Prostitution Should Be Legalized

[Terrywoodenpic]

I remember my wife and I having dinner at Restaurant Blauw aan de Wal, a superb restaurant located in the red-light district of Amsterdam. I asked our waiter what he thought about the legalized prostitution. He indicated that it was miserable for the women involved and that there existed a behind-the-scenes infrastructure that was even worse.

You will find that the criminal fraternity are heavily involved in your "legal" prostitution setups in the Usa.
It goes with the territory.

some girls might think it is only for a few weeks... till they try to leave, and find they owe as much as they have earned.
and their boyfriend is actually their pimp.

 

[Underhill]

Don't you get paternity leave in the USA.?
perhaps they think men would just take the leave and let the women do all the work looking after the family.

No. And I have no idea what they think.

 

[Underhill]

Understood.

I apologize if I got carried away in my tone.

No worries. Happens to the best of us.

 

[Terrywoodenpic]

I would defend equal pay for equal work if that were what women wanted. Equal pay for taking years at a time off for having kids is not exactly the same thing and that is what I hear women complain about. Is the current system fair? Of course not. But then it isn't fair that women are often given leave to spend with their new born kids while men are told they have to work.

I think a fair system would be lovely. But that would leave employers in a seriously bad situation.

Why unfair to employers? it works well enough in Europe including the Uk. Does not seem to hurt American companies set up here.

 

[columbus]

Even our Prime Minister Cameron took two weeks paid maternity leave.

Two entire weeks?
Sounds like Socialism, and we are too moral in the USA to allow that sort of thing.
Tom
ETA especially us gay guys. I don't expect to pay for other people's choices. Why should I?

 

[Underhill]

Why unfair to employers? it works well enough in Europe including the Uk. Does not seem to hurt American companies set up here.

I didn't say unfair. I said it would leave them in a bad situation. Women in this country can get up to a years maternity leave (although it isn't federally mandated). If they implemented a similar policy in the states for men and made it compulsory for companies to offer it, it would have a large cost associated with it.

I don't know how it works in Europe.

 

[Covellite]

I didn't say unfair. I said it would leave them in a bad situation. Women in this country can get up to a years maternity leave (although it isn't federally mandated). If they implemented a similar policy in the states for men and made it compulsory for companies to offer it, it would have a large cost associated with it.

I don't know how it works in Europe.

If you are a drug addict, in some Europe countries you can go to the hospital and ask for urgent qick fix. They will give you without "look at junky" thing, or even better - with respect for your situation. That's because they want to prevent crimes. After that you must do rehab. Same model could be followed with sex workers and sex addicts. In most Eu coutries it' legal.

 

[Father Heathen]

From the point of view of the sex worker,
Prostitution would never be a preferred lifestyle choice,
nor is it one you would want for your family or friends.
Most sex workers have no choice, they are the "property" of their pimps.

The thread is discussing specifically a transaction between consenting adults. Without consent, it's a form rape and slavery, which should obviously be illegal. If prostitution (involving consenting adults) was legal and regulated, it would reduce a lot of the potential risks and abuses within the trade.

 

[Smart_Guy]

The thread is discussing specifically a transaction between consenting adults. Without consent, it's a form rape and slavery, which should obviously be illegal. If prostitution (involving consenting adults) was legal and regulated, it would reduce a lot of the potential risks and abuses within the trade.

That's a good point. But the question is: is that consent real and in place? Any one can give their consent to achieve some goal in acts they really don't want to do or can't afford to not do (to drop). In any other job, I believe it is okay to do that, but in prostitution it scares me since it involves selling the honor and dignity of the body for lust; promoting using women as sexual products just for being women. I think prostitution, even if legalized, opens the door to violate women even more than they are already violated.

Don't get me wrong, I'm a healthy guy and (legal) prostitution would serve me, but my personal gains does not mean I should take advantage of it and support it. People should care for other people like they care for themselves and their own.

This thread seems to be about legal vs illegal prostitution where prostitution is already a trend and there are no plans to find solutions for it, not for promoting prostitution by legalizing it. Sorry for getting off-topic.

 

[FearGod]

The thread is discussing specifically a transaction between consenting adults. Without consent, it's a form rape and slavery, which should obviously be illegal. If prostitution (involving consenting adults) was legal and regulated, it would reduce a lot of the potential risks and abuses within the trade.

Will you look for a prostitute and pay her ?

 

[Noa]

This whole notion that legal prostitution is legal in name only is unbelievably insulting to prostitutes that like their line of work. People need to grow up. If everything is regulated, nobody is coerced, it is just another job.

 

[McBell]

Will you look for a prostitute and pay her ?

Relevance?
Are you of the mind that men can have no say on abortion because they cannot have one?

 

[FearGod]

Relevance?
Are you of the mind that men can have no say on abortion because they cannot have one?

Men can't get pregnants but they can pay for the prostitute.

 

[SomeRandom]

Does legalized prostitution solve all the problems inherent in the errr........ industry? Well.....No, probably not.
But having said that, it is better to monitor something out in the open than to drive it underground in some scenarios.

