Should prostitution be decriminalized?

[Anonymous]

After a different question where people mislabeled someone to be a whore, I was wondering what everyone’s take is on whores/prostitutes anyway. A whore, by definition, is a prostitute, so let's refer to it accordingly.

On to the question... people who sell sex.

Are prostitutes despicable? If they are, to what extent? Is a prostitute under bad circumstances as despicable as a prostitute under good circumstances?

If you believe prostitutes aren’t despicable, why? Do you simply feel as though they are just enjoying themselves and getting money at the same time? Explain your reasoning.

Lastly, do you even care? Under a friends-with-benefits question, I realized that a lot of people don’t care if someone they know is in a friends-with-benefits relationship, so how about if they are a prostitute? Is your judgment still withheld? Does someone else’s bodily decisions impact how you would treat them? (Not to spark an abortion debate, please, let’s not go there).

Finally, if you believe prostitution is despicable, would you be against it being decriminalized. If not, why?

What’s your take?

(Personally, I don’t really care so don't come for my ankles for making this question. I would, however, hope that prostitution wouldn’t have to be my last resort to money though.)

[MrOracle]

Let's separate this into two parts: the criminal aspect, and the moral aspect.

From a criminal point of view, it could not be more obvious that the prohibition on prostitution is a complete failure at every level - JUST LIKE alcohol prohibition was, and for virtually all the same reasons. The bulk of the problems that we associate with prostitution are actually directly the result of the PROHIBITION, not the act itself. When people want something that is banned, then people (i. e., criminals) who aren't afraid to break the law will step in and turn that demand into a business - and they'll defend that business vigorously. They'll invest some of their profits into corruption (bribes), and they'll work to find new efficiencies (human trafficking, particularly of those underage, who are easier to control), and they'll also take some of their profits and fund OTHER criminal enterprises as well - drugs, gambling, smuggling, etc.

The prohibition also makes things FAR less safe for the women involved. They take all the risk and get little of the reward under the prohibition - a LOT of them are hooked on drugs, and only work to earn their next fix (and they have to work many hours for their pimp, who takes all their money, before they get it). Prostitutes largely can't go to the police for help, because they're considered unreliable witnesses. So these women are completely at the mercy of their pimps. All of that is due to the prohibition.

Now for the moral side:

Women who sleep with a lot of men will burn out their ability to bond, which means their chances of sustaining a long-term relationship are very low. Most can't sustain a relationship while they are working, for a variety of reasons, and when they ultimately retire, most will not be able to maintain a relationship for any length of time (plus a huge number of men will reject them due to their past anyway).

In the real world, we have to be honest and recognize that a lot of women are already damaged in this way anyway - abuse of one kind or another has destroyed their ability to bond, or even to see sex as a profound thing, and so these women are able to have sex with lots of men and not really be harmed by it further - and these are often the women who seek out this kind of work, because it doesn't bother them. So, for those women, it's not a massive problem.

Ultimately, the Australian system - or something close to it - would make the most sense. Women can legally work as solo prostitutes (typically out of their home), OR they can work in licensed brothels, but no agencies or groups or any of that outside of the brothels, and no pimping. This provides a legal outlet for both prostitutes and customers - effectively defunding the criminal enterprises - plus it allows cops to focus on busting the pimps and traffickers, and not waste time on the hookers and johns.

For those who argue that this would increase prostitution: you just don't realize that prostitution is ALREADY happening in every decent-size town today. If your town has more than about 15,000 people in it, I can almost guarantee you that prostitution is happening in your town. But if you never see it, why would you care? You'd only have actual brothels in major cities, and those would end up in industrial areas, like most strip clubs do, so, again, you'd never see it. But it would probably reduce overall crime by 20% or more.

[Lliam]

I think it should be legalized. After all, it's just a service.

I think legalizing it would solve a lot of problems.

Making it legal while maintaining criminalization on pimping and trafficking would make it easier to eliminate abusers, traffickers and organized crime.

Prostitutes would be safer if they could report abuse to police without fear of being arrested.

Prostitutes could organize to form support systems, businesses and even unions in order to gain more security and access to medical care.

Those who chose to could get licensed and certified to prove their health and cleanliness, similar to restaurant ratings.

They could run their businesses above board just like hair and nail salons, psychics, lawyers, bail bondsmen, bars and nightclubs, and anything else. And they could pay taxes.

Prostitutes and people who employ them wouldn't have their lives ruined by fines, imprisonment and criminal records. It's similar to those who have their lives destroyed by the legal system for smoking or selling weed. The punishment is far more detrimental than the crime, especially when I think about the kind of incredibly immoral activity that is legal.

I believe in "my body, my choice". Not all prostitutes are crack whores. It could be a financial option for women (and men), especially in these times when decent jobs are scarce. Some people can actually make good money at it. They can choose their own hours, control their clientele, and even enjoy their work while earning money to go to college.

I don't care if sexually liberated women (or men) get paid to do porn shoots. I don't care of some people make and sell home made videos or have social media businesses. So it doesn't bother me at all if some people choose to engage in the business of prostitution. It's their choice. Who does it harm?

I also agree with you that friends with benefits is just sex. Does adding money to the equation really make a difference? And what about guys who claim that women are gold diggers? Isn't gold digging the same as prostitution? Was Zsa Zsa Gabor a prostitute for engaging in serial marriage in order to collect diamond rings and jewelry? Who cares?

There is a time limit on the age at which a prostitute can make good money, similar to professional athletes. At some point, they have to retire. Hopefully they made lots of money when they were in their prime. I know that there is a certain class of "professional escort" that can make $thousands a day in certain cities. As far as I'm concerned, that takes a certain skill set, similar to being a successful actor, model and professional athlete all rolled into one.

