Thursday, January 14, 2010

Sex work politics

I support all kind of sex works. I have my preferences but all contribute to regulating the demand and supply - in other words, reasonable prices. This is not purely an advantage for the client. A potential sex worker may decide against jumping into the occupation because the reward just doesn't worth it. Most sex workers prefer a safer and legal environment even if the price is lower.

And of course I don't discriminate against race, age, and size etc - as long as they turn me on at the time, and I don't regret after.

But when it comes to activism for sex workers' rights, I think activists should specialize rather than generalize. Different kinds of sex workers have rather different issues as I see it. For example, it is confusing for someone to identify themselves as strippers, which is totally legal. The rules of strip clubs various greatly across the nation. In many places by law you cannot touch the strippers.

The San Francisco proposition was geared towards street walkers. Honestly, it would be more difficult to pass than that sex for money is legal. Rhode Island passed it without knowing it, and they don't seem to have any special problems so far. But I doubt how many current escorts will wholeheartedly support this. Their income will at least drop a bit. Bunny ranch will run out of business.

Honestly the issue of legalization is that women don't want it easy for their men to cheat. (Same for interchanging women and men for minority cases.) Any other excuses do not make a lot of sense and do not buy a lot of votes.

It's interesting to see laws related to mail order brides. Now international "dating agencies" need to do background criminal checks on clients before finding them partners. Do so many people care about the welfare of these women enough to make new laws? I hardly doubt it. It's about limiting the supply so you have to pick more from the same pond. And in many states the thought of giving half of your everything to your new bride whenever she decides to walk away is very discouraging.

Going after Craigslist is mostly because it has become too easy to find an affordable companion anywhere. To say that law enforcement has a natural hatred against prostitution is absurd. They also like their massages and their call girls, and they go about their own business without conflict of interest.

Does it work? Even without the web, every men know where the classified are, legal or not. Most local newspapers are supported to some extend by those ads, even for a quarter of a page of classified. It's always a phone call away. This can hardly stop curious men, 70% (???) of which tried sometime in their lifetime.

Illegal prostitution does have the advantage that men are deterred by organized ripoffs. My guess is they waste more money and for a higher price, at least I do. Guess who also share the consequences?

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