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    apersCapersStassa Edwards
    3/11/16 6:52pm

    Super unpopular opinion- I really don’t like legalizing prostitution because of the commodification of (mostly) female bodies. I think if it was a small scale with women having total control over being paid for what they decide on, it would be different. But, it’s not. For the most part, when prostitution is legal, there are higher levels of human trafficking. It’s also very related to exploitation and pimping- which is awful. I think a lot of people tend to view the idea of a sex worker that has control over her clients and power in every situation- if that was the case, I’d be on board. It may be for some women, and that is great. But I feel like, overwhelming, it’s an exploitative arrangement. I would never support arresting sex workers. I think it is an extremely nuanced conversation that goes beyond simply legal or illegal.

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      audcatapersCapers
      3/11/16 7:01pm

      My thoughts exactly. It’s legal in the Netherlands - but it still comes with stigma, desperation, exploitation and trafficking. I absolutely don’t think sex workers should be criminalized, but your last statement is full bingo - legality does not necessarily bring safety, proper regulation, happiness or respect to the disproportionate amount of women and girls who are still forced into prostitution.

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      Setzer777apersCapers
      3/11/16 7:02pm

      That’s not a super unpopular opinion - it’s fairly mainstream, both in general and in feminism.

      A super unpopular opinion would be something like harsher prison sentences for prostitutes.

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    Betty SlocombeStassa Edwards
    3/11/16 6:39pm

    I’m disappointed in my fellow women.

    We should be fighting against forced labor and sex trafficking, but if someone is consenting do whatever the fuck you want.

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      doctorleakyBetty Slocombe
      3/11/16 6:40pm

      right?

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      Jess, Queen of the RaptorsBetty Slocombe
      3/11/16 6:47pm

      I wonder though if most of the women polled were looking at it from the perspective of “this mostly hurts women through coercive practices and trafficking and therefore it’s really bad” rather than “those slutwhores”. In which case, yeah, it makes sense that women would view it more unfavorably since we’re the ones who are most likely to be aware of how awful the conditions can be.

      But I agree, if everyone is consenting and the woman likes what she does?Or at least is being treated fairly and compensated appropriately and so has no issues with her job? You do you boo boo.

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    I'm Fart and I'm SmunnyStassa Edwards
    3/11/16 6:47pm

    I might not ethically like the idea of a someone being paid for sex, but I think it should be legal. I don’t think pimps should be a legal part, since when you add pimps into the mix you deal with possible coercion and the sex workers not getting their fair share of the money. But if no pimps are involved, and the sex worker is consenting, it is ultimately a victimless crime. Also, how many sexual assaults do you think go unreported because they happen to a sex worker? If it were legal, sex workers would not have to worry about whether they might get in trouble when they report a sexual assault that happened on the job.

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      Japan HathawayI'm Fart and I'm Smunny
      3/11/16 7:21pm

      I feel this. From a policy standpoint, I think decriminalization is the right move. From a purely ideological perspective, prostitution is the literal commodification of women’s sexuality, which we’re supposed to be fighting against, right? The whole “it’s not objectification if a woman controls it/profits from it” line always rubbed me the wrong way.

      Maybe it’s just how things are/biology, and women’s bodies will always have a “market value” that men will pay for.

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      I'm Fart and I'm SmunnyJapan Hathaway
      3/11/16 7:25pm

      And to be honest, I will probably still look down on people who pay for sex. I won’t look down on sex workers ever, but I still will judge a person who thinks sex is something that can be bought.

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    When I use a word, it means just what I choose it to mean.Stassa Edwards
    3/11/16 6:40pm

    Shocking! Women less likely to support something that would hurt mostly women!

    Shocking, I’m telling you!

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      nooooooooo!!When I use a word, it means just what I choose it to mean.
      3/11/16 6:46pm

      Legalizing prostitution would hurt women? How, exactly?

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      WhiskeyprayerWhen I use a word, it means just what I choose it to mean.
      3/11/16 6:47pm


      Shockingly, making something illegal does nothing to keep the workers marginalized by those laws safe and protected from workplace violence and employer/client abuses.

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    Never_NudeStassa Edwards
    3/11/16 6:53pm

    Woman here. I DO NOT attach moral judgment to sex work, so long as everyone is an adult, participating freely, and choose to make the transaction. If sex work were legal and regulated, workers would have protections. Customers would have protections. Women and men who were assaulted by a customer could go to the police and expect to be heard (play along with me here). It would remove the stigma and allow people to access this kind of service (pun intended) who may really, truly benefit.

    I predict women are tied up in the idea that if it’s legal, my man will cheat or something like that. Look. If a man or woman is going to be unfaithful, they’re going to be unfaithful. Not that it is OK but you can address that issue separately from whether sex work should be legal.

    We should use the Netherlands model.

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      audcatNever_Nude
      3/11/16 7:19pm

      Woman here as well. I lived in the Netherlands - it’s legal, sure, it’s also filled with women who were coerced and trafficked and kidnapped into being prosititutes, mostly immigrants. And even for the local Dutch prostitutes who may just be putting themselves through school, it’s generally not something they list on their resumes or loan applications. Legality and regulation aren’t the same thing. There is still rampant abuse and exploitation. Sure the Netherlands doesn’t regularly deal with prostitutes getting murdered and tossed in a dumpsters, but the stigma and the desperation for many involved doesn’t get lifted just like that. And their entire society is very different from ours. The idea that women are tied up in fears of cheating mates if it were made legal is, frankly, insulting. Your mate can still cheat on you now, legally. Considering we live in a country where both the general populace and the justice system discount domestic abuse and rape on the regular, with increasing daily incidents of gun deaths connected to the stupidest little bullshit disagreements, the idea that we could guarantee respect and safety for women literally trading on their bodies often at their most vulnerable because it’s been legalized is laughable.

