Prostitution

[Steezie]

I am in favor of legalizing and regulating prostitution

I would like to hear other people's input on the idea of legalizing prostitution or why it should be kept criminal.

 

[LouTheWicked]

As am I. If facilities are set up where contraception and health checks are available and there are security persons able to take control if anything gets out of hand while in the rooms.

It may not be seen as morally correct, but if those people are consenting to the business then I don't see a problem.
Degrading? Pornography is seen as degrading, stripping is seen as degrading but people are still allowed to do it. It's just another job to them and it earns them a living.

 

[peter22]

I don't even know if it's illegal in Australia. We are descended from convicts after all.

 

[cantata]

I am in favor of legalizing and regulating prostitution

I would like to hear other people's input on the idea of legalizing prostitution or why it should be kept criminal.

In Britain, selling or buying sex are not illegal practices. However, "soliciting" and keeping brothels are both illegal activities. I think the latter in particular should be decriminalised. If there were legal brothels, as there are in the the Netherlands for example, it would be easier for prostitutes to be protected from violent clients, diseases, exploitation by brothel owners and pimps, and so on. It would also be easier for prostitutes to form unions. Customers could pay VAT and prostitutes would pay income tax. It is likely that drug use by prostitutes could also be better-regulated.

 

[GabrielWithoutWings]

Legalizing prostitution would probably be the quickest way to get rid of it.

Can you imagine trying to fill out tax forms and pay quarterlies? Would condoms be a business expense?

 

[BookReader]

I would not be in favor of legalizing prostitution because it is against the Bible.

 

[quatona]

Legalizing prostitution would probably be the quickest way to get rid of it.

There is no way to get rid of prostitution.

Can you imagine trying to fill out tax forms and pay quarterlies?

Sure, that´s what they do in countries where it´s legal.

Would condoms be a business expense?

Most definitely so.

 

[quatona]

I am in favor of legalizing and regulating prostitution

Agreed.

I would like to hear other people's input on the idea of legalizing prostitution or why it should be kept criminal.

I see no good reason to prohibit or criminalize it.

 

[trunks2k]

I think prostitution is one of those things that you just cause more problems by making it illegal than having it legal.

 

[quatona]

I think prostitution is one of those things that you just cause more problems by making it illegal than having it legal.

Which are the problems it causes when being legal?

 

[trunks2k]

Which are the problems it causes when being legal?

You could argue some concrete things like more easily spread STDs and more abstract things like the objectification of women. Plus there's the fact that most people simply don't want prostitutes in their neighborhood.

Except that when prostitution is illegal, those problems are exacerbated.

 

[Alexandrah]

I think the regulation of prostitution might help decrease the spread of infections.

If prostitutes were required to have a license to work and a stipulation of the license required testing/a clean bill of health to obtain it I think it would decrease the spread of disease (in theory)

But if it's ever decriminalized there will be no more prostitution stings on cops, and those are always the most fun to watch. It's a tricky situation to be sure.

 

[Pogue]

I don't think it's moral in itself, but I think it's even more immoral to allow the exploitation and trafficking of women to take place. But if we accept that prostitution is inevitable, then I think it should be legalised and controlled, mainly to try and remove the criminal element who control many of the prostitutes, and also from a health perspective. It's not an ideal solution, but it might help solve some of the problems which exist today. Women need to be given the opportunity to leave and find an alternative job, and while the industry is controlled by criminals, that's not going to happen.
I also think we need to stop a lot of the social stigma that we place on prostitutes to the extent where we ignore the men who use them, who actually keep the industry going. But that's another issue altogether.

 

[cantata]

I don't think it's moral in itself, but I think it's even more immoral to allow the exploitation and trafficking of women to take place. But if we accept that prostitution is inevitable, then I think it should be legalised and controlled, mainly to try and remove the criminal element who control many of the prostitutes, and also from a health perspective. It's not an ideal solution, but it might help solve some of the problems which exist today. Women need to be given the opportunity to leave and find an alternative job, and while the industry is controlled by criminals, that's not going to happen.
I also think we need to stop a lot of the social stigma that we place on prostitutes to the extent where we ignore the men who use them, who actually keep the industry going. But that's another issue altogether.

Good points - just remember that there are male prostitutes too

 

[Pogue]

Good points - just remember that there are male prostitutes too

True enough- I was concentrating on female ones mainly for the sake of simplicity, but it's true that male prostitution is an issue.

 

[quatona]

You could argue some concrete things like more easily spread STDs

Yes, you could argue that. The same argument could be used against shaking hands, though.

and more abstract things like the objectification of women.

I have never understood this "objectification" thing. I can pay plumbers, massagists, doctors, psychiatrists without exposing myself to the reproach of objectifying them. I don´t understand at what point paying someone for their work makes them objects. I don´t understand why paying someone for their work disables me to have the utmost respect for the person and their work.

Plus there's the fact that most people simply don't want prostitutes in their neighborhood.

Let´s say I don´t want plumbers in my neighbourhood.

 

[OdwinOddball]

There should be no laws prohibiting the consensual behavior of mentally competent persons. This would include prostitution. As long as such laws continue to exist, we will not live in a free society.

 

[WatersMoon110]

I really don't understand why prostitution is illegal at all...

I mean, we live in a Capitalistic society. Many of our advertisements use sex to sell things. But we can't sell sex? It just doesn't make sense to me.

Of course, I believe that prostitution should be legal. Even though I, personally, would never be or go to a prostitute. It would make things safer (both from disease and violence) for clients and for sex workers. And we could tax it, and use that money to pay for free STI testing and such.

I believe that brothels are legal in Nevada.

 

[Robbie_James_Francis]

As unpleasant as prostitution is, I think the main concern with something so widespread and consensual is to regulate it to reduce the risks. Not only STDs, violence, and drug abuse. There are women and children trafficked into this country and others who are kept hostage against their will as sex slaves. Having legal prositution to be engaged in by consenting and registered citizens would help combat this horrific and widespread crime.

 

[Eudaimonist]

I would like to hear other people's input on the idea of legalizing prostitution or why it should be kept criminal.

I support the legalization of prostitution out of both a concern for self-determination, and for protecting prostitutes from the roughness and risk of life outside of the law.

Personally, I wouldn't mind it if prostitution were to disappear forever, or if "sacred prostitutes" were to come back into style in order to elevate the meaning of sex and female sexuality. These are both a long way off, but I think a good first step is to see that prostitutes have more control over their lives, which their pimps are obviously not going to give them.


eudaimonia,

Mark