By Peter Berton
Devon Delacroix is a professional writer, and a sex worker catering to male clients. He is also the retired author of Xtra’s ‘Hard Labour’ column (still available online).
Hard
Labour provides readers with fascinating insights into the real life of
a male sex worker, the pantheon of sexual tastes they serve – and some
unique adventures that are eye-opening and
insightful.
I have long
been impressed by Devon Delacroix’s work, and regret the ending of Hard
Labour. (There is nothing else quite like it on the web, as far as I
know.) So I took a chance and contacted Devon if he would talk with us
at NakedTruth.ca … and he did!
Peter Berton: Please tell us a bit about yourself, and why/how you became a male escort.
Devon Delacroix:
I’d never really considered entering the sex business before I started.
And it wasn’t something I thought would last. As I detail in one of my
earliest columns “The Beginning” (https://www.dailyxtra.com/hard-labour-3-65600)
I’d already been working as a writer for several years and had finally
managed to get to the point where I could make ends meet each month. But
in the years since grad school, I’d racked up some credit card debt,
mainly when I didn’t have enough cash to buy groceries. I’d found out
that a friend of my ex (a forty-something silver-haired daddy) was a
part-time escort.
Prior to this, I’d assumed male sex workers
all looked like Chippendales, so it wasn’t something I thought I’d be
able to do. But I figured if he was doing it, maybe there was space for a
scruffy, lanky guy-next-door type like me. I decided to try it for a
few months and, to my surprise, I found that I actually liked it. I’ve
been at it almost fifteen years now and have no immediate plans to quit.
Peter Berton: How did your ‘Hard Labour’ come to be?
Devon Delacroix:
I was already a regular contributor at Xtra (mostly writing arts and
entertainment stories). I’d been thinking of writing about sex work for a
while, but wasn’t sure what format to follow.
Initially, I was a bit apprehensive about doing first person stories. Would people actually want to read another whore diary?
I
approached the editor at the time and asked if he might be interested
in a couple of columns on the topic. He was incredibly open-minded and
supportive, giving me total freedom to do whatever I wanted, and the
format just gradually emerged.
Peter Berton: How did writing this column change you, and what did you learn from doing it?
Devon Delacroix:
It was exciting to have the chance to write something more narrative,
since nearly all of my previous writing work leaned more towards
reportage. I think the big discovery was that there was actually an
interest in the subjects I was discussing.
Before I started the
column, I’d spent some time scouring the internet, trying to find other
guys writing about sex work. With the exception of a few rarely updated
blogs, there just wasn’t much else out there, so it seemed like the
column was potentially filling a void.
One of the things that’s
been interesting is that, in terms of reader responses I’ve received,
I’ve never had anyone who identified themselves as an escort approach me
about the column. I’m actually kind of curious what other escorts think
of it, whether it parallels their experiences in any way, and if it’s
inspired any of them to share their own stories.
Peter Berton: What are the misconceptions about being a male escort that you were trying to dispel with your column?
Devon Delacroix: I don’t know that I was trying to dispel misconceptions, as much just share my own experiences.
I
definitely had certain ideas of what a “typical” male escort looked
like before I started working. But now I know there’s really no such
thing. We run the gamut from barely-legal twinks to sixty-something
daddy bears. In my case, I think I do break certain escort stereotypes
in that I’m pretty well educated (having just completed a second masters
degree and preparing to start my PhD) and that I’m the furthest thing
from a party boy you can imagine (you’re much more likely to find me in
yoga class than a nightclub).
I think maybe the biggest
misconception people have about sex work is that they don’t think they
know anyone who’s a sex worker. A lot of us are closeted or
semi-closeted about our activities, because we don’t necessarily want
our friends, relatives, or employers (because many of us have a second
career) to know what we’re doing. No matter who you are, I can virtually
guarantee that you know someone who’s turned tricks, whether or not
they’ve told you.
Peter Berton: How has your perception of your clients changed over the years?
Devon
Delacroix: I can’t say that the way I perceive my clients has changed
much, though my clients definitely have. When I started out I was in my
mid-twenties and nearly all of my clients were significantly older,
mid-fifties and up. Now, in my late thirties, I probably have an equal
number of clients who are younger than I am, including some guys who are
nineteen or twenty.
I would also say that I’ve become a bit
sharper over time, more able to judge what people like and which clients
to avoid. Part of that may just be sexual maturity. As you have more
sex and more sexual partners, you just get better at it.
Peter Berton: Why did you stop writing Hard Labour? And are you still in the business?
Devon Delacroix:
After four years, it felt like the right time to step back and make
some space for other folks who wanted to share their stories. I’m not
sure what my immediate steps are writing-wise, though I’ve received a
couple of arts council grants in the last year to work on a book.
I’m
still working as an escort with no immediate plan to stop. When I
started, I figured I’d do it for a few months to get my Visa bill under
control. I decided to stick with it as long as I enjoyed it and I’m
still enjoying it. I don’t know if I’ll make it to fifty, but you never
know.
About the Author
Winner
of the NakedTruth.ca award for Favourite Adult Journalist, Peter Berton
has written for Adult Video News, Klixxx, XBIZ, Xtra, and YNOT.com. He
likes to interview sex workers to tap into their vast knowledge about
human nature, business marketing, work/life balance and succeeding as
entrepreneurs.