Content Warning

This post discusses the following: racism, sexism, religion, sex trafficking, labor trafficking, and anti-trafficking policy.

Introduction

The 2020 Super Bowl Halftime Show seems to have ruffled some feathers. I personally didn’t care about Super Bowl LIV until a couple of days after it happened - that was when I started seeing commentary from various folx calling out people who have been having “righteous anger” about Jennifer López and Shakira’s halftime performance. To be honest, I still don’t care about football or the Super Bowl itself [Note 1] [Note 2]; I only liked the beauty, pageantry, and importance of this particular halftime performance.

It took over a day before I saw any negative posts about the halftime show appear in my social media - in fact, I only saw one directly. The condensed version of the one negative post said: “We want women to not be seen as sex objects… yet we celebrate during half time woman[sic] in almost nothing doing strip club moves” and went on to say that men of “integrity” chose a better path than to watch the show [Note 3]. It was strongly implied that the men of “integrity” were some flavor of Christians - Assemblies of God [Note 4], I think. This was a troubling sentiment, and I responded with:

So, we should blame women for men not treating people like people? That doesn't make sense. And what about the Latinx kids in cages singing BORN IN THE USA and LETS GET LOUD surrounded by an illumined Venus symbol? Did you notice the foot work? Did you notice the rope Shakira tied around her body while belly dancing? Everything done at this event has a far, FAR deeper meaning. Not to mention the multilingual songs, the Puerto Rican flag, that sex work is legitimate work and the pole wasn’t about you? This righteous anger is very weird, I find. "Here's what appropriate dress is" with no concept of culture or history, with nothing said about kids in cages or the policing of brown bodies. Depressing.

One person took exception to my saying that sex work is legitimate work, and made her feelings clear about it, expanding on them on her own page. Unfortunately, everything said was either based on a lie, was a half-truth, or was the legacy of white people removing POC agency. I was initially incensed, but then instead of engaging directly I decided to go ahead and write this.

When I made my initial comment on the Super Bowl post, I had not yet seen the entire performance; only clips, stills, and other people's comments. Since then, I have seen the performance in its entirety. I was absolutely floored by it. It was an amazing experience. It also made me even more disturbed by the comment that I saw.

I hope that anybody who reads this will have the opportunity to share it and help spread knowledge - stop the shaming and misinformation.

The Performance and Its Symbols

The Super Bowl LIV halftime show was co-headlined by Jennifer López and Shakira [7][13][22], with guest appearances by J Balvin, Bad Bunny, and López's daughter, Emme Muñiz [5] [Note 5]. “López and Shakira were the first Latin artists to co-headline America’s most-watched annual event, and the first pair of female artists to share top billing” [5], making the symbolism in this event even more powerful. The half-time show performance “made sure to nod at the importance and political potential of the moment, showcasing support for Puerto Rico and recognizing the immigration crisis with their set piece” [5], beginning with Shakira’s sets [Note 6].

Shakira is Colombian [7][15][24], and is of Lebanese [7][9][15][24][32], Spanish [15], and Italian [15] descent. Her performance included different aspects of her background, skills, and heritage, including playing the guitar, belly-dancing, and doing a Zaghrouta [7][24] [Note 7]. Shakira also included a horn section and a salsa dance break in her set as she was fusing Middle Eastern and Latin American dance, culture and music. López is Puerto Rican [2][6] and was born and raised in the Bronx. Her performance was covered in imagery, including the Flag of Puerto Rico, kids in glowing cages, and singing “Born in the USA” with her daughter.

What does all of this symbolism mean? CNN asked of Shakira’s rope, “Was she symbolically saying something about captivity and people of color or merely just bringing the sexy as she is known to do?” I personally believe it to be the former. López displayed the skills that she developed for her acting role in the critically acclaimed film Hustlers [2][5][10], drawing on the skills and prowess that the Academy Awards snubbed [Note 8]. The repeated imagery of Puerto Rico speaks to how the current administration has not supported Puerto Rico, and at the same time recognizing that Puerto Rico was just struck by yet another disaster - singing “Born in the USA” reminds us that Puerto Rico is a part of the United States of America. Kids in cages reflect the immigration crisis and America’s overcrowded concentration camps.

