Why should prostitution be illegal?

[ketostix]

The Governor of NY getting caught made me think about this. I know prostitution isn't illegal in Nevada but just about everywhere else it is. But how can prostitution be illegal if pornography isn't? I mean the woman is paid to have sex and anything else sexual. And on top of that it's filmed. And I don't see how it's different or made "better" that if a man or whoever else is in the pornography is being paid. They don't pay the male much and I wouldn't doubt if a lot times the guy isn't doing it for free or at least contingent on the video's sales. Then money is made off of others viewing the video. How is this not essentially "exchanging money for sex" for the people involved in making the porn (not the viewers)? The usual argument is that porn is "acting and art" which I could agree with if they gave it away. And this goes to the defense of obscenity, an additional thing against porn that prostitution doesn't have. You could say "hiring a prostitute is acting and art" too. I'm not saying either one should be illegal. I'm saying it seems like a contradiction and a hypocrisy.

 

[Aboleo]

You're always paying for it, even if it isn't for cash up front... so why not?

The only real problem I see with it is the risk of sexually transmitted diseases, but that risk is almost always there no matter who you're f*cking.

 

[bigjohnson]

I've wondered about this on several fronts.

First, why should it be illegal to sell something that you can legally give away? The usual justification was disease, crime and so on but I'm not convinced those are good enough reasons, and I'm also not convinced those effects are not directly attributable to the fact that it's illegal rather than the act itself.

Secondly what if I hire her for a "photo-shoot"; is it art and not prostitution? Does setting up a couple tripods, a vidcam and a still cam and a few lights make it legal to screw like, well, pornstars?

 

[Booblepook]

Hold on now. Prostitution is illegal because it is socially unacceptable for women to be *****s. Nobody wants their wifes and daughters to be able to make money on the side.

Pornography is totally different. Unlike prostitution, pornography is some what socially acceptable.

Same with drugs, some drugs just aren't socially acceptable, and yet others (alcohol) are.

Same with cross dressing, and a lot of other things.




And get this, YOU PEOPLE dictate what is socially acceptable or not.

 

[ketostix]

I've wondered about this on several fronts.

First, why should it be illegal to sell something that you can legally give away?

This is another excellent argument for why prostitution shouldn't be illegal. I left it out for the sake of brevity and at first I just wanted to make the point of prostitution is illegal v. pornography legal. again I'm not saying either should be illegal.

The usual justification was disease, crime and so on but I'm not convinced those are good enough reasons, and I'm also not convinced those effects are not directly attributable to the fact that it's illegal rather than the act itself.

Another excellent point. Prostitution usually involes condoms and safer sex practices, not to mention less likelihood of unwanted pregnancies. And in the case of this Gopvernor and the online prostitution "ring", prosecutors could charge in addition to prostitution (and excuse if I misname the possible charges) tax invasion, wire fraud because he used a fake name (Give me a break ), and I forget what else, probably "lying to investigators". And like you said all these other supposedly illegal conduct is attributal to prostitution being made illegal in the first place.

Secondly what if I hire her for a "photo-shoot"; is it art and not prostitution? Does setting up a couple tripods, a vidcam and a still cam and a few lights make it legal to screw like, well, pornstars?

That's exactly what I was saying. How does that (pronography) make it "better" than prostitution and not worse? This is what I'm getting at. There's obviously ulterior motives afoot for making prostitution illegal. And another stupid part is I'm pretty sure even if you don't disseminate it, you could be on the hook for taping a girl if she didn't consent to being filmed. I mean I can agree that she should be entitled to privacy but if she agreed to get nake and have sex, then why is your taping it not consider your own personal "art".

You're always paying for it, even if it isn't for cash up front... so why not?

Yeah I left this true but non-mainstream argument out for brevity and to just contrast the obvious inconsistency of prostittution and pornography.

The only real problem I see with it is the risk of sexually transmitted diseases, but that risk is almost always there no matter who you're f*cking.

True and it's highest among homosexuals, but that's not reason to make it illegal. Pornography has a much higher risks of STD transmission because they do a lot more risky sex like anal and usually with no condoms. You can say, "well they get tested". But the promary risk for spreading with a prostitute is the prostitute sppreading it and she could get tested if it was regulated more and not illegal, like they do in some places in Nevada.

Anyway there's really little evidence that prostitutes spread stds more than other sexual activities do such as pornography or just people being promiscuis without protection. Although that could be about the only argument for prostitution being illegal it's not a strong one. Like I said, pornograhpy, homosexuality and just plain promiscuity spreads std's too, but they're not illegal. There's got to be ulterior reasons behind it.

