Prostitution

[andrewducker]

Having just been reading the comments on this article about disabled people visiting prostitutes, I'm wondering about people's views:
[Poll #1076235]

Comments

[soon_lee]

Prostitution is no longer a crime in my country. While many would rather not think about it, disabled people are sexual beings too.

[spaj.livejournal.com]

Legal, if it's properly controlled. Prostitution encourages slave-trade in sex, and drug addiction. I'm against both of these things - if people can make a living from sex, without fuelling these other practices, then fine. I have no moral objection to "sex for money".

Which wasn't an option in your poll, and it seems unclear how I should vote if that's my opinion, because you gave so little context.

Dick.

[guyinahat.livejournal.com]

Andy does seem to enjoy putting up inadequate poll options.

(I agree with you, btw)

[surliminal.livejournal.com]

Legal in properly controlled brothels, illegal for the client soliciting women on the street, not illegal for the prostitute at all, but they get redirected towards the regulated areas.

[thorn11.livejournal.com]

what is exactly is 'properly controlled'? that sounds a bit big brother to me.

a lot of people involved in prostitution have lives that are too chaotic to fit into 'properly controlled' brothels, where working times are specific and often the workers are fired for being late, etc.
street prostitution will never go away because there is both need and demand. what needs to happen is better understanding of harm reduction techniques and welfare-centred policing.

[surliminal.livejournal.com]

I know, but last I knew about this - a while back I admit - it was true that most street prostitutes were driven by drug abuse and giving most money to their pimps and risking HIV - all not very good..

I see no issue about selling sex in abstract ( not for me but..) but in reality it is a shit lifestyle for most, driven by drug abuse and coercion. WE are talking things more important than minimum wage here..

[andrewducker]

My reply to Adam applies to you too.

[andrewducker]

I wasn't going to ask whether you were in favour of slave trading of drug addiction. I'm afraid I assumed the answer was "no".

[themongkey.livejournal.com]

option 4: "unnecessary"

[andrewducker]

What do you mean by "unnecessary"?

I mean, on one level everything outside of your basic food/water/shelter requirements are uneccessary, but I'm not sure how this is terribly useful...

[guyinahat.livejournal.com]

Using vague statements on the presumption that you're audience will know what you really mean?

hmmmmm

[themongkey.livejournal.com]

Perhaps I mean that in an ideal world everybody would be having the sex they wanted and nobody would need to buy or sell it.

Or perhaps I just like fucking with your polls ;o)

[kashandara.livejournal.com]

What if the sex you -want- is sex where you pay for it?

[themongkey.livejournal.com]

Um. That's what holosuites are will be for?

[slammerkinbabe.livejournal.com]

I'm with spaj; prostitution's safer when it's legal, and I have no moral objection to it. Or, I should say, no intrinsic moral objection to it. If being a sex worker is a choice that someone makes freely and without coercion, then I have no blanket objection (some people may choose it for unhealthy reasons, but that goes for a lot of things that aren't illegal). The amount of coercion increases exponentially when it's illegal, though, so I think it should be legal.

[http://users.livejournal.com/la_marquise_de_/]

This issue was debated in the academic press about a decade ago, and at that time there was a vocal minority declaring that carers should provide sexual services along with other help to people with disabilities. THe article seems to indicate that things have moved on somewhat -- carers are no longer seen purely as functions. I have no issues with protitution (except in so far as its criminalisation makes the women so vulnerable to all kinds of abuse and ill-treatment). I do have some issues with the idea of a right to sex, though. It interests me how male-focused the article and many of the comments were: underneath this the old old idea that men have a right to get laid is still alive and well -- and sadly, this is the same idea that has justified so much abuse of women over so many years.

[andrewducker]

Yeah, I have to say that the idea of a right to sex baffled me as well. I mean, if everyone has a right to sex where' mine?

[nickys.livejournal.com]

The priority should be making it safe.
Legal or illegal is not the point really.

Edinburgh's system of licensed massage parlors is a good idea - safe for the prostitutes, and safe for the clients too, though that's not usually such a big issue.

I used to live 50 yards from one and never felt hassled, so they clearly don't need to cause problems for women who live near them.

[guyinahat.livejournal.com]

I think being legal is important. If it's left to unwritten conventions, political whims can come along and sweep it away without any redress. Point in case is the safe zone that used to exist on Salamander street. It all worked fine until somebody built luxury flats on the street and the new residents kicked up a stink and and killed the scheme.

[thorn11.livejournal.com]

yes! (to 'the priority should be making it safe')

the new slogan at work is 'safety before ideology'
huzzah

[terminalmalaise.livejournal.com]

Pretty much agree with spaj and the other comments here. Would add that any crack down should focus on the pimps and the johns. I was creeped out by the attitudes of the subjects of the BBC article and a lot of the comments there.

[laserboy.livejournal.com]

I'm generally agreeing with what most people are saying. The emphasis should be on protecting these vulnerable women and, ideally, giving them whatever support they need to get back on their feet and making a better life for themselves.

[atreic.livejournal.com]

I'm really interested in how you make dangerous things legal but clearly marked as dangerous and at least slightly difficult to get at. If I could solve this problem, then prostitution as well as lots of drugs could safely go in this catagory.

[atreic.livejournal.com]

I am still amused by this comment on the BBC:

"There is also a group within the UK attempting to put disabled people in touch with suitable prostitutes...."

Instead of this approach would it not be better to put disabled people in touch with other opposite sex disabled people?

[andrewducker]

I was actually slightly disturbed by that comment. The idea that only disabled people would have sex with disabled people gives a worrying insight into someone's mind.

[thorn11.livejournal.com]

actually, I would ask for another option: de-criminalised.

it's getting specific, but making it 'legal' generally indicates monitoring and regulations. This means the state being able to make STI tests mandatory. That is NOT okay.

I have no problem with sex workers marketing their services at a slightly higher price because they are 'certified STI-free' but I don't think mandatory testing, etc. is ok.

[surliminal.livejournal.com]

I do.

Why not?

Good for the clients, the workers, and society.

What is the downside?

Do you think people shpuld be able to sell services which are life threatening?