Butterfly

Quick Overview

The interviewee, who goes by the name Butterfly, is a young woman from Englewood, California, who began engaging in sex work around age 16 after running away from home primarily due to feeling restricted by her strict, working mother over issues like phone usage, despite maintaining high academic achievement, including being on the honor roll and certified as a CNA.

Key Points: Butterfly ran away from home at age 16 because her mother was strict, attempting to take her phone, leading her to feel she needed money and wanted to enjoy her youth, not because of abuse. She was a high-achieving student, attending college classes (continuation/credits) and was certified as a CNA, but felt she needed money for herself, stating, "I just wanted to, you know." Butterfly initiated sex work after running away, stating a guy pulled up on her in the area where she was walking, and she thought, "Fuck it." She emphasizes that she does not use drugs to cope, stating, "That's why I don't smoke with nobody. I don't I come with my own everything. I supply my own everything." Butterfly believes relationships are transactional now, saying, "It's all transactional. It's all about money," and she does not take boys seriously, though she still believes in family love. She reports making maybe "1,500 on a good night" but intends for this work to be temporary, aiming to stop within two months to pursue her dreams in fashion design and cosmetology. Her main regret is running away, as she would have never entered this situation, but she is glad the experience taught her not to trust people, realizing, "These [ ] is not your friends."

Context: The transcript captures an interview setting, likely on location near "Fig" (Figueroa Street), with a young woman who identifies herself as 'Butterfly.' The interviewer questions her about her decision to engage in sex work, her background growing up in Englewood, California, her family situation, and her future plans, contrasting her current lifestyle with her past academic success.