brockton, Canton, Cohasset, Hingham, Plymouth, and Scituate.
Although Seeing Gender touches on prostitution, it’s not the book’s main topic.
Here is a description of the book on Amazon:
Seeing Gender is an of-the-moment investigation into how we express and understand the complexities of gender today. Deeply researched and fully illustrated, this book demystifies an intensely personal — yet universal — facet of humanity. Illustrating a different concept on each spread, queer author and artist Iris Gottlieb touches on history, science, sociology, and her own experience. This book is an essential tool for understanding and contributing to a necessary cultural conversation, bringing clarity and reassurance to the sometimes confusing process of navigating one’s identity. Whether LGBTQ+, cisgender, or nonbinary, Seeing Gender is a must-read for intelligent, curious, want-to-be woke people who care about how we see and talk about gender and sexuality in the 21st century.
Massachusetts Family Institute communications director Mary Ellen Siegler told NewBostonPost that she doesn’t think parents will appreciate the message.
“Sex work is nothing like being a store clerk, an architect, or a freelance writer,” Siegler said in an email message. “These jobs don’t require a person to sell their body for money, or put themselves at risk for STIs, unplanned pregnancy, violence, and more. Globally, sex workers have a 45-75% chance of being a victim of violence. Sex work is an exploitative practice that entraps the vulnerable. Many sex workers are the victims of trafficking, most especially girls.”
(Siegler included the link in her emailed comment above.)
She continued:
“Let’s poll parents. How many parents would actually see sex work as a viable career option for their child? Sex work is dangerous, particularly for women. Normalizing sex work is appalling. This book should be removed from the teen section of publicly funded libraries immediately.”
Spokesmen for Brockton Public Library, Canton Public Library, Cohasset Paul Pratt Memorial Library, Duxbury Free Library, Hingham Public Library, Holbrook Public Library, Norwell Public Library, Plymouth Public Library, Scituate Town Library, Sharon Public Library, Stoughton Public Library, and Weymouth Tufts Library could not be reached for comment on Wednesday, Thursday, or Friday this week. Nor could Gottlieb, the author.
Photo taken at Paul Pratt Memorial Library (Cohasset, Massachusetts)
Photo taken at Paul Pratt Memorial Library (Cohasset, Massachusetts)
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Photo taken at Paul Pratt Memorial Library (Cohasset, Massachusetts) 
