Not all clients are the same, but being a trans woman in this industry means you get really good at reading people fast. There's the fetishists who want me specifically because I'm trans. They're not subtle. They want to tell me how 'unique' I am, how I'm some special fantasy. I roll my eyes so hard sometimes.
Then there's the ones who are actually respectful. They see me as a whole person. They don't make my transness the center of everything. Those clients are rare but when they show up, it's such a relief.
Safety is always my first priority. I screen hard. I've been in situations where clients think they can treat me differently because I'm trans. Spoiler: they cannot. My boundaries are my boundaries. I've got a network of other trans sex workers who look out for each other. We share information, warn each other about bad clients.
The industry talks about trans sex workers like we're some monolith. We're not. We're individuals with our own experiences, our own limits. Some of us do different kinds of work, some specialize. Some are more open about their identity than others.
What matters is survival. What matters is staying safe. What matters is getting paid.