Morgane Merteuil

	Morgane Merteuil
	; "A aucun moment on n'a vraiment écouté les putes"
	Background information
Born	1986;
Occupation:	Sex worker; Activist

'Morgane Merteuil (French pronunciation: [mɔʁɡan mɛʁtœj]; born 1986) is the pseudonym of a French sex worker and feminist activist known for her commitment to the rights of sex workers. She was the secretary general and spokesperson of the French sex work union STRASS from 2011 to 2016.

Biography

Merteuil holds a Master's degree in Humanities from the University of Grenoble. While studying she held several jobs, including childcare, cleaning, newspaper distribution, and posing for erotic pictures. In 2009, while working as a bar hostess, Merteuil realized that she could become a sex worker to finance her studies, and decided to become an escort. She claimed this was a "constrained" choice in an article in Le Monde (25 November 2011), preferring "to be an escort rather than working in a factory for 40 hours a week", adding that "people who have extremely difficult days working in construction or in the hospitality industry would no doubt also say that they also made a forced choice."

After encountering abolitionist moves against prostitution, Merteuil joined the sex work union STRASS. In June 2011, she became their secretary general and spokesperson. STRASS actively opposes "whorephobia" and campaigned against the proposed 2016 law to criminalize the clients of prostitution, denouncing the law for "promoting insecurity and rape." It argued that the effect of the law would be that "those who can afford to will go and work in neighboring countries, others will seek intermediaries who will play the role of pimps", and that the law would favor procuring. Under Merteuil's leadership, STRASS developed links with other unions.

In 2012, Merteuil published an essay entitled Libérez le féminisme!, in which she accused media feminist associations such as Ni Putes Ni Soumises, Osez le féminisme! and Les Chiennes de garde of being "gentrified", and castigated these "ambassadors of liberty" for imposing their "own conception of dignity" on others. In July 2012, she was invited to appear on Le Grand Journal on Canal+ to discuss this with Thalia Breton from Osez le Feminisme.

As co-founder of 8 mars pour toutTEs, Merteuil organized a demonstration to defend prostitution in March 2014.

In February 2015, during the Affaire du Carlton de Lille trial, she expressed regret that the case was not centered "on the seriousness of the violence in certain actions."

In April 2016, Merteuil claimed that 15% of prostitutes in France are of foreign origin.

Merteuil stepped down from being spokesperson for STRASS in June 2016.

Published works

(September 2012) Libérez le féminisme! (in fr-FR). L'Éditeur. ISBN 978-2362010699.
Homophobie, putophobie, même combat?, https://www.nouvelobs.com/rue89/rue89-rue69/20130114.RUE2446/homophobie-putophobie-meme-combat.html (Language: fr
Le travail du sexe contre le travail, http://revueperiode.net/le-travail-du-sexe-contre-le-travail/ (Publisher: Période) (Language: fr-FR
(2016) "Najat Vallaud-Balkacem sauve les putes", Le livre des trahisons (in fr). Presses Universitaires de France. ISBN 9782130787020.

Documentary

Putain, c’est pas simple! d’Emmanuelle Nobécourt, 2014, 80 min.^[1]

More information is available at [ Wikipedia:Morgane_Merteuil ]

Prostitution in France

Overview

Prostitution in France • Prostitution in Paris • Chinese prostitution in Paris • Prostitution in Overseas France • History of prostitution in France

Brothels

Brothels in Paris • Aux Belles Poules • France’s military brothels • Le Chabanais • La Fleur Blanche • L'Étoile de Kléber • Lanterne Verte • Le Fourcy • Maison Souquet • One-Two-Two • Palais Oriental (Reims) • Le Sphinx

Law

Loi Marthe Richard

People

Activists	Morgane Merteuil • Thierry Schaffauser
Owners & madams	Madame Claude • Marguerite Gourdan • Justine Paris
Courtesans	Émilienne d’Alençon • Marguerite Alibert • Blanche d'Antigny • Marguerite Bellanger • Jeanne Brécourt • Berthe de Courrière • Marion Delorme • Anne Victoire Dervieux • Marie-Anne Detourbay • Madame du Barry • Marie Duplessis • Rosalie Duthé • Marthe de Florian • Eugénie Fougère • Marguerite Gourdan • Catherine Grand • Marie-Madeleine Guimard • Valtesse de La Bigne • Anne Françoise Elisabeth Lange • Geneviève Lantelme • Méry Laurent • Ninon de l'Enclos • Léonie Léon • Marie-Louise O'Murphy • La Païva • Justine Paris • Olympe Pélissier • Liane de Pougy • Apollonie Sabatier • Marguerite Steinheil • Thérésa Tallien • Theroigne de Mericourt
Prostitutes	Fernande Barrey • Zahia Dehar • Jean Genet • Valtesse de La Bigne • Caroline Lacroix • Jamila M'Barek • Morgane Merteuil • Suzanne Muzard • Marthe Richard • Rétaux de Villette
Organizations	Les amis du bus des femmes • Syndicat du travail sexuel