And the Venus symbol, along with the number of women performing on stage as musicians, singers, and dancers, remind us of the strength of women and how much times are changing. It’s been 16 years since Janet Jackson’s 2004 performance with Justin Timberlake [2], when the so-called “nipplegate” occurred. There were only 9/16ths of a second [1] of exposed nipple on the air when Timberlake tore Jackson’s clothing, and yet she was the one who ended up with a damaged career [1]; we got to see how women of color are reprimanded while the white men who perform the actions escape accountability [3]. But this time, we see some change. The performers are in charge of their own sexuality, are in control of their own agency [2]. There is still a long way to go, but this is a start.

“Christian” [Note 9] Indignation

“Integrity”. “A better path”. Subjective concepts that are weaponized by Conservative Christians that don’t necessarily apply to said Christians. After all, it’s okay to prey as long as you pray. There wasn’t any criticism of the half-naked performers during Super Bowl LIII, no controversy over sexuality. There was controversy, yes - the NFL being racist - but the performers’ lack of dress was not an issue. This year, Jennifer López and Shakira were wearing unitards onto which their costumes were sewn - a white man wouldn’t be derailing their careers the way that Justin Timberlake derailed Janet Jackson’s career [1][2][3]. The performers this year were more dressed than the performers last year. But López and Shakira are women of color, and Christianity in general is not kind to women of color.

Let’s be clear - spirituality has been shown to have positive health outcomes for women of color [18], but Christianity is not particularly kind to women of color. Ekemini Uwan, M.Div, and Michelle Higgins, M.Div, say that there is still a gender apartheid in Christianity [11]; the level of patriarchal attitudes in Christianity varies depending on the denomination, but from the New Testament Household Codes to Christianity as a Justification for Slavery, from How Christian Slaveholders Used the Bible to Justify Slavery to The Cult of True Womanhood, this religion places women as subservient to men [Note 10].

There is no “better path”. Even when Christians left Europe for the Americas, their “better path” was filled with moral compromises that allowed for slavery, subjugation, and hatred [27]; Conservative Christians today seek to stop women from getting life saving medical procedures; and the reputation of American Christians continues to decline. The “better path” ignores context and history, ignores the evolution of societies and cultures, and glorifies the actions of white men while vilifying the rest of the world.

White Indignation

A friend pointed out to me that all of the complaints he had been seeing in his social media feed about the halftime show were from white women, while the Latinx folx in his feed were thrilled by the same show. Another person noticed that most of the people he’d seen hating on the show were white women and white gay men, and said that watching the show made his Latinx husband extremely proud of his heritage. This was similar to the narrative that I found while researching information about the halftime show - people of color felt pride, joy, and happiness while a number of white people felt consternation and anger. Brown bodies were not being policed, and that lack of policing made white people uncomfortable [7].

People of color in general, and Latinx individuals specifically in regard to this performance, are hypersexualized by white people [8][14][29]. While people of color are underrepresented in media in general [8], the available representation has a history of being filled with harmful stereotypes. This is not only harmful to us, but also to white people - it reinforces the perception that white is the norm, and anything that is not white must still meet white expectations. The post on social media that got me started on this paper said, “yet we celebrate during half time woman[sic] in almost nothing doing strip club moves” - because the clothes did not meet the right standards that white people enforce. Remember, fewer clothes were worn during Super Bowl LIII and it wasn’t an issue, and Justin Timberlake didn’t get punished for exposing Janet Jackson’s nipple [1][2][3].

