OCTOBER 15, 1993 GAY PEOPLE'S CHRONICLE 13

PSYCHED OUT

Male prostitution: how it can be interpreted

by Mike Radice

I was in New York City recently, at A Different Light bookstore, and saw a book titled Male Prostitution, by Donald West, displayed prominently on a mid-aisle shelf.

I looked over my shoulder to see if anyone was looking, and when I was sure that the coast was clear, picked it up and started leafing through it as quickly as possible. Finding the contents fascinating, I quickly carried it to the cashier to pay the twenty bucks.

The cashier, a charismatic young man with a Jimmy Carter smile, said: "This book looks useful. I've been meaning to read it." Then he winked at me.

I immediately hiked over to Julius' to nurse a beer, and to begin reading my new treasure.

The book, as well as the topic, is fascinating. West's writing is a summary of research conducted with, and on, male prostitutes in London (England) and San Francisco.

Whether or not you use the services of a prostitute, and I'm certainly not advocating that you should, you probably don't know all that you think you do. I was certainly enlightened.

Surprise number one: The clients of male prostitutes are both men and women; although male clients are, as you would expect, more common than female. The women tend to prefer young adult males. The men hire guys as young as age 12, and as experienced as 40 years old.

Surprise number two: Of those prostitutes servicing men, about 35 to 40 percent are heterosexual. The heterosexuals tend to be in it more so for the money, are more apt to assault their male clients, and are more likely to service both genders.

Surprise number three: Most prostitutes were not sexually abused or molested as children (a common myth). However, most (but not all) experienced significant family and personal difficulties, such as: inconsistent or abusive parenting, psychologically distant parents, and school academic and behavior difficulties. Few reported following their parents' footsteps into a life of prostitution.

There are lots of reasons why males chose to be prostitutes, and most are quite sad. As mentioned earlier, many of these guys experienced difficulties in school, leading to limited work-related skills, and even less hope for any type of meaningful future. Many got their start as runaway or throwaway kids, parking themselves on urban street corners and bus station benches. These kids were introduced to prostitution by men who recognized their destitution and loneliness, and exploited them by offering money for sex. The money and attention made the boys feel important and wanted, and provided them with quick, needed, cash. The quick cash hooked them, and their new career got launched.

Others are gay kids with nowhere to turn to learn about gay culture. They assume that being gay is only about noncommittal sexual pleasure. While searching for hedonistic pleasure, many didn't expect to be paid for their services, initially. They were just trying to be “gay” (sic). However, the sexual pleasure and monetary reward hooked them, and they began prostituting themselves regularly.

A perfect example of this circumstance can be found in the self-proclaimed 12year-old "gay" boy, reported recently in the Plain Dealer, prostituting himself on Pros-

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pect Ave. He tried to tell everyone he was gay, but no one would listen. His parents denied he was gay, and the paper presented him as an unfortunate, misguided, heterosexual kid. All he knew about being gay was the sexual component, and had no information or place to turn within the gay community to get more accurate information. His parents' response was to move back to Alabama.

If this boy could have had a positive gay role model, or had been given accurate information on what it means to be gay, he'd have been a lot better off. How sad.

There are many reasons why children, teenagers, and young adults enter the occupation of prostitution. The reasons are too numerous to list here, and none of them will lift your spirits. What's even sadder is that most prostitutes, as they get older, experience difficulty making the transition into the adult work world, and find themselves left in spiraling poverty and leveled spirits. So, what's the answer?

There's not too much you can do to help lots of these "career prostitute" kids and young adults. The research indicates that

most of these individuals aren't with clients for the conversation, and probably would ignore any helpful advice you offered.

However, you can prevent these guys from entering a very hopeless and demeaning occupation. Here's some things you can do:

Provide financial, volunteer, and political support to agencies and programs which educate and offer support for gay youth and children. There's at least one currently operating at the Cleveland Lesbian-Gay Center. Feel free to start one of your own.

If you see a hopeless-looking young male seated at a bar, at the bus station, or on a street corner, offer a listening ear, a drive to a youth shelter, provide information on PRYSM, or call 696-KIDS for help.

If you're an educator or social worker, discuss homosexuality with the kids you serve. If they identify you as a person to whom they can "come out," you'll be in a better position to help give them hope as a gay person. If they have hope, they'll have a safer and more meaningful future. ✓

Mike Radice is a Cleveland psychologist, specializing in working with children.

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