Cyd_StVincent

What I'm saying is that homeless people are already treated as if they are junkies who are trying to live life for free on someone elses dime, regardless of if they use or they are a teetotaler (and yes they do exist) . The life of a homeless person is, as I am sure you know, is more complicated than that. Most people who use substances excessively don't do it for 'fun' they do it to cope, not saying its a healthy strategy but its a strategy, when you are treated like trash from the get go its hard to resist doing something to dull the feeling of being humiliated and so the cycle begins.
 
I'm not invested in getting anyone to give money to homeless people. Its your money - you do what you want with it. But the assumptions that people are making about an experience that nobody seems to have had first hand make me a little sad for what I had seen as a pretty open minded group.

What I'm saying is that homeless people are already treated as if they are junkies who are trying to live life for free on someone elses dime, regardless of if they use or they are a teetotaler (and yes they do exist) . The life of a homeless person is, as I am sure you know, is more complicated than that. Most people who use substances excessively don't do it for 'fun' they do it to cope, not saying its a healthy strategy but its a strategy, when you are treated like trash from the get go its hard to resist doing something to dull the feeling of being humiliated and so the cycle begins.
 
I'm not invested in getting anyone to give money to homeless people. Its your money - you do what you want with it. But the assumptions that people are making about an experience that nobody seems to have had first hand make me a little sad for what I had seen as a pretty open minded group.

I worked at a clinic with homeless clients. Yes people sometimes buy drugs - sometimes in the task of staying awake during the night so they don't get raped, beaten up, get their shit stolen because sleeping outdoors is very dangerous for everyone. Against popular train of thought drugs are very rarely the REASON someone is homeless however. Many were kicked out of home as young LGBT people or escaped abusive parenting or fostering, some are adults with low literacy and or mental health conditions that make it difficult to obtain or keep work, others are people who did jail time and because of discrimination are unable to find employment so its either going back to selling drugs or homelessness, and finally sometimes a health issue or a major financial or emotional setback (wrecking your car that you run your business out of, your house burning down, loosing your partner or parent) is what makes people homeless. I think people see the world from their eyes and can't imagine something like that happening to them, but thats because they have a safety net that not every has.
 
I give money to people every day, sometimes if I've had a well paying session I'll give 20 dollars to someone. Yes, obviously I have my preferences and biases of who I give to but I try to do it without judgement of what I think they should buy with it, because they, not I, know what they need to do to survive.
 
Also I would ask - how many people here smoke weed, drink, do cocaine or other drugs, smoke a lot, spend your money on sex workers? What makes your vices sanctified and another persons disgusting? I think we all have a self protective narrative about pulling yourself up from your bootstraps - and the reality is that is a lot harder for some people to do because of the circumstances of their life than others. And a lot of people don't particularly want to be sober while being looked at/talked to/spit on like useless failure every day, can you blame them?

I don't give to panhandlers. I think that is "feel good" money. It makes the giver feel good about themselves and does little to really help the recipient....But that's just my opinion, and whether or not I'm correct or not isn't something that I ponder for long. I volunteered for years at shelters and church groups that helped the street kids of Hollywood. Yes there were users and addicts and some that had fallen through the cracks of the mental health system, and yes, some said they were homeless by choice, but I don't honestly believe that anyone really wants to be homeless.
 
I think the streets are worse than they used to be. Drug use is more rampant, more pervasive, and that alone makes street survival more dangerous. Talking with many of these kids, the stories were usually all the same. They had been tossed out of their house somewhere because their parents found out they were gay or they came from toxic households full of mental and physical abuse, were they had become a burden or an inconvenience. Not all the stories were the same of course, but what was the main constant in all the stories, is that they all had headed west, wanting and looking for the same thing most everyone else wants in life.
 
These days I am far removed from that environment, and I prefer to spend my extra time and money at animal shelters, where homelessness was never a choice, and street survival is a death sentence.

I'm always so excited when I get guys into fisting - both ways - it's one of my favorite forms of sex. I've had some really amazing moments with clients during these sessions. I'll just say, once you feel someones heartbeat at the tips of your fingers you don't soon forget that time with them.

Because some guys like to bareback!
 
Are you using condoms for blowjobs? Because if not, you can easily contract and spread all the STIs you mentioned from oral sex. That's not a risk SPECIFIC to bareback anal sex.
 
If guys are asking you to bareback when your profiles clearly state that you DON'T, then I certainly empathise with you though. It's never acceptable for a client to push your boundaries when you've already said NO.
 
