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Assignment 10

I believe Amelia Cabezas defines sexual citizenship as women’s sexuality and the complexity behind what can be written off as sex work. In the article, Cabezas seems to be showing that women who are called “sex workers” seem to be criminalized for taking control of their own sexuality, more so than they are criminalized for prostitution. The women in the article seem to be the same as what one would call a “sugar baby, being that they are with tourists in typical relationships which can involve romance and relationships, but also lead to some sort of financial support either in the form of actual monetary payment, or more commonly gifts.
There seems to be quite a double standard in that men who participate in the same activities, are not prosecuted by police, nor are they seen as deviants in the same fashion. In both Cuba and the Dominican Republic, men and women in the resorts especially, take advantage of the wealthy men and women visiting to help them pay there bills, and take care of their children, which likely would be unnecessary if they were paid well enough in the first place. To add to this, there are different standards to the same activities based on your socioeconomic class, your education level, and your skin tone. Women with lighter skin, in a higher class, and with better education can participate in the same activities as jinetera, but they are not described as one. Instead, there interactions with tourists are seen as romantic and possibly leading to a future.
While I do not agree personally with the idea of people using sex for monetary gain, I also believe that the government has no place in regulating this, and I also find it quite appealing that women can be arrested without any proof for sentences which have no official end date. Rather than wasting money on rehabilitation centers which clearly do not work, I think they should spend money on sex education and STD testing, or even just working on paying their people a living wage so they do not feel the need to participate in sex work.