Alexandra Hunt is 28-years-old and thinks it’s time for a change, so she is running for Pennsylvania’s 3rd District seat in the U.S. House of Representatives.
Hunt is running on a progressive platform that includes criminal justice reform, fighting for human rights, and fighting to change the negative image of ex-strippers and others working in the sex entertainment industry. You may not agree with her platform, but she has a right to run for Congress, right?
But Alexandra Hunt faces a problem: she herself is an ex-stripper from Philadelphia. Should that disqualify her from running for office?
Rather than try to hide from her past, Hunt is embracing it as a legitimate career choice that she chose to earn money while she was in college. When her past surfaced, she lost her job as the coach of a local soccer club.
“My story is not unique. So many examples exist that highlight the stigma and job loss that impact individuals, especially women, when their past or current involvement in sex work is revealed,” said Hunt in defense of her past and running for Congress.
Hunt’s campaign merchandise includes T-shirts with the message: “Elect Hoes - I may have danced for money, but I’m no corporate wh***.”
“Decriminalizing sex work starts with destigmatization and looking both internally at your own bias and at policy that contributes to this stigmatization and marginalization of people who have found a way to own their power,” Hunt said as she looked back on her own life in the industry.
There will be many who will instinctively dismiss anyone who worked as a stripper or in sex entertainment, but is that really a legitimate reason to oppose an individual’s candidacy? Think of the hypocrisy of those who consumer sex entertainment, but would oppose an ex-stripper running.
Last year at a conservative convention in Tampa, Florida, a woman was recognized and expelled from the convention because she was a porn star. Brandi Love is a conservative and attended the convention because of her political ideology.
Isn’t it ironic that Brandi was recognized and kicked out? How did people recognize her - and with her clothes on - if they had not watched her porn videos?
In the city of New Orleans and in the state of Louisiana, it would be a challenge to question whether an ex-stripper should be a candidate for Congress considering we have elected people who have been in prison.
Yes, it’s time to change the stigma associated with adult dancers since that is a legally-sanctioned industry.
