Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) has declared "sex work is work" as she shared her thoughts on a female paramedic with an OnlyFans account, who was the focus of a recent New York Post article.
According to the piece by Rolling Stone, 23-year-old Lauren Kwei was "shamed" by the conservative news outlet for starting an OnlyFans account while practicing as a paramedic.
Including a link to a Rolling Stone article covering the story, AOC wrote:
"Sex work is work. The federal gov has done almost nothing to help people in months. We must pass stimulus checks, UI, small biz relief, hospital funding, etc."
She added: "Keep the focus of shame there, not on marginalizing people surviving a pandemic without help."
Responding directly to the article in The Independent, Kwei wrote: "I was exposed as a sex worker who is also a New York City paramedic.
"The New York Post published a story shaming me for selling my nude photos online and made sure to include my full name, photos of me, my education, my height and weight, my location, and my workplace."
Throughout her op-ed, Kwei details her struggles as a medical professional and hails her many achievements as a paramedic, concluding:
"How I make my money in order to help those in need is nobody’s business but my own, and certainly no patient has asked if I’m on OnlyFans before allowing me to help them."
OnlyFans allows individuals with large online followings to make money posting content that only paying fans can view. It is primarily known for being used by sex workers to post exclusive x-rated content.
The popular subscription service has allowed many people, women especially, to capitalize on their own bodies and sexuality, catapulting some to online stardom.
In fact, according to Business Insider, adult content creator Monica Huldt - one of the site's top earners - is making more than $100,000 a year, from her $6.50 subscription service as well as pay-per-view and commissioned work.
Kwei decided to start posting racy content on the site in order to support her income. It is also believed that she worked as a hostess at a Korean restaurant.
According to Rolling Stone, The New York Post made the 23-year-old's situation public without her knowledge or consent - in a bid to shame her rather than applaud her for holding down multiple jobs amid a tough economic climate.
Furthermore, Kwei addressed the viral article in a post to Facebook and Twitter on Monday, (December 21).
She wrote:
"Over the past 3 days, my life and the intimate details of it have been made public for millions of strangers to read and judge. There are many people telling me what they think I should do and giving me advice I did not ask for.
"Let me be very clear: I did not want the NY Post to run this article, much less use my name. When Dean Balsamini first “interviewed” me, he did not tell me what this was about until after I disclosed most of my background.
"He did not include in his article that I started crying on the phone when he finally did tell me what he was inquiring about. He did not include that he played this “friendly guy” reporter who just wanted to get MY side of the story, since ya know, they were gonna run it anyway, with or without my input.
"I know my actions have consequences and I know some of you think I was naive. I truly believe whoever 'tipped' the post does not know me personally because anyone who knows me knows the kind of person I am. Let me tell you who I am. This is me."
Kwei then went on to tell her story from her own perspective, revealing that she is from a small town in West Virginia. She also explained that her mother's family is from northern West Virginia and her father's parents were immigrants from China.
Kwei is the eldest of four children and her family was one of the only mixed-race families in a predominately white town. She worked as an EMT for a year then quit because she couldn't put herself through paramedic school on minimum wage.
"I went back to hosting at a restaurant to make ends meet while I worked a year through paramedic school, which was one of the most challenging things I have ever done," Kwei said. "I graduated paramedic school in February of 2020 and have been working ever since."
"I struggled a lot during the height of the pandemic," she revealed. "I was suicidal a lot of this year. I had panic attacks at work and even had a supervisor tell me I should consider another profession if I didn’t grow a thicker skin. I am a damn good paramedic.
"I LOVE my job and I love taking care of people. I don’t want to quit my day job and get my bag on OnlyFans — I want to serve the city of New York."
Kwei then went on to say that she and her fellow First Responders are "suffering" due to exhaustion, being refused hazard pay, reusing months of old PPE, and watching their fellow healthcare workers "die in front of our eyes."