Should prostitution be decriminalised?

Question

It's the oldest profession. Making it illegal just sweeps it under the carpet and encourages sex slavery doesn't it?

Answer 1

Absolutely should be decriminalized. Those of you who don't agree, Call Off Your Old Tired Ethics! (Or just visit the COYOTE web site. Search for it. You're smart enough to find it...)

Nevada legalizes brothels and prostitution. Holland does so too. Other countries are equally enlightened. Here's the factors I see.

1. If you legalize it, you get to set standards of cleanliness and safety. Like the workers must be free of communicable diseases and must undergo regular examinations to verify that condition. You would also be able to force better documentation of the workers.

2. The workers (now in a legal "service" industry) can get hospitalization and other benefits, including credit on paying into social security. Further, if they can get medical benefits, they can either get the employer to pay for the regular exams for diseases and such - or they can take the cost out of their taxes.

3. The "independent contractors" who walk the streets eventually get forced to take their business where everyone else does their business. This would eliminate some of the violence (done BOTH ways) to those independents.

4. The government could chalk up another source of income from the occupational licenses and "sales tax" receipts.

5. We could free up a lot of the vice cops to other duties.

6. This would actually REDUCE or END sexual slavery as a way to keep a stable of "workers" - because of the idea of inspections by law enforcement. Not only that. If the profession becomes legal, the workers don't need to hide for fear of prosecution for being a prostitute. There would be no legal penalty for that admission any more.

Not to mention that other types of profession suddenly become possible. For example, a very different form of sex therapist. A way to TEACH young boys how to please their partners. (Dad's little talk about "the birds and the bees" is usually sadly deficient at anything related to technique.)

Legalizing prostitution does not mean "a brothel on every corner." You can't have businesses in residential neighborhoods now. That surely wouldn't change. You can declare brothels to be restricted to certain zoning areas that can't occur too close to schools and playgrounds. That wouldn't be too big an issue, either.

The only reason this can't be legalized now is because too many people don't want to acknowledge that neither Nevada nor Holland have been subjected to Biblical curses such as hail falling from the sky to burn like lumps of coal, or a plague of frogs, or stuff like that.

Answer 2

No, I disagree. People who participate in sex slavery or in the sex trade wouldn't visit legal prostitues even if they could. I mean, if they just wanted sex they would pay a prostitute off the street. Or they would go to a place where prostitution is legal, like some cities in Nevada.

To answer the first part of your question, I don't think prostitution should be legalized everywhere. There is no way to monitor the activity, the income, the safety of the workers, etc. And since (unfortunately) prostitution is often linked to std's and drug use, these things would be an even larger problem. Not always, but often.

Answer 3

This is another flagrant example of governments kowtowing to mostly religious pressure groups, and /or criminal organizations, sticking their combined heads in the sand, and pretending that there is no problem. It's obvious that what people want cannot be repressed.

Realistic people understand that prostitution, like dope, cannot be legislated away, and everyone concerned would be better off if we followed other jurisdiction's example where prostitution is legalized.

Instead of wasting taxpayers money on useless repression, as well as creating dangerous and unhealthy working conditions for people working in the sex trade, governments should legislate, introducing enlightened laws.

Amongst other things:
Prostitution should be recognized as a legitimate profession.
Prostitutes should be licensed.
Prostitutes should be required to submit to regular health exams and be issued health certificates
Prostitutes should be given the opportunity to work in established sex hotels.
Prostitution should be recognized as a public health service.

However, as long as prostitutes and their clients are marginalized, and people tolerate the existing situation unfortunately nothing will change because politicians react to pressure.

Mainly due to lack of political will there is little or no hope to change this backward, unenlightened, sad and stupid ultraconservative state of affairs.

Answer 4

I think so. Like you say its one of the oldest professions out there and id much prefer to see prostitutes safe than wondering the streets. I dont think many prostitutes would want it legalised and regulated though as then they would have to pay tax etc.

Answer 5

What along with rape, murder, robbery, theft, assault ,homosexuality, lesbianism, buggery, making bombs,
kidnap, where do you start and stop, if its legal to sell sex on the street or home whats wrong with selling puff skunk dope heroin coke or crack. The line has to be draw-en in the sand.
The forces that be will never eliminate crime,, they will always be second best, but if you start taking what little laws(weapons ) away from them,it might be your corner that the girls stand on, and your kids may have run the gauntlet of drug dealers and junkies that are attracted by this Nobel art of prostitution, I have included unnatural acts as part of my example because I feel that these are examples of law changes that have benefited the minority to the cost of the majority and my personal feeling is that it was a change brought threw the back door by a load of Lordy poofters and their hens, pressured by their blackmailing boyfriends light the touch paper and stand back

Answer 6

Yes. All of us who work sell our body for money so lets not kid ourselves we are any better than anyone else.

If work in the sex industry was decriminalised and regulated,
1. it might remove the criminal gangs who traffic in women,
2. the men and women who choose to provide sex could be safer in their chosen profession,
3. the clients could be safer, knowing the service providers are subject to regular medical checks,
4. the government would gain tax income.

Answer 7

NO! man, that means ma role as da pimp is gonna be phased out by da Government targets, and jus tink of da paperwork we'd all have ta fill out. Da pro's will be so tied up filling in da unneccesary paperwork and tryin to do their thang wit in Government guidlines that the ho's won't be able to do da job man, ya feel me.

And don't get me started on tha clients fillin in da Disclaimers as well as tha Health & Safety Regs me gurls will have to abide by.

There be too much money at stake to be givin it to da crooks in New Labour.

Answer 8

Well they certainly aren't going to manage to stamp it out...as you say, it's the oldest profession.
Personally I would go for legalising it then at least there can be some control...i.e regular health checks and ensuring that the prostitutes can work in relative 'safety'.

Answer 9

Of course, this should be decided at the state level and not the federal. Nevada has legal prostitution already. The same should be said for all of the 'victim less' or 'sin' crimes.

Answer 10

I believe it would be in the public interest if it was legalised. However, it is the pimps I abhor and I would still expect pimping to be a crime. The women provide a necessary service to those people you desire their services and I would prefer that they were in charge of their own business and not controlled by thieving pimps.