Prostitution

What's your opinion on prostitution guys? Moral/immoral? Should be legal/illegal?

Legalize it everywhere. You will never stop it or slow it down. So legalize it and control prostitution easier.

I'm cool with it.

As long as it's consensual for all parties involved. Should be held to standard of any other labor position, benefits, days off, health plan and the whole nine yard.

Legalize it.

Legalize and regulate it.

legalize, regulate, and tax.

Make some stipulation that every "brothel" (or whatever they want to call it) has to be employee-owned to prevent abuse, trafficking, etc. Test the customer every time, and the working men and women regularly.

Honestly, they call it the worlds oldest profession for a reason, and keeping it illegal (more like under prohibition) only harms society, the sex workers, and the customers. Most every adult is having sex regularly, and they're all paying for it in one way or another--whether it's taking someone on a fancy date, entering into a contract (marriage) with them, and so forth--this would just bypass all the bullshit.

Not to mention a lot of people (just guessing) probably feel the need for physical relationships, but not so much for the emotional part of it.

I really don't find a single valid argument against it. Which is why I'm so perplexed it still remains illegal in 99% of the world.

Keep illegal, but tolerate (like netherlands)

If legalized then it will have to be taxed. Then that's just yet another tax...

Legalize, tax, make it safe.

Pretty much what everyone is stating. Legalizing means you can regulate it.

Agree

Legalize, just like booze at one point became re-legalized. It took so much power out of mobsters once prohibition stopped. Legalizing prostitution will power drain today's pimps.

Also there is always a workaround, Family guy is right, if u do partake in "illegal" prostitution, just make sure the act is filmed or photographed (even with the crappiest equipment like an early iphone 2g would suffice, don't bother exposing either of your faces, you can just film a 2 sec clip of well whatever).... that way if they get cop stormed ..... , both the john and the hooker can say " we were just filming a low budget porn shoot officers...Prostitution, what is prostitution? oh this wad of cash on the bed? we were ordering Red Lobster delivery, porn shooting makes us famished so we wanted to treat ourselves... u want to join in? we can use your cuffs as sex toy"...blah blah

@bfa1509: It's legal here. And their income is (should be) taxed.

It's legal in my home state (Nevada).

There body's, there choice. So therefore, legalize it and leave Prostitution alone.

(And yes, I pick up lots of Prostitutes just because)

damn, this is the most consensus thread ever

Should drugs be legal too?

Philosophically speaking: The only time folks should seek a legal/legislative remedy is if something actually harms them. Even then folks have the right to consent to be harmed, so long as they are informed from the get go. Under such an interpretation, there is no moral argument for prohibiting prostitution.

Speaking practical: In a world with legal prostitution, victims on both sides of the exchange can go to the police when they are being wronged. In a world without it there is still tons of prostitution, but it becomes a breeding ground for abuse by all involved. Just like any other effort to prohibit something for which there is great demand, and sufficient supply.

I see no logic for opposing legal prostitution. Illegal prostitution has all the downsides of legal prostitution, with none of the upsides.

You know, I'm all for legalized (and WELL REGULATED) prostitution for the reason that I think that consenting adults should have control over their own bodies. And furthermore, it just seems really weird to me that I can legally get banged in exchange for money, but it suddenly becomes illegal if the person paying me money happens to be the same person banging me. If porn is legal, then I don't see any reason why prostitution shouldn't be legal as well.

Having said that, I don't buy the argument that legalized prostitution is just going to get rid of dirty street prostitution. I mean, well-regulated prostition is obviously going to cost more than some dirty ho offering up herself for crack money. That's obviously going to raise prices. And while prostitution should be legal, I just don't see the guy hiring $20 hookers off of the street corner choosing to pay substantially more for LEGITIMATE hookers just because it's LEGAL. You can (and should) legalize and regulate the hell out of prostitution, but I don't see how that's going to get rid of dirty street hoes. If you're in the habit of getting bj's for $10 a pop, you're not going to suddenly spend 10 times that amount just to hire a legitimate hooker instead. You're still going to go with the dirty street hoes. And if there's a market for them, they'll still be around.

@PSP107: Yes. Being illegal accomplishes literally nothing when it comes to drugs.

Legalize it. You can get more from regulating it than spending time and money trying to stop it...

Though to be honest I'm very torn about how it would affect the field. I'd imagine certain politicians would try to milk the hell out of the opportunity and throw all types of tax laws. So, something that was normally $20 now up to $70+ or something that costed $80 is now getting into the same price range as a backpage escort girl. So I doubt it will stop the street walkers from doing their thing unless prices stay competitive which our politicians would no doubt make impossible....

I'm pretty sure it was prostitution that brought down GameSpot. BAN IT!

Taxing prostitution only drives it into the underground where it can't be regulated properly. The netherland's didn't have any real problems until they legalized and taxed prostitution in 2000. This brought in traffickers and scumbags who bent and stretched the rules to maximise their own profit, killing off the "decent" law-abiding sex workers.

Better to keep illegal, tolerate, monitor and regulate the hell out of it.

@bfa1509: "Better to keep illegal, tolerate, monitor and regulate the hell out of it."

Isn't that a waste of time/money?

Not when the only alternative is a massive, out of control sex work industry. Then you have to pay to catch and imprison criminals, pay for a health system rife with stds and then also count the cost of tax losses from the ordinary tax payers and businesses displaced by the industry.

Legal prostitution is better for everyone involved, especially the prostitutes. They no longer have to be slav... contract workers, for a pimp, but essentially "owner-operators" that either setup their own clients, or deal with a "broker" of sorts (i.e. a madam at a brothel).

