HOOK: E-zine By, For, and About Men in the Sex Industry

I put off doing escorting work for a decade because of the voices in my head that were full of reasons I ought not do "that kind of work." They were the voices of society and parents and bosses and bankers and well, you know, the people we have for clients today. Interesting, isn't it?
So many of the things they warned us about never really came to pass; they were mostly mythical balloons just waiting to be burst.

Here are a few of those myths:

Myth One:
That Clients Will All Be Ugly

This is the one that I love the most; since it is so wrong. But I like to let people believe it's true, or else they'd be amazingly jealous and undoubtedly hateful when they discovered the error of this myth. Let's face it, most of my clients are either strikingly handsome or else have some amazingly fine qualities underneath that make any experience with them pretty great. I think we attract what we believe will be truth, and my expectation that I will get great clients has paid off. Paid off quite well.

Myth Two:
You'll Have More Money Than You Know What To Do With

Though it is true that there are days when the money seems to be growing on trees, escorting really brings no more in the way of riches than other jobs. And between the overhead expenses, such as phones, beepers, lube, condoms, transportation, and all the rest -- well, hey guys, it's a job! And unless you're working all the time, it can get tight. Without a good head for finances, the money can have a tendency to just vanish without a trace. It takes discipline and hard work to make it in this business, but the rewards far outweigh the fears of financial insecurity.

Myth Three:
You Have To Be Beautiful AND Young To Escort

Though beauty and youth helps, they are surely not requirements to escort. The fact remains that there is a client for everyone - and this relates back to Myth One. To think that all clients are looking for a 21-year old Keanu Reeves is absurd. I did not begin escorting until I was in my late thirties -- and that was only because it took me that long to turn my ear on those voices that were telling me that I was too old! And those voices were telling me that when I was in my twenties and they were just so totally wrong. Since I have been escorting, I have determined that there are as many types of escorts out there as there are types of clients. And that's what makes it all a fine, fine mix.

Myth Four:
All Escorts Are Drug Addicts and Losers

Well, this is a myth based on, I suppose, the images created by movies and books. However, since I am a sober escort and really enjoy my work without the blur of intoxicants -- and since I know other escorts who are either sober or "social users," I see this myth for the hogwash that it is. Naturally there will be an element of substance abuse in this field, especially in the younger escorts who choose it because of the availability of quick money, but I definitely do not think escorting CONTRIBUTES to the problem. I do, however, feel, there is a greater need in our community to assist escorts with substance problems and the underlying psychological issues (sexual abuse, shame, etc.) that might be contributing to these problems.

The myths that surround our field are many and it is up to escorts to either dispel them publicly, or -- as I do -- just smile and let the public at large believe what they want to believe. After all, as long as WE KNOW what the truth is, we're able to take advantage of that truth and turn it into fruitful careers. Laughing, of course, all the way to the bank!