Risk and Safety Issues Faced By Transfeminine Online Sex Workers: A Case Study of Kolkata, India

Background/Context:In India, transgender and non-binary individuals are legally recognized as a ‘third gender’. Despite this legal recognition, the transgender community are faced with various forms of stigma and discrimination when seeking education or traditional employment, which leads to their overrepresentation in the sex work industry. Most research on sex work in India has primarily focused on cisgender women, resulting in a significant knowledge gap regarding the unique risks and safety issues faced by transgenders involved in sex work. Furthermore, the rise of e-governance and digital surveillance technologies, including AI-enabled facial recognition technology and drones, has placed the transgender community at greater risk of violence and arrest. Anecdotal evidence suggests that sex work transactions are increasingly occurring online across various gender identities, utilizing social media and dating platforms such as Blued, Skokka, Facebook, Grindr, TS Dating, TS4Rent, Oklute, and TikTok. However, there is a lack of understanding regarding the specific risks and safety concerns that transfeminine sex workers encounter when engaging in online sex work through these diverse digital platforms. This paper analyzes the experiences of transfeminine online sex workers residing in Kolkata, India. It aims to shed light on their lived realities by exploring the complexities of risk, safety, and agency within the digital landscape.

Methodology:This paper draws on several years of engagement with Samabhabhona, a local grassroots organization in Kolkata dedicated to advocating for transgender rights and addressing safety concerns. Through a series of interactions with the organization's founding members from December 2019 to May 2022, I conducted ethnographic observations and interviews with 15 transfeminine online sex workers in May 2022. As a cisgender woman, I prioritize reflexivity and adopt a dialogical approach to authentically capture the perspectives and experiences of the participants.

Results:The findings indicate that while online sex work is a safer avenue for individuals to earn a living, providing them with greater autonomy and control over their working conditions, the constant engagement with various digital platforms negatively impacts their mental health. An analysis of data revealed five critical themes related to risks and safety concerns: 1) the blurring of personal and professional boundaries; 2) cyberstalking or harassment by clients; 3) banning or blocking by platform websites; 4) increased mental fatigue and exhaustion; and 5) persistent fear of digital surveillance.

Conclusion:The findings demonstrate that transfeminine sex workers do not lead single-issue lives; rather, they are affected by a web of intersecting oppressive systems, including transphobia, whorephobia, homophobia, casteism, and sexism. The study highlights the extensive risks faced by transgender sex workers, particularly how policies such as the Fight Online Sex Trafficking Act (FOSTA) and the Stop Enabling Sex Traffickers Act (SESTA) exacerbate health and safety threats for trans women in India and worldwide by leading to account suspensions that push them toward unsafe street-based work. Additionally, the findings illuminate the discussions surrounding sex work and digital labor, emphasizing the vital role that non-governmental organizations can play in advocating for policies and interventions that protect the rights and safety of transfeminine sex workers.