But at the end of the day, your safer sex preferences are not superior to anyone else's. We all make choices about which risks we want to take and which we don't. You can justify your choices and condemn someone else's by citing STI risks, but in reality no penetrative sex (including oral) is truly safe. The best we can do is choose the types of protection that make us feel at peace with our choices.
 
And you are NOT competing with escorts who bareback for clients who are exclusively interested in barebacking. Those clients will find what they want regardless. If you don't provide the service that they are looking for, they will move onto someone else because that's what people do.
 
If the exchanges are annoying you then I would recommend making it exceedingly clear in all your marketing that you don't BB and don't want to be asked about it. Consider anyone who asks you to reconsider to be a boundary-pusher and delete them without responding. Problem solved.

The law in that case is about traffic safety. Why the hell shouldn't someone be able to give someone else money if they want to?

I worked at a clinic with homeless clients. Yes people sometimes buy drugs - sometimes in the task of staying awake during the night so they don't get raped, beaten up, get their shit stolen because sleeping outdoors is very dangerous for everyone. Against popular train of thought drugs are very rarely the REASON someone is homeless however. Many were kicked out of home as young LGBT people or escaped abusive parenting or fostering, some are adults with low literacy and or mental health conditions that make it difficult to obtain or keep work, others are people who did jail time and because of discrimination are unable to find employment so its either going back to selling drugs or homelessness, and finally sometimes a health issue or a major financial or emotional setback (wrecking your car that you run your business out of, your house burning down, loosing your partner or parent) is what makes people homeless. I think people see the world from their eyes and can't imagine something like that happening to them, but thats because they have a safety net that not every has.
 
I give money to people every day, sometimes if I've had a well paying session I'll give 20 dollars to someone. Yes, obviously I have my preferences and biases of who I give to but I try to do it without judgement of what I think they should buy with it, because they, not I, know what they need to do to survive.
 
Also I would ask - how many people here smoke weed, drink, do cocaine or other drugs, smoke a lot, spend your money on sex workers? What makes your vices sanctified and another persons disgusting? I think we all have a self protective narrative about pulling yourself up from your bootstraps - and the reality is that is a lot harder for some people to do because of the circumstances of their life than others. And a lot of people don't particularly want to be sober while being looked at/talked to/spit on like useless failure every day, can you blame them?

I worked at a clinic with homeless clients. Yes people sometimes buy drugs - sometimes in the task of staying awake during the night so they don't get raped, beaten up, get their shit stolen because sleeping outdoors is very dangerous for everyone. Against popular train of thought drugs are very rarely the REASON someone is homeless however. Many were kicked out of home as young LGBT people or escaped abusive parenting or fostering, some are adults with low literacy and or mental health conditions that make it difficult to obtain or keep work, others are people who did jail time and because of discrimination are unable to find employment so its either going back to selling drugs or homelessness, and finally sometimes a health issue or a major financial or emotional setback (wrecking your car that you run your business out of, your house burning down, loosing your partner or parent) is what makes people homeless. I think people see the world from their eyes and can't imagine something like that happening to them, but thats because they have a safety net that not every has.
 
I give money to people every day, sometimes if I've had a well paying session I'll give 20 dollars to someone. Yes, obviously I have my preferences and biases of who I give to but I try to do it without judgement of what I think they should buy with it, because they, not I, know what they need to do to survive.
 
Also I would ask - how many people here smoke weed, drink, do cocaine or other drugs, smoke a lot, spend your money on sex workers? What makes your vices sanctified and another persons disgusting? I think we all have a self protective narrative about pulling yourself up from your bootstraps - and the reality is that is a lot harder for some people to do because of the circumstances of their life than others. And a lot of people don't particularly want to be sober while being looked at/talked to/spit on like useless failure every day, can you blame them?

Cynical group here. When I give, which is sometimes, I do so with the expectation that I have no control over what that person may do with the money I give to him nor how much money that person has accrued by this activity, but rather I do it with the expectation that at this particular time and in this particular place, I am feeling a kindness towards another human being who may need my help. On a cold winter night walking in the streets of the NE, I may slip a bill of some denomination into the sleeping bag of a person sleeping on the street with the hope that this may be the dollar or five or ten, that brings this person back. I know some find this naive, I find that the world is frequently a hopeless place and I figure I am not giving away money, I am buying a bit of hope for myself and perhaps the recipient as well.

I’m like the old-lady-with-a-dozen-cats who holds the Mormon door-knocker as a conversational hostage.

