Joe lives in the East Village with his wife and son, supporting them by working the streets of lower New York City as a hustler. A friend of Joe's wife needs $200 for an abortion, and Joe agrees to raise the money. He earns $20 for submitting to a shy homosexual and is then approached by an elderly English artist. The man takes Joe to his studio, paying him $100 to model and pose. Joe next meets other hustlers on the street, and he offers some advice on the trade. An old friend, Terry, works as a topless dancer and lives with two transvestites. Joe listens to the "women" read from a vintage movie magazine while Terry performs fellatio on him. An old acquaintance takes Joe home and tries to elicit some reassurance of his heterosexuality, but he ends up giving Joe some money. Joe finally returns home, tells his wife and her friend that he was unable to raise the needed stake, and suffers their abusive comments on his occupation. Exhausted, Joe lies down on the bed, and while the two women caress each other, he falls asleep.