 

[bigjohnson]

Kids get sick from being exposed to other kids in school.

As for the legality of filming I was talking about a scenario where everyone on film was aware of the cameras and equipment. For legal reasons you would likely have to throw in a modeling release, even if all it said was neither party was free to release the film.

IANAL, so proceed with caution.

 

[ketostix]

Hold on now. Prostitution is illegal because it is socially unacceptable for women to be *****s. Nobody wants their wifes and daughters to be able to make money on the side.

Pornography is totally different. Unlike prostitution, pornography is some what socially acceptable.

Well maybe pornography is somewhat more socially acceptable than prostitution, but neither is really socially acceptable. And when the legislator makes one illegal and the other legal, of course the legal one is going to be more socially acceptable by default. Either way a woman is being just as much a "wh0re" or a "gold digger", except in porn she's doing it publically too.

Same with drugs, some drugs just aren't socially acceptable, and yet others (alcohol) are.

So if you can find another contradiction or inconsistency that justify a different one? No, I'd say it just further proves there's contradictions and inconsistencies.

Same with cross dressing, and a lot of other things.

So just as long as any behaviors can be considered "socially unacceptable" to varying degrees, one should be deemed legal and the other illegal without any consideration to how bad it really is or isn't socially acceptable, or how acceptable/unacceptable it is for practical reasons, or any obvious rhyme or reason?

And get this, YOU PEOPLE dictate what is socially acceptable or not.

Do I or we really? No one asked me if prostitution should be legal or not, let alone what's socially acceptable. This was the legislators' decision. As usual, they never took a public poll or public vote that I know of. But even if you're right that pornography is more socially acceptable than prostitution, that only begs the question why. That hasn't been convincingly answered.

 

[ketostix]

Kids get sick from being exposed to other kids in school.

As for the legality of filming I was talking about a scenario where everyone on film was aware of the cameras and equipment. For legal reasons you would likely have to throw in a modeling release, even if all it said was neither party was free to release the film.

IANAL, so proceed with caution.

Yes, I knew you meant the other party consenting to being recording. I was just adding the argument that why should a camera and an agreement from the other party to be recorded magically make it art.

 

[Wired for Sound]

Why? It's simpler than you may think.


Prostitution, Drug use, and various other "victimless crimes" are illegal (amongst other reasons) because they breed more crime which is often violent. The pimps enslave women, beat them to a pulp, sometimes fatally, and hook them on drugs to keep them dependent. Prostitution is also an extremely dangerous job, and the hoes are often beaten, raped, and/or murdered. Same thing with drugs. People kill each other over drug deals gone bad, and the human trash that peddles them often tries to get a leg up on the next guy via violence. The users are no better, and will do anything to get the drugs if they're addicted. Steal, sell their bodies, and various other illegal activities. Crime breeds crime. That's why it should be illegal.

 

[ketostix]

Why? It's simpler than you may think.


Prostitution, Drug use, and various other "victimless crimes" are illegal (amongst other reasons) because they breed more crime which is often violent.

And there's no drug use or voilence in pornography circles or related to it?

The pimps enslave women, beat them to a pulp, sometimes fatally, and hook them on drugs to keep them dependent. Prostitution is also an extremely dangerous job, and the hoes are often beaten, raped, and/or murdered.

But you're just throwing violence, drug use, and other criminal behavior done by criminals in with prostitution. You have violence, rape and murder and drug use without prostitution. Illegalizing prostitution is attributing to the link if anything. In the case of this governer, there was no alleged drug use, violence of any kind, rape, stealing, or pimps. It was ran by a 23 year old girl.

Same thing with drugs. People kill each other over drug deals gone bad, and the human trash that peddles them often tries to get a leg up on the next guy via violence. The users are no better, and will do anything to get the drugs if they're addicted. Steal, sell their bodies, and various other illegal activities. Crime breeds crime. That's why it should be illegal.

So you're saying legalized prostitution automatically will equal or cause drugs, violence, and just criminal activity in general, but pornography, alcohol, gambling and just plain sexual activity and desires as long as money doesn't directly exchange hands does not? Your arguments are pretty mainstream but don't seem to be really founded. I think criminals breed crime. But you're partially right, crime breeds crime. So if you criminalize something like prostitution you breed more crime. And that's an argument for why it should be legal.