I worked at a clinic with homeless clients. Yes people sometimes buy drugs - sometimes in the task of staying awake during the night so they don't get raped, beaten up, get their shit stolen because sleeping outdoors is very dangerous for everyone. Against popular train of thought drugs are very rarely the REASON someone is homeless however. Many were kicked out of home as young LGBT people or escaped abusive parenting or fostering, some are adults with low literacy and or mental health conditions that make it difficult to obtain or keep work, others are people who did jail time and because of discrimination are unable to find employment so its either going back to selling drugs or homelessness, and finally sometimes a health issue or a major financial or emotional setback (wrecking your car that you run your business out of, your house burning down, loosing your partner or parent) is what makes people homeless. I think people see the world from their eyes and can't imagine something like that happening to them, but thats because they have a safety net that not every has.
 
I give money to people every day, sometimes if I've had a well paying session I'll give 20 dollars to someone. Yes, obviously I have my preferences and biases of who I give to but I try to do it without judgement of what I think they should buy with it, because they, not I, know what they need to do to survive.
 
Also I would ask - how many people here smoke weed, drink, do cocaine or other drugs, smoke a lot, spend your money on sex workers? What makes your vices sanctified and another persons disgusting? I think we all have a self protective narrative about pulling yourself up from your bootstraps - and the reality is that is a lot harder for some people to do because of the circumstances of their life than others. And a lot of people don't particularly want to be sober while being looked at/talked to/spit on like useless failure every day, can you blame them?

I worked at a clinic with homeless clients. Yes people sometimes buy drugs - sometimes in the task of staying awake during the night so they don't get raped, beaten up, get their shit stolen because sleeping outdoors is very dangerous for everyone. Against popular train of thought drugs are very rarely the REASON someone is homeless however. Many were kicked out of home as young LGBT people or escaped abusive parenting or fostering, some are adults with low literacy and or mental health conditions that make it difficult to obtain or keep work, others are people who did jail time and because of discrimination are unable to find employment so its either going back to selling drugs or homelessness, and finally sometimes a health issue or a major financial or emotional setback (wrecking your car that you run your business out of, your house burning down, loosing your partner or parent) is what makes people homeless. I think people see the world from their eyes and can't imagine something like that happening to them, but thats because they have a safety net that not every has.
 
I give money to people every day, sometimes if I've had a well paying session I'll give 20 dollars to someone. Yes, obviously I have my preferences and biases of who I give to but I try to do it without judgement of what I think they should buy with it, because they, not I, know what they need to do to survive.
 
Also I would ask - how many people here smoke weed, drink, do cocaine or other drugs, smoke a lot, spend your money on sex workers? What makes your vices sanctified and another persons disgusting? I think we all have a self protective narrative about pulling yourself up from your bootstraps - and the reality is that is a lot harder for some people to do because of the circumstances of their life than others. And a lot of people don't particularly want to be sober while being looked at/talked to/spit on like useless failure every day, can you blame them?

I always do a particularly NYC way of "giving" - I have an unlimited monthly card for use of the subways, and there are often people at the station from where i exit who need a free "swipe" in order to be able to use the train.
 
I always --without exception-- share the use of my transit pass with people in need.

And that's why you are loved! I always give money to musicians on the street and as far as others, it just depends on how I feel. On my previous trip to DC, a presumably homeless woman helped me to figure out the Metro card machine, then asked if I could spare a dollar, the smallest bill I had was a $20, so I gave it to her. I especially find that if I'm traveling and doing well financially, than I want to share that blessing with others.

Sometimes - it’s depends on the circumstance.
But it seems a little odd if I have two metaphorical apples in my hand and someone else has none for me to not give him one.

I have and did. (What he said)

Hmm I think there is a lot of variety in how people make them. Some people are making many super short videos a day and others put up longer ones less frequently. Most of my videos are 2-6 minutes long - not long enough to release as a full video for sure but long enough for most people to use in the way god intended

Thank you! I think that one is my personal favorite too. Maybe my first production as FTM will be an updated version of that same type of concept. I do love having things in my mouth...

You don't feel like switching streams mid moment?
 
The reason many of my clips are 5 minutes or less is because most are shot either by me or by the person fucking me and more than 5 minutes is a long time to multitask like that. For more professional clips, the cost of making them isn't really worth how much you end up getting paid - OnlyFans tends to be more of a quantity over quality game. I'm doing some shoots this coming week and I'm planning to get a videographer. I'll probably put all of the content up on OnlyFans but also put it on a clip site as well.

