Comments on: Pondering Prostitution

By: Gollum

Gollum — Sat, 12 May 2007 11:45:24 +0000

Todd Smith-
The twins you went to junior high school with were boys? And the girls in the junior high school most or all of whom did not have physical handicaps would not associate with the twins? Therefore, you believe the twins wanted but could never have sexual contact with anyone?

By: Todd Smith

Todd Smith — Fri, 11 May 2007 22:52:56 +0000

I went to jr.high with a set of twins who had Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy! I have Cerebral Palsy myself! Women have closed-minds towards dis-abled people; I had many clean prostituties in my life! We have needs too!

I only wish that I could have got a prostitute for my friends; before they died.

There are women who provide a service; theey not all bad!

By: terrance

terrance — Sat, 05 May 2007 03:23:15 +0000

It turns out Britton was one of the women who worked for Palfrey. However, I don't lay her death at Palfrey's door. Instead, I find myself wondering why there's been no pursuit of the "Johns." If prostitution is a crime, then soliciting a prostitute, having sex with a prostitute, and paying for it are crimes too. Right? In this case, going after the Johns would mean knocking on the doors of some very powerful men, law firms, lobbyists, etc. That could get messy. On the legalization of prostitution, I think it might have the effect of making it:

less profitable for criminal elements,
easier to regulate,
easier to protect the sex workers and their customers,
and safer.

By: Chris

Chris — Thu, 03 May 2007 13:07:37 +0000

Good thoughtful look at prostitution.

The fact that prostitutes are sometimes exploited or enslaved is horrifying and worth plenty of law enforcement attention. But it’s no reason for banning prostitution itself. When people have to do unpleasant things to survive, we should be providing *more* and *better* options for them, rather than whittling away at the few choices they do have.

Anyway, forced or exploited labor is sometimes used in garment manufacturing, but no one has suggested banning garments.

By: Paul Martin

Paul Martin — Wed, 02 May 2007 22:56:53 +0000

When you compare the US with countries that don’t take punitive approaches to prostitution – or, for that matter, marijuana – I’m just not noticing that we have fewer prostitutes and pot smokers for all the trouble. Matters of fact don’t seem to enter into discussion of certain topics. The thought seems to be that if it’s legal there will be more of it, to the detriment of society. But it seems to exist as a kind of belief that we’re unwilling to test.

By: Prostitution vs. Slavery: Ethical Apples and Oranges - from The Zero Boss by Jay Andrew Allen

Wed, 02 May 2007 21:14:07 +0000

[...] Over at Republic of T, Terrance brings together four interesting prostitution cases and asks some tough questions. We all know one of the stories he discusses: that of Deborah Jean Palfrey, the DC Madam who’s posting her phone records for the world to see. (Thanks to Melissa at Sexerati for the tip.) Another tragic case involves Brandy Britton, who hung herself before the multi-count prosecution against her kicked into high gear. A third, much less tragic story involves a group of nuns hiring a prostitute for a terminally ill man. (Go, sisters! Go, sisters!) [...]

By: ExodusMentality

ExodusMentality — Wed, 02 May 2007 21:13:26 +0000

You are absolutely correct that these are not the same story. There are already laws against kidnapping, extortion, false imprisonment, assault, terroristic threats and all the other things that predators and pimps do to drag unwilling victims into prostitution. But nything that two consenting adults choose to do with each other should be a private matter. The state, the church and the nosy neighbors need to mind the own bizness!

Keep an eye open for it and i bet you will notice a lot of other cases where behavior that should not be objectionable on it’s own merit is lumped into a class of similar objectionable behavior, simply to increase negative perception. We have to stop falling for these types of mind games from the media, politicians, and many of our so-called leaders and commentators.

By: suicide_blond

suicide_blond — Wed, 02 May 2007 21:06:56 +0000

i have a somewhat unique perspective on this..
i live next door to a brothel.. ive lived next door to the girls for years.. they are good neighbors.. mostly all the girls seem happy and well adjusted..they dont use drugs, are not trafficked and they are not minors…who am i to judge..

Thank you for your eloquent statement that this issue is not black and white.. and that many women live in the gray area …

i am torn between wanting it to be legal and hopefully safer and less stigmatized..or just gone altogether (which i realize is just not gonna happen)
and you would too if you saw what i see.. all of your brothers,fathers and friends ..all races, all ages, all socio economic strata… dropping by to visit the girls next door..

hips.org “helping individual prostitutes survive” does good work locally and is non judgmental
xoxo