Girls Like Us: Fighting For a World Where Girls Are Not For Sale

The chapter begins with the story of GEMS client Tiffany, a 12-year-old who escapes foster care only to be recruited into sex trafficking by a man who calls himself Charming. As Lloyd describes, “He was more polite than the boys Tiffany was used to, he talked to her like a person” (87). Charming invites Tiffany to live with him. He buys her provocative outfits and teaches her how to dance in a seductive way. After offering her food, shelter, and romance for a few weeks, Charming coaxes her into selling sex. Though Tiffany feels uncomfortable, she agrees because she wants to continue her relationship with Charming. She believes it will only happen one time. However, this request continues for four years.

Lloyd describes several other cases similar to Tiffany’s: girls who begin selling their bodies, either voluntarily or involuntarily, due to a lack of shelter, dysfunctional family lives, or financial desperation. Lloyd maintains that pimps prey on the most vulnerable girls in society. She then analyzes the ways in which pimps are glorified in mass media. While women are often shamed for their involvement in the sex industry, men are frequently praised.