Rebranding Ourselves

[SixT9er]

Basic definition of Courtesan I’ve come across is an upscale prostitute which I believe fits the Ladies of the houses well.
I refer to these Ladies as Ladies or Courtesans. Whor, Hooker & prostitute All present negative images in the mind. Working girl I don’t find offensive & have used occasionally but feel that covers both Legal in house Ladies & illegal escorts thus the term Courtesan would specifically designate legal Ladies from escorts would Distinguish & identify them better Hopefully giving them more respect & social acceptance

[rachelvarga]

This industry has always been attacked by antiprost groups. It was thrown into the spotlight with Cathouse and that really didn't look good. You can't take us seriously after that.


Something the industry needs is a rebranding. How we are perceived and looked at. What does the average person think of when someone says "prostitute"? A girl on the corner.


Legally we are prostitutes but that word needs to be phased out like wh**re and hooker. To help with this we have to get under the umbrella with,  "sex workers" first because this is the term being used to push for change. Inside that you have each group, camming, porn, and the only word that is good for us is "Courtesan".


We are all sex workers as a whole but our title within that group should be Courtesan. Legal courtesan sex workers is what we are.


Wh**re, hooker, working girl, and prostitute have to go. I use working girl a lot but I will work to eliminate that word.


Everyone can use lpin but I am using lcsw from now on. Legal Courtesan Sex Workers.


We have to let go of the nostalgia and move ahead. Guys you would really do us a service to do this too. Of course you don't have too but it's a nice gesture.


Ok, move along.

[Chicagobob]

Actually, "Hooker" was once an affectionate name for working girls during the Civil War.  General Joseph Hooker had a fancy for "ladies of the night" and the troops referred to them as "Hooker's Girls" as a polite term for his prostitutes. 

I know some ladies use the term today (mostly talking among themselves).  Believe it or not, most mongers just refer to sex workers as "girls" or "ladies."  I agree that if change is to happen, it must come from within (the ladies themselves need to stop being so ghetto).     

[NavySteve]

I agree. I will learn how to spell courtesan. That sounds so much upscale and is classier than other terms.

[Slednx]

I have a hard time using the word courtesan. It comes from the Renaissance, ladies used by kings and nobleman. How does that apply today?

I use "working girl" and "lady" the most. Don't see any problem or anything derogatory with either.

[AlexaWu]

Courtesan sounds much classier and is preferred. Someone referred to another lady at the ranch as a prostitute and I was taken aback, we all were. While we do work in the sex industry and provide much needed fulfilmment, prostitute stung. Like Rachel said, prostitute brings the picture of a lady on the side of the street. Dangerous for everyone. We take pride in our presentation and offer more than just sex.

[MrTShirt]

Envy (Sheris) told me years ago that her preferred term was courtesan.
Marketing applies to everything, including brothels and sex workers.
How you respect yourself is how others will respect you.

[firefighter]

The word Courtesan is not normally used in a derogatory manner and seems to be preferred over the word prostitute used by the State of Nevada.  Sex Worker or Courtesan would be preferred terms over the word prostitute.

Various definitions of Courtesan:
Courtesan: A high-class prostitute or mistress, especially one associated with rich, powerful, or noble men who gave luxuries and status in exchange for her services.  Courtesans had an important role in high class society, sometimes taking the place of wives at social roles requiring diplomacy.
en.wikipedia.org

Courtesan: A woman, usually with a high social position, who had sexual relationships with rich or important men in exchange for money.
Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary & Thesaurus

Courtesan: A concubine, doxy, or paramour. A woman who cohabits with an important man.
Princeton's WordNet

Courtesan: A prostitute with a courtly, wealthy, or upper-class clientele. A woman who engages in sexual activities for money.
Merriam-Webster

Common Synonyms (but not exact meaning) for Courtesan:
*call girl: A female prostitute who accepts appointments by telephone.
*companion: A person's long-term sexual partner outside of marriage.
*escort: Someone who is paid for their time. An escort is not paid to have sex but is paid for their time.
hooker: A prostitute.
hustler: An aggressively enterprising person; a go-getter. A prostitute.
*Lady: A woman (used as a polite or old-fashioned form of reference). A woman of superior social position, especially one of noble birth.
*lover: A person having a sexual or romantic relationship with someone often outside of marriage.
*Madam: A respectful title for a woman, or a woman who runs a house of prostitution.
*Mistress: A woman in a position of authority or control. A woman having an extramarital sexual relationship especially with a married man.
prostitute: A person, in particular a woman, who engages in sexual activity for payment.
*sex worker: A person who is employed in the sex industry.
*sex partner: A person with whom you enjoy sex.
w...e: A prostitute.
*working girl: A woman who goes out to work rather than remaining at home. A prostitute.
*socially acceptable non-offensive words
Definitions from Oxford Languages

[Slednx]

I sincerely hope some of you don't think that simply working in a legal brothel qualifies a lady as "upscale" or "high class". Although there have been plenty of ladies I've met over the years in LPIN who meet that criteria, there have been many more who did not...just sayin'. ? 

At the end of the day, it is just a word and words rarely change the public's mind, even if it is a $10 word.

[SToN3y]

I've never called a legal sex worker a whore or a hooker, mostly due to the negative connotations of those terms in our society. There is a clear difference between the girls at a brothel and the independent prostitutes you see on the street.

"Prostitute" seems to be an umbrella term, though most people tend to associate that with the illegal sex trade. So I agree it has to go when referring to legal sex workers.

I like the term "legal sex workers," though I'll usually refer to them as "girls" or "ladies." "Courtesan" is just too fancy for me!

[RoxyGold]

I’ve always liked working girl, mostly because of the Melanie Griffith movie. But times are changing.

[Drew_Ryan]

I've never called a legal sex worker a w***e or a hooker, mostly due to the negative connotations of those terms in our society. There is a clear difference between the girls at a brothel and the independent prostitutes you see on the street.

"Prostitute" seems to be an umbrella term, though most people tend to associate that with the illegal sex trade. So I agree it has to go when referring to legal sex workers.

I like the term "legal sex workers," though I'll usually refer to them as "girls" or "ladies." "Courtesan" is just too fancy for me!

I love the word Courtesan, it reminds me of Victorian women who had keepers and was lavished by them. I may just watch Harlots to much.


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[Dr. Who]

I usually refer to the ladies working in LPIN as "ladies" and occasionally as sex workers depending on the context of the discussion.

Whenever I hear "Courtesan", I always think of Madame de Pompedour ...if Kitty Minx is out there reading the board, she would probably know why. 

[Berlin]

Aw, man, just when I decided to proclaim I want to be a prostitute.

[rachelvarga]

Aw, man, just when I decided to proclaim I want to be a prostitute.

Not going to get too far here with a tagline like that.

[Florida Couple]

I love Courtesan..

My second favorite is Paramour... but, hey we're married  ;D

par·a·mour
/ˈperəˌmo͝or/

a lover, especially the illicit partner of a married person.

[Berlin]

Not going to get too far here with a tagline like that.

Well then, you can be what you like, and I'll be what I like. I relish being an outsider, anyway. No sense waging war to force everyone to be the same! It takes all sorts to make a world, after all.

[Slednx]

When I asked her if she would ever sleep with a guy for money, her response was no, so I asked why. She said, "It's my body not a business."

Memorable and worth posting here.

[AlexaWu]

When I asked her if she would ever sleep with a guy for money, her response was no, so I asked why. She said, "It's my body not a business."

Memorable and worth posting here.

Who did you ask?

IF someone wants to pay me and give me pleasure, I'm all for it!  ???

[FumbleNutts]

The ladies are just all sweethearts to me