"Negros, mafiosos y ortibas". Masculinidades y proxenetas en los relatos de varones que pagan por sexo en Argentina

Since the beginning of the 21st century, prostitution is again at the center of public and feminist debate. However, social sciences research has focused relatively less on two important actors: clients and "third parties". Within this context, some perspectives construct the sexual market as a space of masculine sociability where all male characters act as "partners". In this paper we analyze how the representation of the pimp appears in the narratives of men who pay for sex represent the figure of the pimp and how it highlights a set of tensions for his own masculinity and sexuality. We base the analysis on two sources: in-depth interviews with men who pay for sex and an ethnography in virtual forums of sexual commerce. We argue that the gendered representation of the "fiolo" (pimp) that circulates among men who pay for sex is articulated with the use and meanings of money, violence and emotions, enabling us to rethink the relationships between masculinities in the sexual market.