Should prostitution be legal?

[Pineapple_Juice]

I did a quck search, but srry if there's already a thread.

Was on Tumblr and someone posted a link to a website called TurnOffTheBlueLight.ie. It's a website advocating the rights of sex workers and their clients in Ireland (but the same arguments obviously apply elsewhere).

Do you think prostitution or paying someone for sexual services should be illegal?

[Versus]

I'm not particularly compelled by the web site's arguments.


I can think of a lot of reasons that make them seem petty, like public health concerns or immorality, but maybe that's just me.

[Saya]

I don't know where their statistics come from. A study done in Canada showed 90% of sex workers wish to leave the profession but feel they can't, the average age of entry into prostitution was 14 years old, and most reported having been the victims of incest as well as being assaulted on the job. The murder rate for prostitutes remain high. In some places where its "legal", whats legal is little more than legalized pimping, like in Nevada where a prostitute cannot leave the brothel, cannot go to a bar, might not even be able to own a car, might not be able to live with her children. In Half The Sky they document the violence that goes on in brothels in developing nations, its heartbreaking, again, even where its legal to traffic adult women, children are still kidnapped and forced into brothels. The website says that those who traffic wouldn't take notice of the law, but when its enforced it becomes far less profitable.

I don't think being a prostitute should be illegal since there's a high chance they were trafficked, entered the trade at a young age or are unable to leave because of stigma. How do you bounce back from being on the street for years? In Nevada, would you hire a woman who has "brothel" on her resume?

I don't see why pimping should ever be legal, and buying sex can make one complicit in a crime. They say on the website that it should remain illegal to have sex with a prostitute who was trafficked...how do you know? When people don't even think that you can rrape a prostitute or that its merely the theft of goods, how can we say this is safe?

If the work isn't safe, how can we condone it? Prostitutes need to become empowered, self organized, the stigma against them needs to be eradicated, violence against them needs to be taken seriously, it needs to be ensured that the job is low risk, and the prostitute is in control of her body at all times.

[Alan]

Prostitution should be legal, sex workers rights and the fight for a sex workers union is one of the most underrated pressing matters of today.
I can't see why anyone would think otherwise.

[Ben Lahnger]

Saya, what person that worked as a sex worker would put that on their resume with the current stigma that exists? Yes, that attitude in society needs to change, but in the meantime no former sex worker who is looking to change careers is going to put a brothel or escort agency on their resume, obviously. They would explain the gap in employment the way any of us would explain a gap in employement: "I was working as a homemaker", "I was taking care of my sick parents", etc. I'm just saying that was an inelegant and artificial argument.

[Saya]

Originally Posted by Ben Lahnger

Saya, what person that worked as a sex worker would put that on their resume with the current stigma that exists? Yes, that attitude in society needs to change, but in the meantime no former sex worker who is looking to change careers is going to put a brothel or escort agency on their resume, obviously. They would explain the gap in employment the way any of us would explain a gap in employement: "I was working as a homemaker", "I was taking care of my sick parents", etc. I'm just saying that was an inelegant and artificial argument.

There's a lot of problems with that. Of course if its illegal you're not going to put it on it, but if you're a prostitute from when you were a child chances are you have a blank resume. There are women's groups who give jobs to women who need experience to become independent from abusive partners, like there's a cafe here that hires exclusively women from shelters, but fewer opportunities for prostitutes. As you can imagine its hard to get funding for that sort of thing, not important enough. Plus if its legal you'd think it would be okay to list it, but its not safe to do so.

I'm not saying it shouldn't ever be legal, but legalizing it can make the dangers worse or just make it okay to traffic and exploit women as we see in Nevada. Its going to cost a lot of money and we have to change a lot of minds and yeah, its completely ignored.

[Catch]

I don't know. It seems as though if it were legal the government could more easily enforce laws; such as, verifying sex workers are over the age of 18 and competitent to make the decision to be a sex worker.

I am afraid several people in the world are looking to make a quick sale on someone else and may even find themselves as sex workers in the process. In addition, it seems as though making it legal would fulfill the demand; ergo, get rid of high prices associated to sex workers. This would minimize how many people are becoming sex workers, yet it would be amoral to endorse the profession.

There are no easy answers. Perhaps if it were legal people could study why it is so dangerous. Not being around that environment I find television interviews awkward. There is a sense of people feeling adultry was commited; however, others feel it was a business transaction.

I wonder if it was made legal, people would find another reason besides sexual activities is shortening the lives of sex workers. It might actually be the social climate developed; wherein, people feel entitled to scorn those who may or may not pay attention to their mate.

[CptSternn]

There is a thriving legal sex trade througout Europe, where prostitution has been legal for decades.

Amsterdam isn't just the place for getting high, they have a huge red light district. Germany has a nice one as well. One of the best is in Budapest - they have a 'sex carnival' area in the city that is a huge red light district with shops and outdoor stalls all selling sex. In Ireland when lads go out on stags (bachelor parties for ye stateside), they hop a plane to there (tickets are under $30) and spend the weekend.

