Hustler / Prostitution

Hustler is a term, most common in gay male contexts, for a man who does sex work, exchanging sexual services for money or material support. The word has a long history in queer culture, from the "fairies" and street hustlers of the early twentieth century to the young men portrayed in films and literature. It is often linked to survival sex, where LGBTQ+ people, especially those pushed out of their homes, turn to sex work out of economic need. Sex worker rights, safety, and the push to decriminalize sex work are important issues in LGBTQ+ advocacy, particularly for trans women and queer youth of color, who face disproportionate risk. Language here matters: many advocates prefer "sex worker" over stigmatizing terms.