Hmm I think there is a lot of variety in how people make them. Some people are making many super short videos a day and others put up longer ones less frequently. Most of my videos are 2-6 minutes long - not long enough to release as a full video for sure but long enough for most people to use in the way god intended

I think its awesome - I'm not going to get paid to make the porn I want to by many studios through Onlyfans I can film whatever I want with whoever I want. Its made my sex life a lot more interesting and I think I'm making pretty great content if I do say so myself, without charging a huge amount for it and get 80% of the profits, and the cut is totally worth it for not making a website and doing all credit card processing BS. I think sites like OnlyFans will be the future, except not OnlyFans because they don't require proof of age and that shit is gonna get them shut down soon¯\_(ツ)_/¯

This.

Hey @Raptor Attack ,
 
 
A lot of great info already posted here, so I'll try not to be too repetitive. I'll preface by saying that my experience isn't necessarily reflective of the industry (after all, I'm a Black, skinny, kinda femme, pre-op, trans guy), but I hope it will help you get a better sense of what you might expect.
 
Does anyone want trans guys?
Reception has generally been positive for me. In one sense, it's been very affirming because I, too, feared no one would be interested in me because chiseled, cis masculine bodies are what's idealized. As cliché as it is, there's literally someone for everyone and you'll find guys who are attracted to you and what you have to offer. I’m also on hormones but no surgery—some guys are attracted to that or at least curious. Your attractiveness will greatly increase based on how you see yourself, too, so think about what parts of yourself you love most and highlight that.
 
 
Learn your market.
Escorting is a business like any other, and successful business usually thrive on more than luck. Definitely research your market and “competition” (to borrow a business term, because we don’t compete against each other), learn who is already out there, and what you can provide that is different or not yet available. Being trans gives you some leverage in that regard because you’ll automatically stand out from the multitude of cis guys who embody the idealized frat boy or gym rat look. The point is, think about how you’ll market yourself.
 
Starting out can happen in may ways, and factors such as your location, profile photos, rates, and income need will affect how you proceed. I had a full-time job when I started, and was based in a major metro. Because this wasn’t my main source of income and I had limited hours, I didn’t have or take on a lot of clients.
 
 
Places to advertise.
I started with a free trial at Rentmen and got my first client there. I read a lot about escorting, mostly from women, and learned things to be careful about, red flags to watch out for, etc., and went to my first appointment with a guy who was also new to hiring and didn’t know what to expect. I’ve also advertised on Backpage, Craigslist (CL), and Adam4Adam (A4A). I got a few clients on CL and A4A. Since CL is free, you’ll get a lot more time wasters and perhaps some unsavory characters who look very poorly upon sex workers, so screening will be especially important. A4A is also free, but you can’t mark yourself as a “service provider” without a paid account, so you’ll get a lot of guys looking to hook up, even if you use coded language suggesting you’re there for business. I’d suggest trying a A4A Pro ad for a short period and seeing what response you get. Some platforms are more popular in certain places than others (e.g., I think men4rentnow is popular in small towns in the US), so I’d suggest trying them all out (at least the free ones).
 
I’ve learned that a good portion of my clients are bi-curious if not straight, so I’m starting to consider other traditional (aka “straight” or “not gay”) escort platforms like Slixa, Eros, and P411 to see if I can expand my client base.
 
 
Photos.
I also only had a crappy digital camera to take pictures—I can’t stress enough how important good photos are. If you have a photographer friend who could help or can negotiate a reduced rate in exchange for photo credit, getting professional photos is highly recommended. I know I’m giving advise I have yet to take…I’m in a transition period right now, but plan to take some new photos within the net month or so.
 
 
 
Rates.
As @Cyd_StVincent said, women can way charge more for their services (I’ve seen many ask for $600 per hour or more), whereas most M4M escorts hover around $200-300. Again, there’s no hard rule: I know a male escort who is open to all genders who asks for $600. I would resist the temptation to underprice yourself as some guys read that as a red flag.
 
 
Handling safety, LEOs, client expectations.
Turns out, protocol in the M4M world and straight world is very different. I’ve read about women providers setting alarm clocks and kicking clients out right away, counting money in the bathroom (or in front of the client), and other tactics that the guys on here would balk at. Where you advertise and how you market yourself might affect how clients expect to interact with you, but at the end of the day, your safety comes first and you can decide how to handle clients in a way that makes you feel safe. Develop some screening methods based on the type of clients you have (it seems this is another place where M4M and women providers differ as well in the type and level of screening).
 
