INTRODUCTION

Coordinated and supported by the Encompass Network, ‘Inside Outside’ amplifies the voices of women who are, or have been, involved in the sex industry in Scotland. These are voices not often heard in the mainstream press, and often drowned out on social media.

Women took part in recorded conversations with Linda Thompson from the Women's Support Project and worked with Kathryn Rattray, a Dundee based photographer, to illustrate their stories with digital photographs.  

The conversations were lengthy and emotionally charged at times. There were tears and laughter, anger, guilt and shame. There was also hope, courage and sharp wit.

Excerpts of the interviews are included here to tell the women's stories, transcribed to include the wonderful accents, rich dialects and local sayings which all help to give a real sense of the women. Each woman had control over which parts of her story she wanted to keep for herself and which she wanted to share. Names and some details, for example location, have been changed to preserve anonymity.

The individual stories are accompanied by photographs taken by the women on camera phones. The photographs are their ideas and their work, focusing on images which represent both negative and positive memories and experiences, and often highlighting the women's strengths.

NEW! OUTSIDE – MOVING ON FROM THE SEX INDUSTRY

Kandi, Alice, Paige and Barbie generously share their pasts, their journeys out of the sex industry and their hopes for the future with us. Please click on the cover to view or download our new book.

Quotes from OUTSIDE:

"I don’t like to think too much about what I had to do. It’s not all easy, see. Even though I’m out of that life now, it’s still in me."

"As much as I want to get out of this, I can’t because I can’t afford to because I’ve got all these bills that I have to pay."

"If the government is expecting to eradicate this line of work then they’re going to have to put some better options out there for people."

"There are women who are stuck in this industry, they do not want to do it any more because it’s dangerous and they don’t feel safe."