“I am a white woman,” one of the commenters said in response to my reply to the original post, “who doesn’t want to see any woman of any color involved in the demeaning, isolating, and often violent business of prostitution.” There is a strong sense of white saviorism here - having to show the way to safety and salvation because persons of color are supposedly incapable of understanding their own bodies and choices. The white indignation of not having women of color be like them is strong - they do not look like me, and they do not dance like me; and therefore it is sexy and wrong, and my way is the right way.

This was not a white performance. This was not for white comfort. This was a wonderful, powerful celebration filled with cultural imagery, political statements, and social commentary. Euroamerican standards of “decency” need not apply here.

Sex Trafficking is not Sex Work

Something that both the original poster and one of the commenters were doing was combining sex work and sex trafficking into the same thing. They are not the same [17][20][26][27]. Sex work is legitimate work. SEX WORK IS LEGITIMATE WORK.

Now, it is important to know the difference between Sex Work and Sex Trafficking. We’ll talk about sex work in a later section - just keep in mind that sex work requires a willing engagement [20]. Sex trafficking involves force, coercion, or deceit [20], and the sales happen through threat, abduction, or other means of coercion [26]. Granted, with the passing of FOSTA/SESTA, the ability for sex workers to vet and screen potential clients has been savagely curtailed [19][21], forcing sex workers into more dangerous areas and making it difficult to actually help those being trafficked.

Furthermore, it is a common myth that only women and girls end up being trafficked - a majority are, yes, but anyone can be trafficked [23][26]. The United Nations reports that of trafficking victims, 51% are adult women, 21% are adult men, 20% are girls, and 8% are boys [23] [Note 11]. There is no single method of trafficking someone, either - the Polaris Project explains how human trafficking happens. Taking pride and empowerment in one’s own body is not one of the methods - making one feel guilt about what they’re doing is.

Do not conflate Sex Work and Sex Trafficking. It does actually make things worse [20][27].

Super Bowl Sunday & Trafficking

The original poster was wondering if the halftime show helped feed into the sex trafficking that was taking place at the Super Bowl.

It, of course, was not.

There is a common belief that a sex trafficking ring follows the Super Bowl around - this is a harmful myth [4][12][16]. While it is true that the National Human Trafficking Hotline sees "slight upticks" in calls and reports during Super Bowl weekend [12], it is due to the heavier promotion of the hotline. Any impact that the Super Bowl has on sex trafficking is small and short lived, much like at other large and localized public events [12][16].

However, trafficking still occurs in other places in the lead-up to the Super Bowl - just in a way that people tend to ignore. There are approximately 25 million people around the world today living in a situation that would be considered human trafficking under U.S. law [33], and this includes the service chain that goes from the farm to the processing plant to the food vendors [17] at the Super Bowl. This is known as labor trafficking [33]. It is less reported, but is just as insidious.

Human trafficking is complex and dynamic, but creating fables about trafficking is not helpful at all. In fact, spreading myths about sex trafficking actively harms those being trafficked [4][12][17]. Trafficking will continue after the Super Bowl has come and gone [16], and focusing on one weekend of sex trafficking depletes resources that are needed year-round to combat all sorts of human trafficking [12]. Not only that, but stings and arrests from these “heightened campaigns” and this “moral panic” frightens and traumatizes consensual sex workers and trafficking victims alike [4][17].

Sex Work is Legitimate Work

Sex work is a wide-ranging field - the term “sex worker” means a person who works in the sex industry or provides sexual services [17][19], but that can be difficult to classify [32]. I’m sure that many would agree that those who work in pornographic films, strippers, phone sex operators, and agency escorts are considered sex workers [31][32]; indeed, the original poster commented on the pole dancing, which I replied to (“sex work is legitimate work and the pole wasn’t about you”), and others commented on how much art and skill goes into pole work and how it builds strength.

The original poster went from keeping poles in “filthy” strip clubs to not having problems with dancing with a pole., but that still leaves the condemnation of sex work in general in her post. Does that condemnation include management and human resource managers at businesses in the sex industry [31]? Perhaps I work in the industry as well, being a writer of erotica, as my work is intended to mentally stimulate sexual thoughts in a person [32]. Another Christian woman came in to say that one can be respectable with or without clothes, and how inspirational the halftime show was, and that is true. Respectability comes from how one treats others.