If men and women are paid to have sex in front of a camera which is totally legal, then why aren't men and women allowed to be paid to have sex off camera? (I know most prostitutes are probably women, but I'm sure there's a few men in there somewhere.) What's the big leap between the porn industry and legal brothels?
Hell what's the big leap between higher up "escorts" and prostitutes? (Don't try that "they don't have sex" BS, it's practically common knowledge that escorts are just fancier prostitutes.)

If it is under the control of Government regulation, then theoretically at least, it would be easier to ascertain who is consenting, who is coerced and who is underage. And then hopefully save (at least a few) women from the clutches of unscrupulous pimps.
Someone mentioned before they were angry at watching COPS when they just arrested the hooker and I happen to agree. If said hooker is on drugs or under the thumb of a menacing pimp, all the coppers are doing is causing undue stress to a likely frightened/abused woman. If she is viewed as nothing more than a criminal under the law, then how can she get help if she needs it?

Prostitution is legalized where I live. I distinctly recall in High School everyone knew of the brothel a couple of blocks down the road from the school. And many a story went around the playground about the lads who tried their luck at the establishment. (Alas, unless they were particularly older looking, not many had much success. In spite of their tall tales of sexual prowess.) Because it was regulated, the "type of John" was also under a bit more scrutiny. Did that mean all the workers were completely safe? Well, no. But it did mean that if someone was out of line, they could just call the coppers without fear of being locked up themselves.

Hell sex workers even have their very own Union and I see them campaigning for more protection under the law and more rights as employees every now and then. Which I support.

Would I encourage anyone I know to go into any sort of sex industry? No. But some women might like that particular profession, so I'm not going to stand their way. And so if they are involved, I'd prefer them to be in a position where the police could legally offer them protection and regulate their employers, instead of just chucking them in the clink if they happen to catch them unawares.

 

[Revoltingest]

Does legalized prostitution solve all the problems inherent in the errr........ industry? Well.....No, probably not.
But having said that, it is better to monitor something out in the open than to drive it underground in some scenarios.

If men and women are paid to have sex in front of a camera which is totally legal, then why aren't men and women allowed to be paid to have sex off camera? (I know most prostitutes are probably women, but I'm sure there's a few men in there somewhere.) What's the big leap between the porn industry and legal brothels?
Hell what's the big leap between higher up "escorts" and prostitutes? (Don't try that "they don't have sex" BS, it's practically common knowledge that escorts are just fancier prostitutes.)

If it is under the control of Government regulation, then theoretically at least, it would be easier to ascertain who is consenting, who is coerced and who is underage. And then hopefully save (at least a few) women from the clutches of unscrupulous pimps.
Someone mentioned before they were angry at watching COPS when they just arrested the hooker and I happen to agree. If said hooker is on drugs or under the thumb of a menacing pimp, all the coppers are doing is causing undue stress to a likely frightened/abused woman. If she is viewed as nothing more than a criminal under the law, then how can she get help if she needs it?

Prostitution is legalized where I live. I distinctly recall in High School everyone knew of the brothel a couple of blocks down the road from the school. And many a story went around the playground about the lads who tried their luck at the establishment. (Alas, unless they were particularly older looking, not many had much success. In spite of their tall tales of sexual prowess.) Because it was regulated, the "type of John" was also under a bit more scrutiny. Did that mean all the workers were completely safe? Well, no. But it did mean that if someone was out of line, they could just call the coppers without fear of being locked up themselves.

Hell sex workers even have their very own Union and I see them campaigning for more protection under the law and more rights as employees every now and then. Which I support.

Would I encourage anyone I know to go into any sort of sex industry? No. But some women might like that particular profession, so I'm not going to stand their way. And so if they are involved, I'd prefer them to be in a position where the police could legally offer them protection and regulate their employers, instead of just chucking them in the clink if they happen to catch them unawares.

Aye, it's about what's better...not what's perfect.

 

[Underhill]

If you are a drug addict, in some Europe countries you can go to the hospital and ask for urgent qick fix. They will give you without "look at junky" thing, or even better - with respect for your situation. That's because they want to prevent crimes. After that you must do rehab. Same model could be followed with sex workers and sex addicts. In most Eu coutries it' legal.

I'm not entirely sure what that has to do with what I said, but I agree that this is the right model.

Many of the problems with prostitution are caused by the fact that it's illegal. Employers (ie pimps) get away with just about anything. The girls have no rights, no protection. The men are well aware of this and often take advantage of them. It makes a situation at the margins into a terrifying one.

 

[McBell]

Men can't get pregnants but they can pay for the prostitute.

That does not explain the relevance of your question.
Nor doe sit answer the question in my post.

 

[FearGod]

That does not explain the relevance of your question.
Nor doe sit answer the question in my post.

My point is that prostitution is bad for both, men and women.
Men will waste their money and women will sell their bodies,
which make them a sex object.

 

[columbus]

My point is that prostitution is bad for both, men and women.
Men will waste their money and women will sell their bodies,
which make them a sex object.

This is why I would like to see prostitution legalized. So we can start working on the real problems and work our way towards the less crucial ones.
A grown up hooker in a first world country is very different from a poor young girl who is sold to a brothel by her poor and desperate parents in Thailand. So you have to deal with things legally, or else they just won't really be effectively dealt with.
Tom

 

[Smart_Guy]

You guys think legalizing prostitution could help in the STD spreading problem? And how?