Porn, Whores and Feminists (2006)

Porn, Whores and Feminists is about the historical and political roots of the so-called ’Swedish model’ of prostitution that criminalises the clients of sex workers. The book is an analysis of the Swedish anti-porn and prostitution discourse from the mid-1970s to 2005. It explains why the arguments against commercial sex came to take the form they did in Sweden, and it examines those arguments by exposing the paradoxes they both build on and perpetuate. The book shows how even though Swedish prostitution policy is paraded by the Swedish government as a glowing example of good gender equality politics, it is founded on traditional and stereotypical notions of gender and sexuality, sex essentialism, and the whore stigma.

The second part of the book consists of interviews with Swedish sex workers, who talk about how they themselves understand sex work and the consequences of the Swedish prostitution policy.

Porn, Whores and Feminists is the fullest and most authoritative treatment of Swedish prostitution policy to date. It has been lauded in Sweden as the best non-fiction book of the year; "a unique and significant book that raises important questions about the nature of freedom and sexuality". It explains the cultural context and feminist background of the ”Swedish model”, and why Swedish authorities vigorously promote the model globally, even though there is no scientific data proving its effectiveness.

The book is feminist and pro-sex workers' rights. The author writes: 

This is what I have found to be the most frustrating paradox of all. That women with power ensure that women without power become even more powerless. That they, instead of listening, create laws that make life harder for women who often find themselves near the lowest strata of the society. And that those of us who attempt to point out the anti-feminist aspect in this are accused of being anti-feminists.

Porn, Whores and Feminists is currently in the process of undergoing English translation, aided by crowdfunding, and is to be published as an Open Source project.