Introduction

The term incidental sex work refers to forms of casual, occasional, unsolicited commercial sex, arranged between gay, bisexual, and queer men on social media platforms such as Grindr. This paper explores the limits of labelling sexual identities, and how definitions of “sex” and “work” have become increasingly unstable in the digital age.

Methods

This study used mixed methods, with the primary mode of data collection being qualitative interviews with young gay, bisexual, and queer men conducted between May 2015 and April 2016. The interviews incorporated a nine-point sexuality scale and photo-elicitation procedures to prompt further discussions. Through the participant recruitment process, the study also generated an informal survey of 1473 Grindr users aged 18 to 28, finding that 14.6% had been paid for sex, most of whom (8.2%) had done so “incidentally.”

Results

The 50 interview participants discussed being paid for sex 358 times. This paper focuses on their narratives of labelling, identity politics, sexual normativity, and social stigma. All participants distanced themselves from labels such as “prostitute,” “rent boy,” or “sex worker” given that their behaviours were not seen as “regular” or “professional” enough, alongside seeking to avoid association with stigmatising stereotypes of sex work. These results are compared with the participants’ experiences of coming out as gay, bisexual, and queer.

Discussion

These narratives are interpreted using queer theory to understand those whose behaviours and identities do not conform to normative (legal, medical, social) discourses of sex work. The implications of this hidden population for campaigners, policymakers, and healthcare practitioners are discussed, contributing to ongoing debates around harm reduction and social policy.

中文翻译：

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标签的局限性：社交媒体上同性恋、双性恋和酷儿青年的偶然性工作

介绍

术语“偶然性工作”是指在 Grindr 等社交媒体平台上安排在男同性恋、双性恋和酷儿之间的随意、偶尔、未经请求的商业性行为。本文探讨了标记性身份的局限性，以及“性”和“工作”的定义如何在数字时代变得越来越不稳定。

方法

本研究使用混合方法，数据收集的主要模式是在 2015 年 5 月至 2016 年 4 月期间对年轻男同性恋、双性恋和酷儿进行的定性访谈。访谈结合了 9 点性行为量表和照片引出程序，以进一步促进讨论。通过参与者招募过程，该研究还对 1473 名年龄在 18 至 28 岁之间的 Grindr 用户进行了非正式调查，发现 14.6% 的人因性行为而获得报酬，其中大多数 (8.2%) 是“偶然”这样做的。

结果

50 名受访者讨论了 358 次因性行为而获得报酬。本文侧重于他们对标签、身份政治、性规范和社会污名的叙述。所有参与者都远离诸如“妓女”、“租客”或“性工作者”之类的标签，因为他们的行为被视为不够“常规”或“专业”，同时还试图避免与对性工作的刻板印象相关联. 这些结果与参与者以同性恋、双性恋和酷儿身份出柜的经历进行了比较。

讨论

这些叙述使用酷儿理论来解释，以了解那些行为和身份不符合性工作规范（法律、医学、社会）话语的人。讨论了这个隐藏人群对活动家、政策制定者和医疗保健从业者的影响，促进了围绕减少危害和社会政策的持续辩论。