Victims...Not!
A few months back, a dancer asked “Are these pity gifts or victim gifts?” I was taken back…because I never thought of what we do as classifying anyone that way, or having any agenda but love. (It’s my belief there isn’t enough love in the world today.) But, when I look at social media, I can see her confusion.
Everyone seems to use the word victim today. It’s all over Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, in the press, and a lot of folks who come out of the industry are now calling themselves “victims” or “survivors.” Now not to demean those who choose this terminology, but these are not words we use around Xpose Hope, and there is a reason for that.
We have team members with a past in the industry–strip clubs, massage parlors, prostitution and even trafficking (both sides, pimps and those trafficked.) I wish I could explain the dynamic that exists at Xpose Hope, but those who have joined our team have never related to me or any of our team anything but a history in the industry. Why not? Because we see ourselves as the same people we were…people of strength and of values. We are and were good friends, parents, sons and daughters, business owners. And that is how we see the men and women who work in the industry today.
Many of us have experienced, like those we serve experience, both good times and bad during our time in adult entertainment. We had friends, we had those we didn’t get along with. We had scary times, happy times, times of sadness and we had fun times. For those at Xpose Hope, that time is behind us. But what is important to the members of our team is now and the future.
Because every day has challenges, and every day is a new opportunity to reinvent yourself. Jesus says that he makes all things new, and he does that every single day. Every day I’m different. I learn, I grow, I renew. Life happens. But I consider myself a strong woman. I certainly don’t consider my friends in the clubs any less than that!
It’s spring now, and we are watching trees start to bud…to reinvent themselves. That doesn’t mean the fall tree, with its lovely crimson leaves was bad. It was just different. It was a different stage in its life. We never stay the same as humans, every day is a new day.
What is important to us about the now is that we have an opportunity to show love to our sisters (and brothers) who are walking in the life–that we are not separate from the life, we are still sisters. We are able to give a ride late at night, drop by a hospital, just give a smile.
We are honored that we get to do those things. Thanks for allowing us to drop by and say “Hi.” Thanks for your sweet notes on Instagram and FB, thank you for your blogs and hash tagging Xpose Hope with your gift photos. Thanks for understanding that we aren’t there out of pity, we aren’t visiting out of a high place looking down, we are just dropping in to say hello to our sisters and brothers.
We love the amazing men and women we connect with. You amaze us with your physical dexterity, your initiative, your strength and talents. We love you how you are, who you will be, and whatever you decided to do with your lives when you are 99 years old. Period.