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      VulcansAreHeartbreakersNever_Nude
      3/11/16 7:32pm

      Keep in mind the Netherlands ‘model’ is controversial as studies are being done to determine if it increases human trafficking. One already claimed it did. Of course this is exactly because it’s not as regulated as it should be. But people who sell people will find ways to usurp the laws. So even when it’s ‘legal’ it still hurts women (though at least the women aren’t jailed). There was even an entire campaign to get the message out about this issue - since a lot of male tourists didn’t know the women they paid were in fact sex slaves.

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    one time i ate a salad without cheeseStassa Edwards
    3/11/16 6:43pm

    Does anyone know if any country legalized prostitution, and then saw dramatic improvements in the sex worker industry/trafficking situation?

    Or if the opposite happened?

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      I'm Fart and I'm Smunnyone time i ate a salad without cheese
      3/11/16 6:50pm

      http://www.humanityinaction.org/knowledgebase/...

      Apparently there are some pros and cons, but it ultimately creates a safer environment.

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      one time i ate a salad without cheeseI'm Fart and I'm Smunny
      3/11/16 6:59pm

      That’s so interesting that some women are actually driven towards illegal sex work as a result of legalization. I wonder if they would be better served if they formed a sex worker union.

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    Desperate for a Shag GilesStassa Edwards
    3/11/16 6:43pm

    Americans overwhelmingly agreed that prostitution is “morally wrong.”

    But why?

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      one time i ate a salad without cheeseDesperate for a Shag Giles
      3/11/16 6:47pm

      It might be the image that people conjure in their heads. For example, someone might think of prostitution as a woman/man performing sex on their own free will for their own profit. But someone else might think of trafficking victims. From the article, I’m guessing women are more likely to think of the ugliest realities of sex work as opposed to the simple, theoretical business aspect of sex work.

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      Mary SueDesperate for a Shag Giles
      3/11/16 6:55pm

      Because Murricans (and humans in general) have a problem with deciding that consensual sex is only okay if they’re okay with the person’s motives for having sex. Sex to have a baby? Good. Sex because your spouse wants it? Good. Sex for pleasure? Bad- mainly if you're an unmarried or single woman or a non-hetero couple. "Y'all gays and loose women are selfish! God designed that for reproduction, not your pleasure!" Sex for money? WRONGGG! Because getting paid to do something people do anyway is evil!

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    DanceswithPeeps The Burner v2.1Stassa Edwards
    3/11/16 6:44pm

    I lived in a county in Nevada with legalized prostitution for several years. Since there was also a military base nearby, it was the good for everyone involved.

    The often short-term, mostly male, inhabitants of the base had someplace to hang with women and drink and get laid. Since the brothels were well outside the city limits, the police had an easier time policing the casinos and streets.

    The women in town didn’t have to worry as much about guys on leave hassling them.

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      IAmBrettDanceswithPeeps The Burner v2.1
      3/11/16 8:39pm

      There was an interesting article over at Cracked written by a woman who had worked in a Nevada brothel. The situation is more like “it’s legal but . . .” - law enforcement straight up harasses them if they step outside the brothel at certain hours, they might be required to leave town the instant they’ve finished a stint there, and so forth.

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      DanceswithPeeps The Burner v2.1IAmBrett
      3/11/16 9:05pm

      It depends on the juridiction and the size of the town. Some places are more laid back than others.

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    SolidarityforwhoStassa Edwards
    3/12/16 6:21am

    Hey legalization supporters, a few questions: where’s the enthusiastic consent? You know, that thing sex-positive feminists (rightly) hold sacred? The standard that says that every sexual interaction should involve people who are really really happy to be fucking each other? Is consent a vital part of sex or is it a product that can be bought and sold (and whose price fluctuates depending on the seller’s desperation)? And what message does full-fledged support of the sex industry send to men? When you say you support legalizing all aspects of the commercial sex industry you are telling men that there are some women they must get consent from, and others they can buy it from. How do you reconcile this clear manifesto on of the virgin/whore dichotomy with your so-called feminism?

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      Slut PanicSolidarityforwho
      3/12/16 9:16am

      Consent isn’t being bought or sold services are.

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      SolidarityforwhoSlut Panic
      3/12/16 1:00pm

      So the sex within sex work exists outside of the consent framework? What makes it special?

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    skefflesStassa Edwards
    3/11/16 6:48pm

    I think my big fear right now would be that with the way anti-women sentiment is flowing, that if prostitution was legalized fully then there would be a lot more middle lass women finding themselves put on the street or being sold around by their husbands. I don’t think women who work in the sex industry should be forced through the criminal justice system, they are already vulnerable and marginalized enough, but I don’t want to see sex work opened up further until the position of women in this country is far more secure. Perhaps a compromise, throw the johns in jail for a couple of months every time they are caught trying to buy sex.

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      Slut Panicskeffles
      3/11/16 10:21pm

      You can sell pizzas all you want, but the buying of pizza is a legal. Let’s see how many customers you get. I wonder will you get the nice clients or horrible clients that don’t care if they go to jail or not. This means the clients can dictate how a session will go and what they will be willing to pay for it. The Nordic Model doesn’t work very well for sex workers.

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