Why The Gay Community Needs To Stop Slut-Shaming Robert Sepulveda Jr.

Last week, we published an article online that shared information regarding Robert Sepulveda Jr.’s past. After we shared the article, a barrage of comments berated us for sharing this news, as many people saw our post as shady journalism.

To clarify, we are extremely sex positive and do not believe in shaming anyone who has previously or currently works in this industry. Our post was intended to create dialogue about this topic and to question how it will be dealt with during the narrative of the show – if at all. We do hope to give Sepulveda a platform to share his story, as it is not our story to tell.

Because Next is a forum for many voices and opinions regarding our community, we reached out to one commenter who voiced criticism for our coverage. We asked them to respond to our piece to keep the conversation going. Here is what they had to say. – Alexander Kacala, Editor-in-Chief, Next Magazine

It’s never surprising when the world of heteronormativity show signs of distaste towards homosexuality, but a surprising new trend has us cannibalizing ourselves more and more.

Some websites recently revealed that Logo’s “Prince Charming” bachelor, Robert Sepulveda Jr., has a past in sex work. In classic TMZ-esq form, the original source continues to reveal his stats and other “juicy” details that gossip readers will surely eat up.

A knee-jerk response from anyone might expect this kind of exposure when placed in the limelight, but is sex work something that should come back to haunt us?

After Rentboy was raided by Homeland Security last year, male sex workers that used the site were left feeling uncertain and afraid of what might happen next. If they had jobs outside of sex work, they feared outage. If sex work was their primary means of income, they feared homelessness and a basket of other struggles that come hand in hand with the life of a full time sex worker. Among the voices of support that chimed in, were smatterings of discord that blamed those involved for being sex workers in the first place. As gay cis/transmen, our sexualities have been a major focus of disgust from heterosexuals, so why join that chorus and shame those among us who use their bodies and sexuality to pay the bills?

When we sensationalize sex work, make it the proverbial skeleton in the closet, the topic of a scandalous gossip report, we’re contributing to the idea that sex work is something of which to be ashamed. In the same way that Hollywood frantically buzzes when a starlet’s nudes leak, it enforces the shame of sexuality and using our bodies for pleasure. Sex workers are drawn to the field for many different reasons, but for those who use their bodies as a means of survival, shouldn’t we be fighting for their dignity to live and survive?

The community that Rentboy created was invaluable for queer sex workers by allowing them to make their own choices and to take charge of their own bodies. In RentBoy’s absence, the only clear solution to keep sex workers safe is legalization: Work force regulations are put in place to protect workers from abuse, from poor treatment and without any of these safeguards, sex workers are more vulnerable than any of us. Now, more than ever, we need to join forces and fight to legitimize humanity’s oldest profession.

How, then, should we respond to this scandal? In a perfect world, we wouldn’t out sex workers in the first place, but the world is far from perfect, isn’t it? I believe, the most important thing is to allow someone, and in this case, Robert Sepulveda Jr, to reveal this information on their own terms. Perhaps, Mr. Sepulveda Jr. could make light of this incident and use it as a platform to showcase that sex work doesn’t ruin your life, that it doesn’t stop you from succeeding; his past as a Rentboy didn’t condemn his future. If we applaud people who worked three jobs and, “busted their ass,” to sustain themselves, why should sex workers be viewed differently? Everyone is trying to survive.

Whether Sepulveda Jr. chooses to acknowledge this or not is entirely up to him; he doesn’t owe an explanation to any of us, and quite frankly, neither does Logo. The very notion that Prince Charming can’t be a Rentboy is absurd, after all, isn’t that what you hired him to be in the first place?