Boyfriends, lovers, and "peeler pounders": experiences of interpersonal violence and stigma in exotic dancers' romantic relationships

Drawing on ethnographic data collected during my doctoral research, in this study, I explore how women who work as exotic dancers in Winnipeg, Canada, negotiated the stigma of sex work and interpersonal violence in their romantic relationships with men. What are the connections between the stigma of sex work and the violence that occurs in exotic dancers' relationships? What are the ways in which exotic dancers make sense of, and attempt to manage, this violence? I address these questions through feminist ethnographic research methods, including participant observation, open-ended interviews, and participant collaboration. Through an analysis of participants' stories about their romantic relationships, I suggest that the stigma of sex work is a form of structural violence that manifests as direct violence in women's relationships with men. I conclude by suggesting that the de-stigmatization of sex work is an important part of ending violence in sex workers' interpersonal relationships.