Truth is, I need your advice. I try to be an honest person as much as I can. Should I even, given the social ramifications? There is a whole host of class and gender issues bound up in sex work as well. A former escort gets fired from her job as a teacher when someone discovers her past, but high-profile clients of escorts like Dick Morris, David Vitter and Eliot Spitzer get to skate by with a wink and a nod with their integrity intact after getting caught.
Even in Firefly, where Companions are honored, even revered by society, love is taboo to them because reasons. Almost every time, the courtesan, the escort, the Companion is told to make a choice β continue as a sex-worker or enjoy blissful and by implication, vanilla monogamy for the rest of her life. Even among people who are pro sex-work, that perceived opprobrium can be a high bar to clear; they may be in favor of sex work in theory, but they start to get squirmy with the idea of telling their nearest and dearest what their significant other does for a living.
To start with: let yourself date and make new friends and be open about who you are and what you do. I understand not wanting to live as though this were something to hide and be ashamed of; at the same time, it can be a lot to drop on somebody early on.
I would suggest a gradual outing β not on the first date or hang-out, but before you actually have sex or similar platonic emotional milestone with friends.
You can feel things out a little to get a feel for how your prospective beau will react β and let him get to know you rather than some imagined stereotype β before explaining to him that you want to be open about your job. Just as getting to know gay people helps break down homophobia, getting to know you will make it harder to hold onto preconceived notions about sex workers.