Sex workers have a long and storied history. I could talk about how there are sex workers in the Abrahamic Bible, as Tamar, Rahab, and Esther were powerful people in their own right [25]; as the original poster talked about “integrity” and “a better path”, that might be a way to go. Or I could talk about Ching Shih, prostitute-turned-pirate queen, who laid down a set of laws to protect her people and successfully negotiated a peace treaty with the Qing Imperial Government (if you would like to learn more, I made a playlist of my favorite YouTube videos about her). Perhaps I could talk about how brothels and prostitution created towns in the western United States.

I could do all that, but that is all in the past. History is important, but we’re talking about the here and now.

What probably would work better would be to provide links to sex workers who enjoy being sex workers. The commenter who replied to me said that there is “no inherent mechanism for a ‘balance of power’ in such transactions” and went on to ask:

• Is sex work empowering work? (It can be)

• Is sex work is aspirational work? (It can be)

• What is the next rung on the ladder of success? (Depends on the person - ask The Honorable Ilona Staller, for example).

To be clear, the halftime show itself was not sex work; rather, people’s total aversion to anything sexual in this context led them to view the performance as sex work.

Let’s see what sex workers have to say about sex work:

• I loved working at a legal brothel in Australia - Sarah Penello, Author, as told to

• Out of Office: Sex Workers Share Their Stories - Interviews by Shelby Sells

• 14 Sex Workers Share Their Stories Of The Clients Who Just Wanted To Talk - By Lisa Woods

• Story of a sex worker: Yes I am empowered. - by Eba Sless

• Why I Chose Sex Work - Alice Little

I also spoke to friends who are or have been sex workers about their experiences, and they had this to say:

Sex work actually WAS very empowering for me when I stripped, and people (not just women) in all parts of the industry have diverse experiences with the work. Many people don't aspire to be, say, janitors or garbage collectors. Does that make their work not legitimate or empowering?

Financial freedom can be extremely empowering in a capitalist society. Many people aspire to a job where they have flexibility, even making their own schedule, where they can turn down whatever clients they don't want to serve.

While that's not universal in sex work, sex work can look like that. When you're a single parent, have health issues that make working set hours 5 days a week every week impossible or difficult, fuck yeah a lot of aspects of sex work are empowering.

Now there were some parts of the job I disliked. I can acknowledge that I was mildly sexually assaulted almost every shift I worked. But most of those times weren't traumatizing or overly upsetting because of the power dynamic: when someone put their hands on me, I fucked them up and/or the club would fuck them up. I worked in clubs that backed up their dancers rather than prioritizing and coddling customers who couldn't follow basic fucking rules.

What WAS traumatizing was the times I worked in clubs that didn't back me up, which I would immediately quit when this shit happened.

Those times were very much like the rest of non-club life for me: one or more dudes put hands on me, no one is there to back me up. Sometimes I can fuck him/them up, sometimes I have to walk away. The trauma I feel is regarding the men who got away with shit, because I didn't get closure and didn't have control in those situations. It's about power.

Now given, full service sex workers have more danger to contend with in terms of lacking security, being one on one with clients, etc. So they rely on rigorous screening processes. That's why FOSTA/SESTA was such a huge blow to sex worker safety: it destroyed those screening processes in the name of "not assisting with sex trafficking". Actual fucking sex workers were screaming to the rooftops about how much that law would put them in danger, but why bother listening to them about their safety, amirite?

Let's not fucking forget that exploitation and trafficking happen in non sexual jobs as well.

When your problem when sexual slavery is with the sexual part rather than the slavery, you need to reexamine your fucking priorities.”

- O. S., former stripper

The other bullet point i might include, and this is strictly from my point of view, is that it can also be transactional, and mundane, as much so as any other customer service job. To some of us, it's a day job. And I don't mean that in a way that puts down the work. It can absolutely be fun, rewarding, and lucrative, but it can be as mundane as the office, albeit with more begging.