 

[MooseGod]

So if you rape a prostitute is it really rape or is it shoplifting? :crazy:

 

[Maxtro]

I have no idea why prostitution is illegal. If it was legalized it should be regulated. If prostitution is legalized then the amount of violence and drugs associated should actually go down.

Right now, what can a hooker do if her John beats her? I don't think she could go to the cops and tell her that the man who paid her for sex attacked her. But if it was legal, then she could.

Pimping should vanish. Honestly I can't even figure out why pimps are still around. If a girl wants to sell herself, all she has to do is go to an escort site and place an ad. The John sees the ad, calls her then, they meet. Unfortunately both are afraid of getting busted.

Heck the government can even benefit. If it was legalized then the girls would have to pay income tax

In all honesty, I think that the only reason that prostitution is illegal is because of religious/moral reasons. Which is nothing but a load of crap. Both the Johns and the providers would benefit from legalized whoring.

 

[ketostix]

So if you rape a prostitute is it really rape or is it shoplifting? :crazy:

That's funny, but if you simply refused to pay a prostitute of course it wouldn't be rape. But seriously of course a person could rape a prostitute if she refused to have sex regardless if someone offered money. This brings up another point that was sort of brought up before but a long the lines of solicitation. What's the difference most of the time really between offering to buy a girl dinner and just offering her money for sex besides honesty. One's considered solicitation and the others considered a date.

 

[joekerr31]

one time i forced myself to masturbate even though i didn't want to. afterwards i called the police and had myself charged with molesting myself.

 

[Aboleo]

Hold on now. Prostitution is illegal because it is socially unacceptable for women to be *****s. Nobody wants their wifes and daughters to be able to make money on the side.

Have you been asleep for the past sixty years or something?!

Too ****ing late, man.

one time i forced myself to masturbate even though i didn't want to. afterwards i called the police and had myself charged with molesting myself.

:crackup:

 

[ketostix]

I have no idea why prostitution is illegal. If it was legalized it should be regulated. If prostitution is legalized then the amount of violence and drugs associated should actually go down.

Right now, what can a hooker do if her John beats her? I don't think she could go to the cops and tell her that the man who paid her for sex attacked her. But if it was legal, then she could.

Pimping should vanish. Honestly I can't even figure out why pimps are still around. If a girl wants to sell herself, all she has to do is go to an escort site and place an ad. The John sees the ad, calls her then, they meet. Unfortunately both are afraid of getting busted.

Heck the government can even benefit. If it was legalized then the girls would have to pay income tax

In all honesty, I think that the only reason that prostitution is illegal is because of religious/moral reasons. Which is nothing but a load of crap. Both the Johns and the providers would benefit from legalized whoring.

Yeah exactly, making prostitution illegal just breeds more crime surrounding it. And all this talk about John's is a bunch of hype, you're always going to have some level of drug-addict criminal trash. That has nothing to do with prostitution really. And it can't be because of religious/moral reasons it should be illegal, then you'd have to ask why not make pornography, alcohol, pre-marital and extra-marital sex and whatever else illegal too.

For the record, I haven't hired any prostitutes nor do I have a current interest in doing so. I'm just trying to get to a bottom of this contradiction/inconsistency. Don't be ashamed to defend prostitution :cheer: .

 

[ketostix]

OK I don't think anyone really has a good case against the question of why it's illegal, so I'll offer my own theory of the real reason it's illegal.

If prostitution were made legal (unless it was heavily regulated and controlled and maybe confined to only certain districts, and I don't think they could control it-it would be very hard to make it legal and regulated) women would be hooking anywhere and everywhere, the price would go down, and women would be exposed as the oportunistic "prostitutes" that they naturally are. Women collectively can obtain more money and maintain their auru of moral superiorty while taking men for more money and providing less without prostitution. Women see prostititution as a cheaper version of what they're doing anyway, so they want it illegal. That's why it's illegal and so "socially unacceptable".

 

[edger]

I defend prostitution as well, I always have. I agree, it makes absolute no sense why it's illegal. As long as the woman acts responsibly(having protected sex) and gets tested, there shouldn't be a problem.

 

[tj]

Interesting thread.

I heard that Gene Simmons is writing a book on the history of prostitution. Moreover, he is supposedly going to hit up congress and speak on getting it legalized.



peace

 

[edger]

This thing is really a shame. Innocent people with charges pending against them for doing NOTHING wrong. It's crazy, makes absolute no sense at all.