 
Develop a network of peers.
Related to safety is your social circle/peer network. Find out who are also sex workers in your area and see if you can meet up with them for coffee or lunch or whatever. Even if they’re not local, knowing other escorts is really helpful, especially if you’re not out in your civilian life as an escort. Knowing fellow providers is invaluable for getting tips on screening, advertising, LEO raid warnings, etc. I’ve connected with lots of great sex workers through this forum and on Twitter and most are happy to help each other stay safe. You’ve obviously started doing this by posting here, so keep it up!
 
Reading other providers’ experiences and participating in places such as Daddy’s will help you learn some common things to watch out regarding LEOs, bad clients, and safety concerns. There’s too many to even list here, but a fundamental one you should always remember is “if it’s too good to be true, it probably is.” Also, if you’re unsure, don’t do it. The worst is you lose a client if you go with your gut a decline an appointment.
 
 
Conclusion.
There’s so much to learn, and even with experience, no one is an “expert.” Connecting with others, being open to learning, keeping your wits about you, and developing as many safety nets as you can afford will take you a long way. Feel free to follow me on Twitter @AndreFutureFTM

Hey! Sorry I just got your message. I am going to share some thoughts here because I'm sure there might be other lurkers and it could be useful for posterities sake. I think people have shared really good general advice and support here, which I would absolutely agree with. I'm going to go into the specificities of things that may or may not be relevant to your situation. In my tone I want to be encouraging but also realistic, so hopefully that comes across
 
I've been an FTM escort for what I imagine is longer than most on here, I transitioned on the job as it were in 2010. When I was earlier on in my transition the market for gay men interested in a man with a gender ambiguous body wasn't very big and so I worked as a woman until hormones made it too awkward to do that, and I got top surgery soon after. Now, times have changed. I think as a whole cis gay men are much more interested in people with different types of bodies, including trans bodies, now. Now, I'm not going to make any assumptions about what you look like (although your headshot is super cute) but since you said you don't always pass, I'm going to give advice kind of in response to that
 
How you want to advertise yourself has totally to do with the following things:
The amount of clients you want to see
The cultural literacy in the region you live in (do people know what trans is?)
What your body looks like and how you present yourself
Your comfort with how you like your body touched, referred to, safe sex practices
 
Cis women, including butchy tomboy gender weirdo cis women generally see more clients than trans guys, at a higher rate and with more ability to navigate boundaries. If it is not the situation that you can either pass as female or you don't want to, marketing will be more difficult - but as you've seen from the friendliness you've received here there will absolutely be gay and bi men who are excited to hire you, but the pool will be smaller and the rate you can charge might be lower as well. If you are doing sex work to try it out or to have side money to support yourself through transition thats totally fine though - there are free or cheaper sites you can advertise on (hourboy, craigslist dating, backpage) and you can put up an ad and wait for the perfect person to come to you. I do feel like rentmen is also the site that has brought me the best, most trans competent, clients although it costs more.
 
I honestly suggest to people new to the sex industry that they try different types of work before going to escorting, especially trans people. There are a lot of power dynamics that arise during sessions, especially when you are new and anxious about doing well - and while some people will be kind to you others may take advantage of any nervousness about maintaining boundaries. Getting used to the practice of engaging with strangers sexually for pay through something that inherently restricts physical connection can be a good way to learn how to communicate firmly and welcomingly.
 
Sometimes trans guys approach me with the assumption that once you open up shop the crowds come rushing in. Unfortunately that isn't true. As a trans guy whose pretty well established in the porn industry, with regulars, living in NYC it still takes me continuous work and marketing to find the clientele I need to have it be my only, comfortable form of income. Don't quit your day job until you really have a groove, sex work can be amazing fun and wonderful but when you are doing it because you are dead ass broke it is much less likely to be any of those things.
 
For trans people sex work can be a landmine of both validation and insecurity. Doing sex work through transition gave me some really deeply healing experiences and relationships that made me as confident as I am today. I also fretted over other people getting more clients, felt (and feel) jealous when I look at other peoples bodies, had clients say some really wacky shit that haunted me for a long time. It is important to develop a habit of validating yourself and approving of your body outside of the sex industry, because if you exist only at its whims its gonna hurt.
 
Good luck and if you have any specific questions please let me know. This forum is a great place to learn and make relationships with some solid people, I'm glad you are here.