- G. W., retired dominatrix

I worked in peep shows as a performer often called a “model” for around 4 years. Basically, these are small private rooms separated by glass. They are about the size of a walk-in closet on each side and glass separates the customer and the model performing a show. The show where I worked lasted 10 mins. Then the customer could choose to purchase more time. The customer pays a standard fee for topless shows, bottomless shows, nude shows, and a variety of specialty shows. Specialty shows and prices for those shows were always up to each individual woman while standard topless, bottomless, and nude all had set prices. Only women could perform this job in Minnesota because of some obscure law about erections and public nudity? Anyway the law was ridiculous and there were plenty of people who were interested in working with us, and we all knew they would bring business. Business always seemed to attract business in that line of work. My favorite part of this job was obviously the money. Large amounts of money. More money in a single 4-6 hour shift than I could make working my ass off for weeks at a regular job having food thrown at me, scrubbing floors, exhausted and working multiple jobs and often not even eating more than once a day. I worked short shifts, I made good money; but like a lot of people who suddenly get a lot of money and have previously never had much, I didn’t manage it well - I felt like I’d won the lottery. I spent it on ridiculous things much like a few friends of mine who received large amounts of money when they turned 18.

The women I worked with were either amazing (I’m still friends with a few today and it has been nearly 20 years since we met) or they were extremely competitive, started gossip, and in general were ignored by almost anyone with common sense, and this is sort of true for people in every workplace. Some just thrive off drama. I saw many young and more mature women (up to 48 was the oldest I worked with and she had her specific clients and they loved her performances and chose no one else) not only use this work as a career, but also use this work to pay for college, to purchase homes, and to do many positive things in their lives. I also saw that this position was not right for everyone. Some women, you could tell right away would not handle the work well. They often had deep, deep self esteem problems and this work isn’t easy money - it’s fast money - but you do pay a price in attacks on your self esteem. It’s actually very similar to the way people act on social media when someone posts a picture of themselves in a swimsuit. Heaven forbid we see any flaw because social media is going to turn that into the most disgusting thing they’ve ever seen and so on and so on. This type of body shaming is common with celebrities, but it can really happen to anyone. If you can imagine someone insulting you and your body regularly and finding the courage to still get up and walk confidently while wearing a small bikini (we were regular women, of various sizes and ages and races)... that is they type of courage and it takes but also the type of courage it builds. It can break you down a bit just like insults on social media. Experienced coworkers could see that breaking down process and relate. So we would step in, “that woman is envious that you have the confidence to show your body and look and feel great”, and then the response would often at first be something like “I do have stretch marks, and my boobs aren’t like they used to be before I had my baby, I still haven’t lost the weight”, and then they’d get a pep talk. Our customers don’t want perfect; perfect can be found in other places, but they come here because we are regular women. We look like people they know, we’re relatable and everyday beautiful. We look like women they might date. You don’t need to be perfect to be sexy, but you do need to believe you are sexy to be confident. If you aren’t confident, you won’t be successful.

- Malori, former peepshow model

Conclusion

The negative posts that have come out about the 2020 Super Bowl Halftime Show are not born out of any real concern for “decency”, the objectification of women, or trafficking. What the negative posts really are saying is that a certain segment of the white population does not want to see women of color have any autonomy over their lives. These complaints come from a place of white, “Christian” indignation, made from anti-sex attitudes and the demonization of the other.

Some friends had things to say about these posts that resonated with me. One friend said that “when your problem with sexual slavery is with the sexual part rather than the slavery, you need to reexamine your fucking priorities.” [Note 12] Another friend said that “God created an amazing body. Let’s use and appreciate it in all the ways we can!” [Note 13] If you are having a problem, check to see if the problem that you are having might be with you before you demonize another.