In the end, different people have different values. But they don't have a right to impose them on others. Some people save themselves for marriage. Some feel that raising a family is the ultimate purpose in life. Some think that sex is for people who are in love. But others simply love sex. They crave it. And there are even those women who don't mind getting their pussy used. They can text or smoke a cigarette while a guy has at it.

If I am unconcerned with the various sexual acts that partners engage in, from vanilla, to rough and degrading, to BDSM, prostitution is equally unconcerning.

[loves2learn]

I think it should be decriminalized and regulated to protect the prostitutes with regular health checks provided to them. They can carry a card that documents their most recent health check.
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Prostitution is the oldest profession in the world. It isn’t going anywhere. Why not make it safer?

[Bluemax]

"Why not make it safer?" And make it more humane. Prostitutes in places where it's illegal or not regulated suffer terribly.

[loves2learn]

Yes indeed.

[Hangry06]

I don't really care. It's always an option for men who can't get laid and is desperate to

[NamerOfStars]

Are prostitutes despicable? Well, some of them, statistically. Those who get into it as a lifestyle probably have to associate regularly with much harsher criminals, quite a few are more-or-less forcibly addicted to drugs to keep them desperate enough to keep hooking, and there's the whole kidnapping and sex trafficking element- but in the latter cases, prostitutes are VICTIMS, or at least victims as well. It's hard to live in a world like that with becoming pretty jaded yourself.

Legalization sounds like a good idea on paper, and is practiced in part of Nevada (and in many other places in the world, but even here in the US); but the increased costs mean it's not competitive with the illegal stuff (so I'm told, anyway; I've never hired a prostitute nor run a prostitution ring, so I don't know what the numbers are actually like). I question how much of a difference it would make; I don't know how high a priority people would place on ethical consumer practices of prostitution.

That'd be the sticking point, dealing with social attitudes. Craigslist used to have a personals section, which got shut down, supposedly due to fears of it being used for prostitution and human trafficking. Actual prostitutes strenuously objected, citing it as a useful resource for knowing what people to AVOID, as there are a some VERY dangerous people in that line of work, and, well, society doesn't care much if a prostitute goes missing or turns up dead. It's surprisingly common for folks to forget that they're human, too, and I'm concerned that legalizing prostitution would just be an excuse to say "Oh, see, look how noble we are; we're not jailing people for this anymore!" without meaningfully changing anything.

[PenkWing]

It should be decriminalized, acknowledged as a valid form of employment, and receiver proper protection. People who practice sex work are just people and there is nothing morally reprehensible about them.

[kqueen]

It's a job. It's an unregulated and dangerous job in my country, but I don't think it's an immoral job to work

[IAMNathanael]

Lately I'm sort of torn about this actually. I don't think anyone ever really aspires to be a prostitute and would only turn to it out of desperation. I think it's sad someone would have to constantly sell their body for a living (not to mention risk of STDs). So considering all that I want to say no. But at the same time, someone somehow has to make a living with the only resource they have left.

[mattissebfan5]

Lots actually enjoy it well escorts which is same

[StormyWinter]

Yes prostitution should be legalised, No prostitutes are not despicable, they provide a service, they deserve to be treated with as much respect as any service provider

[ShadezMcgee]

Honestly? Think it should be.

[jshm2]

It is, in some countries like Holland and Thailand that is a career path.

But industry regulation both from trafficking to disease control is a government department in itself. Often times the taxes are just not worth the effort to regulate it.

[Miristheiss]

I abhor sex workers.
They disgust me in the most intense way.
They are not spiritually irredeemable but they are relationship wise irredeemable to me.

[bean2k21]

Yes, it should be a revered profession. Lots of girls think they are good at sex, but they're really not. It's a skill to give a blow job that's so good you want to pay for it.

[FunkyMonkee]

Yeah, I think it should! They're doing the area a service! What's better: a perpetually horny guy that's pissed off because he can't dip his wick or a guy that's happy because, even though he doesn't have a girlfriend at the moment, he still gets a bit of trim when he needs it?
By the way, this question was asked about a month ago.

[Asker]

Oops, thank you for letting me know.

[VDrago14]

Honestly, if say yes. However it's likely to never happen for both moral and safety reasons. From a moral aspect there is a tremendous stigma about it, and people are incredibly uptight in this country about sex.

Then there is the safety aspect. The simplest way is to have designated brothels where there is a bouncer that will protect the girls (or guys). Not only that but I would say have cameras in the room so that they can watch and protect the girls. However even with all the different ways to try and protect the girls, you run a much greater risk of sexual assault. At least with stripping (which even in a lot of states is very strict) there is very little physical contact with the customers.

Ultimately I do think it should be legalized if it's done as safely as possible.

[exitseven]

There are people who could benefit from engaging in the services of a prostitute. Having it legitimized makes it safer for all parties involved.

[mattissebfan5]

Yes I Lost my virginity to an escort with mental illness I assumed I would never have sex so very appreciative of escorts she's one of the nicest people I've met people say they have stds they get more check ups than the average person

[jason_1233]

Yes it should be legal with some sort of regulations to protect workers from being abused.

[smølf]

To it is sex out of wedlock or not.

Prostitution is wrong, but the same goes for fornication and adultery. But it is no worse.

[loveslongnails]

It wouldn't bother me.

[NorthwestRider]

Legal and regulated

[Archerer]

It’s not black and white. There’s nasty ones and classy ones. Drug addicts and university graduates. And everything in between. I say legalize it because it could eliminate or at least decrease the darker side of it. It’s the older profession in the world not like it’s going away…

[ewok737]

I don't care, I would not patronize anyone who provides this service.

[Wise4myage]

I definitely think it should be legalized.

[Asker]

Thanks for your honesty!

[Wise4myage]

Sure, anytime.