Carle Jasmin (Image : AI / Gay Globe)
A delicate and local issue in Montreal
I will address a very delicate and local topic in Montreal, as the laws of each country differ regarding male escorts and male prostitution. I will therefore stick to what I can discuss locally.
Prejudices surrounding male escorts
When talking about male escorts or male prostitutes, many prejudices arise, both about those who do this work and about their clients. I thought it would be better to approach the issue in a human way, without embellishing this profession, but by discussing it in order to help bring it out of the shame that often accompanies those who practice it.
To help me better understand sex workers themselves, I visited many websites on the web, including RentMen Montréal, RentMen Vancouver, Leolist and a few others, to discover that the escort service market is truly very abundant. No matter which site is consulted, there are hundreds of men of all ages, appearances and backgrounds offering their services.
There is something for every taste, ranging from twinks, tall men, stocky men, and even older “daddies,” which surprised me, as I believed that in the field of selling one’s body, one had to be physically perfect. But perfection has many faces, and that is what I was able to observe. There is something for every taste.
The public’s first reflex is often to think that these men are necessarily in difficulty, or even “forced” into doing this work. This view is reductive, because it erases the very different life paths that exist. Some are in situations of precarity, others make this choice more consciously, sometimes temporarily, sometimes not.
Another very common cliché is to believe that their lives are entirely centered on sex work, as if their personal identity disappeared behind their activity. In reality, like any job, there is a separation between professional life and private life.
We also often hear that they would be unable to have “normal” or stable romantic relationships. Once again, this is a generalization that does not hold: many have emotional lives outside their activity, with their own limits and balances.
There is also a fairly strong moral judgment, sometimes even harsher toward men, especially when it involves male clients. Sex work, sexuality and identity are then mixed together, creating rather unfair shortcuts.
Testimony: Jeannot, 18 years old
Jeannot is 18 years old, he is bisexual, measures 1m75 and weighs 75 kg, and leads an organized life between his studies during the week and his escort activity on weekends. He explains that he chose to work only on weekends so he could continue school without compromising his academic path. He advertises exclusively on RentMen Montréal.
In his male escort activity, he emphasizes one point: he chooses his clients and refuses to accept just any request. This selection is, according to him, part of his way of maintaining control over what he does and over the conditions in which he agrees to meet.
His online presence is important in his activity. His service page has 367,054 visitors, a level of visibility he considers to be part of what justifies the higher rates he charges. For him, this popularity directly affects the value he places on his time and availability.
He also explains that he works with constant caution. Even though he says he enjoys what he does and feels free in his choices, he acknowledges that he is often afraid of being assaulted. This concern influences the way he manages encounters and selects the people he agrees to work with.
Testimony: Lane, 21 years old
Lane is 21 years old. He is Black, measures about 5’10 and weighs 150 pounds, with a very muscular build, and advertises mainly on Leolist. He works full-time as an escort and describes this activity as something he genuinely enjoys, both for the freedom and the lifestyle it allows.
He explains that he quickly managed to generate significant income in the male escort industry, sometimes more than he initially expected. This financial ease has given him a lifestyle he recognizes as difficult to regulate. He admits that he spends money easily on impulsive purchases and pleasures he himself describes as “frivolities,” without always planning long-term.
Regarding his way of working, Lane takes a very open position. He says he does not refuse men who contact him, because he considers his activity as a service. According to him, everyone has the right to experience moments of sexuality or sensuality that can bring well-being, and he sees his role as contributing to that.
He has never been involved in violent situations, but he knew a young man who was doing escort work to finance drug use and who was the victim of a particularly violent rape, from which he remained deeply traumatized.
Safety in sex work
For an escort, safety relies mainly on simple, consistent reflexes that are difficult to improvise in the moment. The general idea is to reduce unpredictability, without ever being able to eliminate it completely. It must not be forgotten that there are unstable people everywhere in society.
Before any meeting, verifying as much as possible the identity and information of the person is essential. Many sex workers use prior exchanges via messages, sometimes with verifiable elements (number, social networks, references from other known clients in the field). The important thing is not absolute certainty, but identifying inconsistencies.
Informing a trusted person about appointments is also a safety measure that is often underestimated. Giving the time, place and a contact point allows someone to react in case of a problem or lack of news.
The choice of location matters greatly. Known, accessible places that allow for quick departure are generally preferred, especially at the beginning of a relationship with a client. The ability to leave freely must always be preserved.
During the meeting, maintaining constant awareness of one’s environment and feelings is crucial. Many experienced escorts emphasize the importance of not ignoring signs of discomfort, even subtle ones, and giving oneself the right to end a situation at any time.
Legal framework of prostitution in Canada
In Canada, the prostitution law in Canada is quite particular and often misunderstood.
Since 2014, with the law called the Protection of Communities and Exploited Persons Act (PCEPA), the legal framework is often referred to as the “Nordic model.”
In practice, this means that selling one’s own sexual services is not criminalized, so a person who engages in prostitution cannot be prosecuted simply for that.
However, buying sexual services is illegal and can lead to criminal charges.
In Canada, the law also considers that simply communicating in public or in a public place to purchase sexual services can be an offence, even if no meeting ultimately takes place and even if no sexual act occurs.
Concretely, this targets situations where a potential client tries to negotiate or arrange a sexual service in a public space (for example a street, a parked car in a public place, or certain types of communication visible in public).
The legislator’s idea is to prevent solicitation in public spaces, to reduce so-called “public nuisances” and limit the visibility of sex work transactions in places frequented by the population.
On the other hand, private exchanges beforehand (for example via phone or private messaging) are not automatically targeted in the same way, although the overall context can still be assessed by the courts depending on the circumstances.
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