There’s nothing inherently liberating in dancing or not dancing, in being clothed or in being naked, in doing sex work or doing other kinds of work. The liberation is in the choice - being able to freely choose to do or not do these things. But shaming others for their choices when their choices feel liberating and don't cause harm is not okay.

Anti-Trafficking Resources

1. 20 Ways You Can Help Fight Human Trafficking in 2020

2. The Human Trafficking Institute

3. Polaris Project

4. United Way

5. Office on Trafficking in Persons - Health and Human Services

Notes

1. I just am not really much of a sports person. I didn’t actually even know that the Super Bowl was happening until the weekend of. Sports just aren’t my jam.
   

2. I do care about the Super Bowl so far in that the event itself is bad for communities (see: Super Bowl: Not so good for cities.). Outside of that, let people enjoy what they want as long as they aren’t hurting other people.
   

3. The poster also copied someone else’s quote, saying that until pole dancing is recognized as an Olympic sport, they’re going to relegate it to “filthy strip clubs”. I guess that, according to them, cricket, polo, darts, squash, and bowling are not sports either, as they are not in the Olympics. Pole-dancing now stands on its own as a provisionally recognized sport thanks to the Global Association of International Sports Federation, however, so Olympics or no, it could be a sport one day. But lets not forget that pole dancing has become gentrified; let us not erase the sex workers from our history. Being a stripper, like all sex work, is real work.
   

4. I actually know very little about this version of Christianity. What I have read in the past 24 hours is both fascinating and troubling. Granted, all of Christian history is troubling.
   

5. Aside from López and Shakira, I have never heard of any of these people. My finger is far from the pulse of popular entertainment.
   

6. If you’re curious, the Wikipedia entry provides an easy-to-read set list, combining what CBS Sports and Sports Illustrated gave us and expanding/organizing on it.
   

7. To quote The Washington Post, this carries “deep cultural significance. To those familiar with Middle Eastern culture, the sound was akin to a traditional Arabic expression of joy and celebration” [7]; we’re further told by the Chicago Tribune that this is done by “by women at weddings, graduations, births and other celebrations” [24].
   

8. I have yet to see Hustlers myself - however, while researching for this piece, I ended up reading about it and now desire to see it. I suggest reading “Why Did the Oscars Ignore Jennifer Lopez in ‘Hustlers’?” and “Nominated for Nothing: The Academy should've made it rain on Hustlers” to learn more.
   

9. Mahatma Gandhi (a very, very problematic individual, despite the good he did) may or might not have said, “I like your Christ, I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ.” I feel the same way for the most part. I really dig a lot of what Jesus said - love one another, do unto others, be kind, that sort of thing. I love the Christians who also follow those teachings - they reflect the best parts of Christianity. But then there are the ones who are like what I’ve described here, ruining it for everybody.
   

10. I’m not saying that other religions don’t, nor am I saying that it is a universally held belief within Christianity.
    

11. The UN report didn’t have any information that I could see on third gender, intersex, or trans victims. Always keep in mind that these reports are based on under-reported data because trafficking is such a hidden issue.
    

12. Americans (mostly white Americans) have this idea that slavery is over with in the United States, while at the same time finding ways to justify and re-brand the number of openly enslaved persons that we have. This adds to the difficulty in seeking out those who are enslaved by traffickers.
    

13. Though I am an atheist, I agree with this. At the time of this writing, life is finite - enjoy your body as much or as little as you like to, as long as you do not intrude on the rights or boundaries of others.

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Works Cited

1. Abad-Santos, Alex. “The Backlash over Justin Timberlake's Super Bowl Halftime Show, Explained.” Vox, Vox, 1 Feb. 2018, www.vox.com/culture/2017/10/25/16523800/justin-timberlake-super-bowl-backlash-janet-jackson.

2. Abad-Santos, Alex. “Watch: J. Lo and Shakira Dazzled at the Super Bowl Halftime Show.” Vox, Vox, 3 Feb. 2020, www.vox.com/culture/2020/2/2/21119554/jennifer-lopez-jlo-shakira-super-bowl-halftime-show-2020-review.

