I feel that our society's disdain of prostitution is derived from irrational religious morality so I'm curious to learn what you heavens think about this topic.
Here's what I think-
The exchange of sexual services for money between consenting adults is not immoral and should not be illegal. Porn actors are paid to have sex and that is legal but if a sex worker is paid to have sex he/she has committed a crime. How does that make sense?
Legal prostitution is safer/healthier because it can be regulated and is not pushed into back alleys and seedy places. Currently, prostitutes work under the thumb of often brutal and manipulative pimps who take advantage of them. They can not go to the police for help so they must rely on a pimp for protection. If it were legal, they would work in regulated brothels and would be protected by the law rather than persecuted by it. They would also be tested regularly for std's which would help control the spread of disease.
Regardless of how you feel about prostitution personally, the freedom of others to make their own life decisions should not be infringed upon if those choices do not cause harm to others.
Prostitution is as old as civilization itself. People always have and always will exchange things for sexually services and attempting to end it is folly. The prohibition of it causes much more harm than prostitution itself.
Prostitution prohibition is a result of a paranoid society sexually repressed by irrational religious beliefs. I see no detriment to allowing prostitution to operate freely and in fact I think it can be beneficial for people to have the choice of gaining sexual release without a need for commitment to a relationship. There have been lots of societies throughout history that allowed and even encouraged it without issue.
As per me - While I would never use such a service myself, I see no reason for it to be illegal. As long as the people engaging into such an occupation are not driven to it by force, coercion, deception or other means that infringe their own right of consent.
It is a victimless crime - all prostitution is, is an exchange of money and services just like any other manual labor job - anything that is "immoral" surrounding prostitution is a byproduct of its illegality and lack of regulation: drugs, abuse, people becoming trapped, etc. Legalize it, regulate it, and set up systems to help people who are in it to find other jobs if they so desire. Just like drug use - if we legalize it, regulate it, and set up systems to help people addicted we are all going to be much better off.
I don't think there's any sensible and effective way to criminalize prostitution.
I won't call it a victimless crime right now, although the basic transaction of sex for money is not the problem. It's all the other crap that's associated with it. Legalized prostitution would have less harm associated with it -- less likelihood of the prostitutes being trafficked or enslaved; less likelihood that STD's would be spread; less likelihood of violence being done against either the trick or the john; less stigma and shame and thus less likelihood of self-medication and addiction as a coping mechanism.
Let's not fool ourselves that legalized, regulated prostitution would eliminate these problems (and probably others I haven't thought of off the top of my head). But less of them is better than what's going on now, and when confronting public policy questions, it's often better to not allow the perfect to be the enemy of the good.
Wow I am totally impressed with the people who have participated in this debate. 117 for legalize, 4 for other and only 4 for keep illegal. We have some very enlightened people among us here and a great many good points were made. Thanks all for a great debate.
The prostitute is an archetype we all have. We prostitute ourselves for money, for self-gain, for power. In the sense of a female prostitute she is doing the same thing.
Legalize it. While we at it legalize all drugs (the main ones not the off brands). We are adults we can deal with this. Prostitution go for it. Drugs if legal will help a lot of things out and you will not have to deal with the off brand stuff like croc and so on. Of course, do the stuff from across the pond and give the prostitutes some schooling so they can aptly do it. We have sex bots for fucks sakes why not this.
You do you. If you want 3 prostitutes while sniffing crack off ones back do it. If you OD your stupidity and thanks for taking yourself out of the gene pool moderation learn it.
There are many facets to this topic. Its a women's rights issue- their body they should be able to do what they want. However, many problems regarding consensual sex and young women or sex trafficking. If prostitution was legal and regulated there would be no demand for sex trafficking.
Prostitution itself is not a crime its the lead up ,solicoting for sexual business that is the crime.
this was put in place by so called religious moralists who were afraid of being caug'ht by their wives and others and being judged in the same way that they judged others
The government has no business interferring with our bodies. Regulation & states rights yes. But an outright ban has no place in a free society. What someone wishes to do with their body without harming others should be regulated for disease & violence prevention, regarding consenting adults with cognative abilities intact.
You state: "Prostitution prohibition is a result of a paranoid society sexually repressed by irrational religious beliefs." It certainly isn't something with which I'd disagree. Lots more relating to this 'oldest profession' is attributable to irrationality of androcentric religions. We should be more generous with credit for roles they play in the phenomenon of prostitution and moreover, the very structuring and oversight of societies as a whole.
Attempts to prohibit are necessarily secondary. Religions block and harness primary sexual drives via indoctrination at the earliest possible stages. Far reaching, cumulative consequences of thwarting otherwise self-regulating human sexuality development has at best distorted and at worst crippled populations of 'modern societies. Actually, distortions effected are the goal of indoctrination as a means of supporting irrationally based mores built-in to the social framework by theological overseers. We call it being normal...
Those afflicted by the process with crippling damage are considered abnormal, degenerate, perverted or even criminal. Toxins were too much for them to absorb and meatabolize. They couldn't survive and fell short. These non-survivors; ostracized pariahs stand convicted of the very crimes that caused their injuries. Among them one often finds prostitutes.
Prohibition is but a partial result of such ills. It's an attempted secondary block on an 'end run'. Many might ask why end run? I looks rather direct. After all men and sometimes women have to find an 'outlet' don't they? What's wrong with that? We are products of advanced, 'modern society' aren't we?
We correctly recognize naturalness of sexual drives instinctively; by common and professional consensus and simple reasoning. We draw the conclusions, however, from a shared 'secondary platform' upon which rests our entire social and historical frame of reference. We're afforded only a partial view:having left primary, ground level long ago. Note, it probably accounts for why we call it 'primitive'.
From a primitive cultural perspective, appetites and behaviors considered 'givens' or normal on our secondary, irrational, Patrist dominated platform would be CONSPICUOUSLY ABSENT. From up here, only prohibition appears clearly connected to irrationality of religions. Religion is also the causal source of secondary (substitutional) cravings; for blocked primary drives seeking secondary outlet via artificial means.
Religion also, unintentionally, creates the market. Absence of market would also mean absence of product. This is but one example of how Patriarchally dominated religions create the very 'evils' they claim to oppose. Religion is the most prodigious manufacturer of human misery on the planet; with a long 6,000 year history of spawning such ills as usurpation of the natural role of women as society's leaders; degrading females to a status ranging from property to socially (religiously) subordinate; 'virgin' worship, child abuse, genital mutilation, cranial deformation, foot binding, dehumanization, war, conquest and genocide.
What we call social probems, legalized or not, are often only what can be seen at the top of a planetary pot that is about to boil over.
Legalize it and for many of the reasons you stated above. I tihnk it would also reduce the instances of young girls forced into prostitution if it is regulated, men will prefer to use legal services than risk getting arrested or diseases from illegal prostitutes.
I live in Nv. And it’s legal in most counties except in LV and Reno. The women are medically followed and the environments are very clean as I’ve been told . I’ve never used their services as I’m fortunate but more importantly while I have some difficulty due to exploitation of women but you can’t legislate morality successfully