What do sex work\, surrogacy\, therapy\, nursing\, nannying\, acting\, surgery\, and home-repair have in common? I argue that they are all intimate \;labor\, \;that \;this is a distinct and helpful category\, and that intimacy comes with special risks.
\nI present my &lsquo\;Intimate Zones Account&rsquo\; of the nature of intimacy\, and show how it illuminates why this sort of labor makes involved parties importantly vulnerable. I argue that intimate labor exposes hidden\, identity-related features. This makes exposed parties vulnerable to having their core persons altered by mechanisms that subvert their rational decision making processes. We&rsquo\;ll see how this gives us new insight into old arguments about sexual and reproductive labor\, such as those making reference to commodification and threats to autonomy.
\nI identify four different &lsquo\;vulnerability models&rsquo\; we find in intimate labor\, and propose a set of policies to regulate all of them\, some of which require a radical restructuring of our practices. These policies are responsive to the special way intimacy makes us vulnerable\, rather than mere prejudice. I examine and defend the (perhaps counterintuitive!) results of these proposals for disciplines such as theatre.
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