MEN SEX WORKERS

MONROVIA-Liberia’s sex industry is witnessing dramatic evolution in recent times in light of the increasing involvement of men in the prostitution sector originally dominated by ladies.

Illegal ‘hobojo’ or gigolo (prostitution work) has spanned decades as women’s game, but the scenario appeared to have taken a upward trend, as men are beginning to take center stage, competing with the ladies.

A New Republic investigation has discovered that some men have joined the fray, saturating many intertainment centers in and around Monrovia in search of ‘sex for pay work,’ a situation ladies are furious over.

Some handsome-looking young boys were recently noticed at an intertainment center scouting for female they would cusp  and negotiate with for  “sex  for cash.”

“For this, I think it is good than to go and steal,” one young man, who only identified  himself  as Tom  told this reporter last week in Paynesville.

According to our reporter who acted like a customer, the disclosure was made during an interaction with a female hustler, only preferred to be called RB to cover her real identity.

“We were a group of girls that went to have drink to View point,” she said.  “While sitting down, one fine boy walked to me and said; big sis.” Asked if she had gotten a customer, she answered in the negative.  “I said No. Then he said, but I am here. My price is not high. Ten dollars for short time and to sleep, you only give me 20usd. I will service you good.”

“I was shocked. I told him I am not interested,” said RB, who was contacted. However, few young men asked to verify and confirm the information at some amusement centers, responded in the affirmative.

One of them said when quizzed, “But you cannot see in Gambia. They have social groups (for men) that women can go to.  They can pay them to ‘work’ for them.”

He further said justifying their involvement in the practice deemed uncharacteristic to Liberia’s social norms. “So, why we cannot do the same here. Some of us are very good. We do not have money to give to them, but we have energy,” he said, adding: “ For me, when I perform on one person a night, she will always call  me.”

In addition, another friend jumped into the discussion saying,  “but papay, some of  us here just wasting.  I pray one day so I can travel to America or Europe. That so, so, of this I will be on so I can get money. But we know  how some of these girls can get  the money?”

Though the two of them refused to identify themselves, however, another gentleman who identified himself as Andrew said they are trying to see the possibility to form a social group  which will only be dedicated towards getting ladies who want  their services.

Asked if they know  that their actions can lead to arrest, he said: “who will know before they will arrest me?  That business. I ask you and you agree, we go for me to perform on you. Da you will go tell police or me that I doing hobojo work?”

“Do you know that there are some women in this town who need good people like us?  One of our friends was lucky few months ago to get one lady from the States because he did well. Today, she took the boy and they are living together.”

One of them, Rufus, said, “they  do not go around other girls who are seeking for similar work.

“We can look for good girls who are vising the country. Sometimes, we can look  for  them .   papay, when you see uptown  Ju,  they are different from our local  people.  But there are some good local ones who can accept us.”

Asked how much they can make per night, he  said: “sometimes,   I can get US$30.00 or 20. But you know this is a new business so it will take time for  people to know us. But as time goes on, the same people, we will work for, they will tell some of their friends who will need us.”

However, girls are detesting their actions as unacceptable and embarrassing. One  girl around the Somalia Drive area told our reporter that  it is  only lazy men who do that, stressing, “They just lazy and do  not want to help anyone.”

“Instead of them helping us, they want us to give them money.  They will stay long inside it. Me,  I will not give them rock,” she added.

The unfolding situation hovering the gigolo market only signals the downward spiraling of the social sector already rocked by drugs and substance abuse, all of which are spurred by economic inequality and financial hardship.

Alphonso Toweh

Has been in the profession for over twenty years. He has worked for many international media outlets  including: West Africa Magazine, Africa Week Magazine, African Observer and  did occasional reporting for CNN, BBC World Service, Sunday Times, NPR, Radio Deutchewells, Radio Netherlands. He is the current correspondent for Reuters 
 He holds first  MA with honors in International  Relations and a  candidate for second master in International Peace studies and Conflict  Resolution from the University of Liberia.