If you want to see how the industry should be regulated, just look at any of those places. They have strict regulation and are very successful. Prozzies have to carry cards which are updated weekly certifying they have had full testing and are clean. It is an industry viewed like any other in those places.

[Saya]

Its only legal in eight countries, and the Netherlands is one of the top destination countries in Europe for trafficked sex workers, and most of the prostitutes in Amsterdam are foreign women and of colour.

I also find it odd that a Marxist would advocate a system where prostitutes have to pay to work and do not have the same rights other workers do, while the businessmen who own the brothels make millions.

[gerdeona]

good post!!! +1)))

[MissCheyenne]

I think that yes, it should be legal to work as a prostitute. If proper regulations are put into place that protect the health and safety of both the worker and the client, I see no problem with it. It's not a job that I would personally choose to do but there are thousands of women and men who do choose to engage in it. In a properly regulated industry that provided health care, decent, well regulated places of business to work from, both workers and clients would be much safer. As it stands now, certainly in England, there have been dozens of prostitutes murdered because their saftey and well being is not accounted for because they work on the streets. My sister personally knew a teenage girl who worked as a prostitute who was murdered by one of her clients. In a properly regulated environment, the risk of such things would be considerably lower. It wouldn't eliminate the risk entirely but lowering it is surely a good step to take.

[ape descendant]

It is my opinion that sex workers should be able to practice their trade legally. When its illegal, workers are unable to get emergency help, or may be unable to get medical attention should they need it.

If consenting adults want to have sex, I don't see a problem with it, whether there's money involved or not.

I tire of all the "morality" arguments. Keeping it illegal isn't going to make it go away, it never has, it never will. If we actually care about other human beings we'd at least make it so that sex workers can call the police if they are attacked (sexually or otherwise) without fear of having to do jail time themselves.

[Alan]

Originally Posted by Saya

I also find it odd that a Marxist would advocate a system where prostitutes have to pay to work and do not have the same rights other workers do, while the businessmen who own the brothels make millions.

He ain't a marxist.

[Ben Lahnger]

Saya, you may have thought you were making sense, but no part of your response invalidated what I posted. So, I'm just going to say it. Ugh.

[Toy Killer]

I don't know much on this topic, however this is a hell of a discussion.

I recall addictive agents (Heroin, cocaine, Meth, etc) being commonly used to keep Sex workers from leaving their pimps. Would legalization really change anything, then, if they refuse to leave their source of their illegal substance?

Make it legal all you want, doesn't mean they can't do it illegally if they want to.

[Catch]

You know, sex professions should be legal. There are many underlying issues that are creating this need for sex workers. It is not the best solutions, yet I grow tired of people siting when the problem is noticably out-of-hand, not the problems leading to issues like sex professions, abortion and drug abuse.

There are many solutions just in making it legal. Making sure people are getting paid, blood tests, protection of rights because they are still within the law and chances for retirement and better future.

I have kind of the same opinion on abortion. I do not like abortion. Yet it seems as though people are saying don't do it without actually considering why people get abortions. The abortion is only a patch on a much bigger issue created through a variety of different social schisms, yet you cannot tell people to not do it. In fact, a large part of why it is legal is because without the option the mother would kill herself; ergo, killing the child. Frequently the father in these situations would commit suicide over getting married or after there potential wife and child died. It is an aweful situation.

Sex workers are people too. If there is something that can be done now to minimize their suffering we should do and attempt to increase their average age to above mid-thirties.

[ape descendant]

Originally Posted by Toy Killer

I don't know much on this topic, however this is a hell of a discussion.

I recall addictive agents (Heroin, cocaine, Meth, etc) being commonly used to keep Sex workers from leaving their pimps. Would legalization really change anything, then, if they refuse to leave their source of their illegal substance?

Make it legal all you want, doesn't mean they can't do it illegally if they want to.

Legalization WOULD change things, it would make the protection of sex workers and their clients possible. One of the things the helps keep pimps in business, is that since it is illegal, they can pretty much do what they want and their victims have little to no legal recourse. This helps to perpetuate the abuse and violence that pimps are so infamous for. While there are those who would still practice their trade outside the bounds of regulation there are plenty of clients and workers who would gladly practice legally with rights and protection under the law.

As far as illegal substances go, this is where the decriminalization of drugs comes in. This problem is not limited to "pimps and hos" but is a far bigger problem. Due to the illegality of drugs, treatment options are limited and there's always the possibility of incarceration. Decriminalization can help make it so that addicts could get medical treatment without the fear of jail time.

Legalization of drugs (as opposed to just decriminalization) could contribute to a shrinking of the black market (which would help alleviate the pimp/drug problem you brought up), regulation (which could help reduce the risk of overdose and poisoning), and help to remove the criminal element from drug culture to a certain extent.

[CptSternn]

Sex is legal. Buying things is legal. Buying sex should be legal.

[ape descendant]

What we gotta do? Legalize! Mojo said it best.