Being an elite escort in London is one of the most lucrative and unusual ways to make a living. Even though selling companionship has been in existence for thousands of years, it is not the most obvious career path for young women in 2019. Of course, the ways that escort girls connect with their clients have changed thanks to technology, but the question remains-do escorts working in London feel stigmatised doing what they do?
1. Escorts from the EU feel discriminated about their job
With Brexit in the horizon, escort girls in London from EU countries feel that their jobs are not recognised and will not be given permission to stay. Escorting is not considered a legitimate career by officials, and so Brexit will take away the right for EU escorts to remain in London. This is daunting for escorts from EU countries and they already feel doubly stigmatised for working as an escort-first socially, and then by the Government.
2. Social stigma from health care professionals, accountants and those in conventional careers
It is a fact that working as an escort is very different from a conventional career path. For one, there are no formal qualifications to be an escort and the work hours are more flexible. Many escorts working in London claim that they have faced discrimination from their health carer, accountant, tax advisor, legal advisor and even the police. This is not the same for every escort working in London but many have voiced their concerns about being discriminated against. When escorts disclose to others about their work, they feel jugded and discouraged to continue being an escort. People also have negative impressions of women who choose escorting.
3. Escorts in London are viewed as damaged women by the popular media
London escorts are frustrated by the ways they are being portrayed in the media; they are fragile women with drug abuse issues, sexual trauma or have broken families. This is simply not true for all escorts, but they are portrayed as a whole to be this way! Escorts in London chose to be escorts for different reasons, and many are in different stages of their lives. Many escorts are mothers, students, professional career women and some are simply chasing the thrill as well as the money. Being stigmatised by the media, which influences wider public's thinking, is very frustrating.
4. Escorting is less socially accepted
It is a fact that women talk less openly about being an escort compared to other careers, for fear of being judged and isolated. Being an escort is already socially isolating because of the hours and taboo nature of the job. Furthermore, it is difficult to confide in anyone about being an escort without other people judging or being overly concerned. It would seem, that even in 2019, escorting is not as widely accepted as being an engineer, waitress or doctor in the UK.
5. More escorts are talking about stigma and fighting against it
There are of course escorts who have an accepting social circle, family and friends who know about their escorting. They are the few rather than the many, and it may have been a bumpy ride to reach that point. There is an increasing number of escorts who write about their experiences and air their views in the popular media. They are the ones educating the public about escorting, and hopefully changing the way people view escorts and their clients.