"So", says Carl to his distant cousin, "You work in a supportive role with prostitutes."
"With survival sex-workers, yes", she says carefully and cautiously.
"Do you prefer the term sex-worker?"
"Well, it's less judgmental, and doesn't create stigma."
"But isn't that inescapable, I mean,no matter how we chose to name the oldest profession?"
"I don't say we can ever get it right. But we have to remember, and remind ourselves and one another that these women are first and foremost human beings."
"I'm a journalist. I write and edit an online magazine about social and international issues and human interest. And I've been following for sometime some of the changing trends in popular speech and terminology. I mean, I totally agree with you, Cynthia, that we have to be careful to protect the women's dignity who are involved in this kind of degrading work. But isn't it also a mistake to whitewash prostitution, or sex work, as they like to call it now. To legitimize it as yet another career choice, equal to practicing law, teaching, or nursing or suchlike?"
"Sex work is work", she says patiently.
"Yes, but say you had a daughter who one day said to you, Hey mom, I want to be a sex worker when I grow up? What would you say to her?"
"It just happens that my daughter was a sex worker", she rebuts.
"You say was. What does she do now?"
"She died ten years ago."
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