3. Bethonie Butler, Elahe Izadi. “Analysis | Everything You Forgot about Janet Jackson and Justin Timberlake's 2004 Super Bowl Controversy.” The Washington Post, WP Company, 1 Feb. 2018, www.washingtonpost.com/news/arts-and-entertainment/wp/2017/10/23/everything-you-forgot-about-janet-jackson-and-justin-timberlakes-2004-super-bowl-controversy/.

4. Berlatsky, Noah. “Myths about Sex Trafficking at the Super Bowl Cause Real Harm to Sex Workers.” Mic, Mic, 1 Feb. 2020, www.mic.com/p/how-super-bowl-sex-trafficking-myths-hurt-actual-sex-workers-21765426.

5. Bruner, Raisa. “Super Bowl Halftime Show Recap: Biggest Moments.” Time, Time, 5 Feb. 2020, time.com/5774180/super-bowl-2020-halftime-show-recap/

6. Cartlidge, Cherese. Jennifer Lopez. Lucent Books, 2012.

7. Chiu, Allyson. “'It's Not a Turkey Call': The Cultural Significance behind Shakira's Meme-Worthy 'Tongue Thing' at the Super Bowl.” The Washington Post, WP Company, 3 Feb. 2020, www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2020/02/03/shakira-tongue-superbowl/.

8. Correa, Teresa. “Framing Latinas: Hispanic Women through the Lenses of Spanish-Language and English-Language News Media.” Journalism: Theory, Practice & Criticism, vol. 11, no. 4, 2010, pp. 425–443., doi:10.1177/1464884910367597.

9. Diego, Ximena. Shakira: Woman Full of Grace. Fireside, 2001.

10. France, Lisa Respers. “Jennifer Lopez and Shakira's Halftime Show Was Deeper than You Thought.” CNN, Cable News Network, 3 Feb. 2020, www.cnn.com/2020/02/02/entertainment/jennifer-lopez-shakira-super-bowl-half-time/index.html.

11. Green, Emma. “This Is What a Battle Over Gender and Race Looks Like in a Conservative Christian Community.” The Atlantic, Atlantic Media Company, 5 July 2017, www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2017/07/truths-table-gender-race/532407/.

12. Grinberg, Emanuella. “Sex Trafficking and the Super Bowl: Myths and the Real Issues.” CNN, Cable News Network, 4 Feb. 2019, www.cnn.com/2019/01/31/us/sex-trafficking-super-bowl-myth/index.html.

13. “Jennifer Lopez, Shakira to Perform at Pepsi SB Halftime Show.” NFL.com, National Football League, 26 Sept. 2019, www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000001059129/article/jennifer-lopez-shakira-to-perform-at-pepsi-sb-halftime-show.

14. Johnson, Connie. “How Women of Color Are Portrayed on the Cover of Magazines: A Content Analysis on the Images of Black/African, Latina, Asian and Native American (BALANA).” Cornerstone: A Collection of Scholarly and Creative Works for Minnesota State University, Mankato, Jan. 2015, https://cornerstone.lib.mnsu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?=1&article=1437&context=etds.

15. Krohn, Katherine E. Shakira. Twenty-First Century Books, 2008.

16. Malo, Sebastien. “Is the Super Bowl Really the U.S.'s Biggest Sex Trafficking Magnet?” Reuters, Thomson Reuters, 1 Feb. 2018, www.reuters.com/article/us-football-nfl-superbowl-trafficking-an/is-the-super-bowl-really-the-u-s-s-biggest-sex-trafficking-magnet-idUSKBN1FL6A1.

17. Media, Nuance. “We Need to Stop Confusing Sex Work with Human Trafficking.” Medium, Nuance, 30 Aug. 2018, medium.com/shareyournuance/we-need-to-stop-confusing-sex-work-with-human-trafficking-6ba7897fd3cd.

