Caught Up

By creating a protagonist who is deeply committed to improving the lives and social safety nets for sex workers, Allen directly grapples with the political issues surrounding this topic, and the novel itself therefore becomes a form of activism. As a sex worker, Lauren advocates for other members of her profession, fighting to prevent misogynistic attacks against her colleagues. She also advocates for legislative changes that will protect and support sex workers. By portraying sex work as a consensual and exciting pursuit for her characters, Allen creates a world in which Lauren actively supports her peers and works to implement greater protections for all sex workers, including those who may feel that they have no other choice but to engage in sex work. While these legal protections could shield sex workers from the threat of prosecution in dangerous situations, the most pervasive evidence of the need for empowerment in sex work comes from other characters in the text, specifically those with no political influence. Although Taylor in particular attempts to reclaim derogatory terms like “whore” and “slut” by using them in sex-positive spaces, these terms remain highly damaging in the broader world, where they are still used to degrade and demean sex workers. Thus, Allen makes it clear that although Lauren’s activism is well-meant, there is still a long way to go before she and others can bring about the level of social empowerment necessary to create a safer life for sex workers.

Early in the novel, Lauren explains that she is fighting to implement the Expanded Safeties for Sex Workers Act, which aims to make provisions so that “sex workers in this city would be able to report any assaults that were committed against them while working without facing solicitation charges” (15). By building this issue directly into the novel’s plot, Allen is able to use the story itself as a platform for raising awareness of this issue, and her writing highlights the fact that although instances of sexual assault against sex workers are common, many sex workers feel that they cannot report these assaults without facing charges for engaging in sex work. Within the context of Lauren and Taylor’s sex work, the value of such legislation becomes clear when Lauren uses the provisions of the Me4U platform to block and report her more threatening subscribers. Notably, Me4U provides the first line of defense against assault by giving creators a way to distance themselves from violent or malicious individuals. However, the fact that Lauren brings Taylor and Ryan to her first few meetings with Junior shows that defense is often left in the hands of sex workers themselves, since Me4U can only provide digital protection. Hypothetically, had Junior sexually assaulted Lauren in the arcade, records would show only that Junior paid Lauren to meet with him, presumably for sex, and Lauren could face charges even though Junior would be the perpetrator of the crime.

As Allen draws attention to these legal challenges are important, she ensures that the social threats to sex workers are ever-present in the novel as well. As Lauren notes, free sexual expression is still a social taboo in many ways, and she is keenly aware of the social censure that her sexuality attracts. The women at church, her former partners, her subscribers, and even her sister all find ways to criticize her sex work. As Kristen comments, “I know you have a whole life downtown, and kids don’t belong in it” (261). This callous remark implies that Lauren’s profession renders her unfit to care for children or have children of her own. As Lauren repeatedly defies those who would disparage her, her bold example portrays sex workers as vibrant human beings with full lives, and Allen uses the story to deliver a strong call to action, pleading for real social change that might protect real-life sex workers.