If someone wants to sell their body for money, they should be legally entitled to do so. The days of the law enforcing Christian morality are long gone.

In this feminist world, I would say legalize it. A woman's body is a woman's body and she can do what ever she wants with it.

lolwut?! u mean when someone clicks on a GS link on an article of Mario and Luigi, they get directed to "Mario & Luigi's Gumba Gigolos for Hire in Reno, NV" webpage?

I think he meant OT Unions.

Yeah, I got to say, I can't really see a defense to keep it illegal. "But, the spreads of diseaseses!" Yeah, that already happens enough with promiscuous people.

@JustPlainLucas: We use Condoms for a reason.

If only everyone would use them.

Well from a political standpoint. Its career suicide at this present time in many countries, to even remotely consider public speeches of making prostitution legal. Many active voters just find the topic too controversial to even bring such a discussion to the table. And may have been scarred by the sex industry in some way or another.

There also has to be a social change in viewing the sex industry. If you make prostitution legal. Then it becomes part of someone's employee history record. And opens a can of worms for some serious discrimination when background checks come through. Towards sex workers who want to get out of that business and move on with their lives. While in the past, they can keep that not so pretty time of their life a secret from perspective employers.

@jak42: "Then it becomes part of someone's employee history record. And opens a can of worms for some serious discrimination when background checks come through."

Can you imagine someone resume and the interviewing process when the employer wants to know how well you did the last job.

And you bringing up discrimination which says potential employees can't be judge by their race, sex, religion etc. Do you think that will expand to include pass work as long it's illegal?

In modern society i think it's getting harder than ever to cultivate and maintain relationships, and to find anything on your own terms. I think prostitution should be legalized, it sucks not getting any.

I get that, but in principle Pimps are also supposed to be "protection". As in, you don't want to f*** with the hoes because then you're f***ing with the pimp and he'll f*** you up.

Not saying that that always works out well in practice, but the point still stands. It's not like every prostitute working a street corner could just up and do it legally. It's not like the only barrier here is legality. After all, even in places where prostitution is illegal, there are high class high priced prostitutes operating without pimps. That exists NOW even with prostitution being illegal, so it's not like legalization of prostitution is going to suddenly make everything better. When we're talking about the street gutter prostitutes who NEED a pimp because the only people who'll hire them are the dirtiest nastiest mf-ers around, they will NEVER make it catering to respectable clients. THOSE kinds of prostitutes are still going to be catering to the absolute shittiest human beings around. The kind of human beings who'll ABSOLUTELY f*** a ho up if there isn't a pimp there for "protection". The only way that kind of dirty ugly street level prostitution is ever going away is if legal well-regulated prostitution is still cheap enough that it remains price-competitive with with street level prostitution.

I see your point, but doesn't the same apply with porn? I mean, it's not at all unheard of that former porn workers had trouble transitioning into "legitimate" work because their employment history was seen as a liability to employers. It sucks, but it happens. But that's still not good enough justification to make porn illegal. So I don't see that as a valid reason for keeping prostitution illegal either.

Furthermore, at least pornos are typically seen by more people than the two people actually having sex. After all, I'm sure that MOST people who can recognize [insert porn star's name]'s face DIDN'T have sex with that porn star. They only know his/her face because he/she showed up in videos or something. That shouldn't be the case with mere prostitution. After all, when you hire a prostitute, there PROBABLY isn't someone there filming the whole thing and putting it on the internet for a lot of other people to download. So there's actually LESS of an argument to be made for this when it comes to prostitution. Because porn is typically made public whereas mere prostitution typically ISN'T made public. And if it isn't made available for pub;lic viewing, there's LESS of an argument to be made that that person's previous work history is going to be a liability.

who amongst us can honestly say they've never called in at the local brothel after work for a friendly fivesome with their favourite bunch of working girls. a bit of harmless fun and a service that stops me going out cheating on my wife and girlfriends. legalise it

@PSP107: Currently employers do factor in your previous work history and school (particularly attendance/late records). Before hiring you. So a new law would have to address that issue with very specific clarity. At the same time, its all about how good of a fit said person is for the job. So it would be tough to word out. Another option other than another law, would be a tax incentive to hire sex workers.

@MrGeezer: I didn't say keep it illegal. I just wanted the discussion to expand futher than just saying yea why not. It was consensual, etc etc etc. Not that there's anything wrong with making a post that just said "I'm for making it legal".

As i stated in the past, in most US states, a loophole exists, makes the legality vs illegality conversation a moot point. Just Film it, and if you don't want your identity to be out there, just film genital intercourse and don't speak.

@multiplat: Private Strip Clubs also been doing this loopholes for years as well.

I fail to see the bad thing about it being taxed... ?

From my understanding of pimp culture (there are documentaries), it's highly misogynistic and beating their hoes is considered par for the course. A madam doesn't treat their women like property. There is also a large prevalence of women being made addicted to drugs and being paid in hits rather than cash.

Check out some legal brothels. Women are protected from rape and abuse because they can go to police and press charges against the john. They also can refuse a john if he is dirty or looks diseased. They also get regular STI/D screenings and treatment if they contract one. It's all on the up and up and I don't see how a woman would prefer working for a pimp when they could make money hand over fist doing it legally.

I love how most of the guys on here are probably lil boys who wish they could do shit like that but they r too young so they just watch porn in secret when their parents don’t know. Y’all need to not discuss this because for one, unless a women wants to be prostitute and let whatever sick fucks want to do her happen then you’re not gonna be able to. Just saying, that’s how I see it. I don’t think it should be legal but y’all probably say I think that cus I’m a girl. I just see that it’s wrong unless the girl wants it.