18. Musgrave, Catherine F, et al. “Spirituality and Health for Women of Color.” American Journal of Public Health, © American Journal of Public Health 2002, Apr. 2002, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1447116/.

19. North, Anna. “Sex Workers' Fight for Decriminalization, Explained.” Vox, Vox, 2 Aug. 2019, www.vox.com/2019/8/2/20692327/sex-work-decriminalization-prostitution-new-york-dc.

20. Paglia, Anne. “Sex Trafficking vs. Sex Work: What You Need to Know.” Human Trafficking Search, 16 Nov. 2017, humantraffickingsearch.org/2017725sex-trafficking-vs-sex-work-what-you-need-to-know/.

21. Ramsawakh, Mari. “We Need to Stop Confusing Sex Work with Human Trafficking.” Medium, Nuance, 30 Aug. 2018, medium.com/shareyournuance/we-need-to-stop-confusing-sex-work-with-human-trafficking-6ba7897fd3cd.

22. Reed, Anika. “Jennifer Lopez, Shakira to Perform at 2020 Super Bowl Halftime Show.” USA Today, Gannett Satellite Information Network, 26 Sept. 2019, www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/music/2019/09/26/super-bowl-jennifer-lopez-shakira-perform-2020-halftime-show/3778236002/.

23. “Report: Majority of Trafficking Victims Are Women and Girls.” United Nations, United Nations, www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/blog/2016/12/report-majority-of-trafficking-victims-are-women-and-girls-one-third-children/.

24. Schoenberg, Nara. “That Tongue-Trilling Sound That Shakira Made at the Super Bowl? That Was a Zaghrouta, the Traditional Middle Eastern Expression of Joy.” Chicagotribune.com, Chicago Tribune, 4 Feb. 2020, www.chicagotribune.com/lifestyles/ct-life-shakira-tongue-flicking-arabic-meaning-tt-soc-02032020-20200203-wxe5wv5f2jg77jux7xrb75nihu-story.html.

25. Scholl, Lia. “Sex Work in the Bible.” Daily Kos, 7 Mar. 2012, www.dailykos.com/stories/2012/3/7/1072135/-Sex-Work-in-the-Bible

26. “Sex Trafficking vs Sex Work: Understanding The Difference.” STOP THE TRAFFIK, 7 Dec. 2018, www.stopthetraffik.org/sex-trafficking-vs-sex-work-understanding-difference/.

27. “Sex Work and Sex Trafficking.” SWOP Behind Bars (SBB), 27 July 2019, www.swopbehindbars.org/about-swop-behind-bars/the-difference-between-sex-work-and-sex-trafficking/.

28. Tammeus, Bill. “'Color of Compromise' Calls on American Christianity to Face Its Racist Past.” National Catholic Reporter, 1 May 2019, www.ncronline.org/news/opinion/color-compromise-calls-american-christianity-face-its-racist-past.

29. “The Historical Roots of the Sexualization of Black Women and Girls.” Blackburn Center Greensburg Anti-Violence Organization, Blackburn Center Greensburg Anti-Violence Organization, 19 Mar. 2019, www.blackburncenter.org/single-post/2019/02/20/The-Historical-Roots-of-the-Sexualization-of-Black-Women-and-Girls.

30. Weitzer, Ronald. “Sociology of Sex Work.” Annual Review of Sociology, vol. 35, no. 1, 2009, pp. 213–234., doi:10.1146/annurev-soc-070308-120025.

31. “What Constitutes Sex Work?” Hopes&Fears, 16 Dec. 2015, www.hopesandfears.com/hopes/now/question/216863-what-constitutes-sex-work.

32. Williams, Zella. Shakira: Star Singer = Estrella De La canción. PowerKids Press, 2011.

33. “Worried about Human Trafficking and the Super Bowl? Consider Your Nachos.” Polaris, 3 Jan. 2019, polarisproject.org/blog/2019/01/worried-about-human-trafficking-and-the-super-bowl-consider-your-nachos/.