Email the other day froma guy who claimed to work as a pimp for one of DC's oldest
gay escort services led me eventually to his blog and to the discovery of the wonders
of this form of communication. Who'd a thunk it? What he had to say was not only smart
but touching. Part of it was a response to a revised section of SinBoldly I had sent him in
which, as fate would have it, I talked about the use of the word "pimp" as an
empowerment tool. He didn't buy it. We can claim value in such words as a way of
challenging the establishment, but the people around us end up being the ultimate
arbiters of meaning. And let's face it, "pimp" really is an ugly word. Can anyone come
up with a better one? We already have "sex-worker" to replace whore, but what is a
poor pimp supposed to call himself, or herself? There must be some female pimps out
there organizing the girls and guys who actually put their asses on the line. But I am
not sure what to call them. Any ideas?
-Dr Dave