This post is my feeble attempt to rewrite an impassioned post that was later taken down (don’t ask). I again attempted to articulate my thoughts in 2022, but left it half-written for fear of being criticised or worse. It’s now 2025 and things have since changed.
Before we dive into things, let’s first start with “what IS the whorearchy?” According to Fuentes (2022), the whorearchy refers to a social classification/stratification in the sex work industry.
What does it look like?
There are many interpretations of how the whorearchy is classified (there is never an agreement). Knox (2014) describes it in an interesting manner – that the closer one is to the intimacy of contact with clients and police, the closer one is to the bottom. This thus suggests that streetwalkers are on the bottom, while cam girls/ online sex workers are on the top. The following images illustrate other interpretations:
The general consensus one is that the top refers to the “higher class” who is in the industry out of their own and earn more money with less risk (I use this term slightly loosely) – such as dominatrixes, highly priced escorts, and top earners in onlyfans; while the lower rungs constitute of those who are more at risk and may be doing it for survival e.g. more prone to encounters with law enforcement, lower earners.
The parameters are ultimately highlighted by the varying levels of autonomy, agency, risk, and social stigma tagged to the varying levels – this is how I interpret it and how I’m referring to it in this post.
So, What’s Wrong With the Whorearchy?
There is nothing inherently “wrong” per se in the term whorearchy. It does exists, and is referenced in multiple academic studies or articles on the internet. As shared earlier, the differentiation is unfortunately a reality, with those on the top having – to a certain extent – less risks. Witt (2020) also presents another interesting viewpoint. Citing Rachel Moran, she points out that often times, one can occupy multiple rungs of the whorearchy e.g. making porn and being on onlyfans. So then, is there really an issue? Yes. In my opinion, this is reflected through how the whorearchy manifests itself.
There is an issue when society deepens the segregation across this stratification by deeming some workers as more valued or worthy than others. Hoogeven (2025) articulates this beautifully in her master’s thesis on how social control occurs “structurally through laws and moral discourses, institutionally through healthcare, housing and policing, and individually through social interactions and internalisation”.
This is further exacerbated when sex workers across the industry (particularly those on the higher rungs) reinforce these beliefs. How this presents itself varies. For instance, sugar babies and online sex workers sometimes claim they are not part of the industry, or escorts marketing themselves through emphasising traits – privileged family background, education, or skillsets, hourly rate – that distinguishes them from others (note: this only becomes problematic when the implication is that these traits makes one better than another). An instance that particularly irks me is when peers in the community adopt a haughty tone to hint at their superiority due to acts that they do/don’t do. Case in point: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cd7JnCeiv6Q
For a community facing similar stigmas and stereotypes to varying degrees, doing so is a disservice. If you’re a peer reading this, I’m sure you’ve personally experienced this – legal restrictions, encounters with law enforcements, misogynists, shadow-bans, criminal acts, the list goes on. We want to be safe, not to be criminalised. But how can we do so, if we pit ourselves against one another instead of being united and supportive?
No matter what type of work you do – sugaring, stripping, Onlyfans, FSSW, porn just to name a few – it all falls under the umbrella of sex work. This is not to say that one’s knowledge or lived is generalisable / applicable to others; but rather, that it is ultimately one community. Doing one type of work doesn’t make you better than others and earning more certainly doesn’t.
What You Can Do (No Matter Who You Are)
The bad news is that the whorearchy is here to stay. The good news? We can make a difference as individuals, no matter what role we play.
What you can do, as a fellow peer and sex worker in this industry
- Educate yourself. Read more about policies globally. What is SESTA/FOSTA in the US? What are the laws and regulations in your own countries? What is going on in the sex work community globally? This will help you be aware, advocate better, and protect yourself.
- Support. You are not obliged to mentor new joiners, but you can join communities, stay connected, and participate in healthy supportive conversations.
What you can do, as a client
- Educate yourself. Understanding the landscape, risks one takes, and opinions of the provider you’re seeing helps you become a safer respectful client. Why do some providers not want reviews to be left about them cough punter planet cough? How do you know that someone is real? Educating yourself will address questions you have.
- Be respectful. When meeting providers, understand their terms and conditions. Do not try to negotiate on their boundaries, and create a safe space – trust me, it’ll create the best possible experience.
- Advocate. Advocacy comes in many forms! Calling out bad behaviour when you witness it, refraining from participating in harmful & demeaning conversations, and supporting charitable initiatives all contributes to a safer, healthier space. It’s a ripple effect!
What you can do, as a human being.
- Make a conscious effort to work on your biases. All sex workers are human beings deserving of respect. Identifying, acknowledging, and critiquing your internalised bias is a great first step!
- Educate yourself. It’s a powerful tool. Learn more about the industry from credible authors and representatives, and follow organisations that work to improve sex workers’ safety and health. When consuming media, question it’s credibility and reliability. Finally, strive to view things through a discerning, balanced lens – this applies to all forms of media!
If you’ve made it here, I hope you’ve taken something positive away from this post no matter who you are. Below are some resources you can check out. Stay safe and healthy as always, and let’s make the world a little bit better in our own ways <3
X,
VIV
References & Other Articles to Read
https://moniqueduggan.wordpress.com/2016/08/24/the-whorearchy/
https://www.vice.com/en/article/exknvj/are-some-kinds-of-sex-work-better-than-others
https://jezebel.com/tearing-down-the-whorearchy-from-the-inside-1596459558
https://maggiemcneill.com/2012/05/10/whorearchy/
https://aninjusticemag.com/what-is-the-whorearchy-and-why-its-wrong-1efa654dcb22
https://studenttheses.uu.nl/bitstream/handle/20.500.12932/49795/HOOGEVEEN_masterthesis2425.pdf
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10508-025-03259-3