Prostitution: Decriminalize, Legalize, or leave it as is?

M

MysterYvil

Mr. Bad Example
New (but related) question: why do y'all think people take up prostitution as a way to make a living?

I have heard many stories which I will retell if asked.
 
cencalballer

cencalballer

Well-known member
MysterYvil said:
New (but related) question: why do y'all think people take up prostitution as a way to make a living?

I have heard many stories which I will retell if asked.
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Some because they want to, others are forced, I've met one person who was initially forced and then didn't know how to do anything else they felt like. Others for the thrill, and some for addiction. It's like anything else imo people do different things their lives and what they think is best at that moment.

I really like your point about how the laws are used to generally get the worker and client versus the pimp. And when a pimp does get caught it usually means someone that has political connections and clout to get away with it becomes the boss.
 
lam@barf

lam@barf

cage killer
Yes, it's called organized crime.

The difference between organized crime and the government is that OC runs efficiently and accomplishes it's goals.
 
J

Junkie

gone for now
MysterYvil said:
As long as such a law were used against those who coerce.

I am not a pimp. I have never received a dime from a sex worker. But because I have vetted clients, been a safe call person, dropped off and/or picked up sex workers from assignations I could be charged as one in many jurisdictions.

Wiki. I enjoy how the authors of that article use legalized examples to illustrate their non-point.

Check with sex workers and they'll likely clue you in as to how laws are actually used. They just get new bosses, ones who have the cloak of law under which to operate.
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ok, here's Webster: https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/decriminalize

to remove or reduce the criminal classification or status of; especially : to repeal a strict ban on while keeping under some form of regulation decriminalize the possession of marijuana
 
M

MysterYvil

Mr. Bad Example
Junkie said:
ok, here's Webster: https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/decriminalize

to remove or reduce the criminal classification or status of; especially : to repeal a strict ban on while keeping under some form of regulation decriminalize the possession of marijuana
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"to remove" is what every sex worker I know is talking about.

Marijuana is a different subject, as those laws against it are both state and federal. I am not aware of any federal laws regarding prostitution.
 
cfives

cfives

Well-known member
MysterYvil said:
"to remove" is what every sex worker I know is talking about.

...
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I am not a lawyer, but removing the criminal classification of an activity by decriminalizing it, does not make it legal. Purely at the state level, pot was or is decriminalized by some states. It was criminal (misdemeanor?), but then decriminalized to an illegal violation subject to ticketing and confiscation of the illegal substance, but no possibility of jailtime. It is now illegal in a similar way as jaywalking, or parking at an expired meter during a time it is active, in my opinion. Decriminalize as a reduction of the classification probably just means changing a felony into a gross misdemeanor, or similar.
 
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M

MysterYvil

Mr. Bad Example
cfives said:
I am not a lawyer, but removing the criminal classification of an activity by decriminalizing it, does not make it legal. Purely at the state level, pot was or is decriminalized by some states. It was criminal (misdemeanor?), but then decriminalized to an illegal violation subject to ticketing and confiscation of the illegal substance, but no possibility of jailtime. It is now illegal in a similar way as jaywalking, or parking at an expired meter during a time it is active, in my opinion. Decriminalize as a reduction of the classification probably just means changing a felony into a gross misdemeanor, or similar.
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Pot was legalized (and regulated), not decriminalized by those states. Still illegal according to the Feds.

Apples and oranges according to the actual lawyers who support the rights of sex workers.
 
HappyHighwayman

HappyHighwayman

Warning: Do Not Engage
You should read the Freakonomics book, the street walker prostitutes were making minimum wage and the high end call girls who worked for themselves were making over $250,000
 
M

MysterYvil

Mr. Bad Example
My900ss said:
"Regular jobs" are regulated.
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In what way? I worked regular jobs since 1981 and the only one I needed government permission to work at was armed security.

HappyHighwayman said:
You should read the Freakonomics book, the street walker prostitutes were making minimum wage and the high end call girls who worked for themselves were making over $250,000
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Books written a long time ago do not accurately represent current reality.

I personally know streetwalkers, sugar babies, call girls, and dominatrixes. Their income ranges from sucks to just getting by. Even the "high end" workers aren't making $250k, at least not these days.
 
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HappyHighwayman

HappyHighwayman

Warning: Do Not Engage
Good idea.

Honestly there are times I'd have happily paid for sexual gratification, but I never have because of societal pressure, shame, fear of disease and lack of resources.
 
My900ss

My900ss

Puts the work in
MysterYvil said:
In what way? I worked regular jobs since 1981 and the only one I needed government permission to work at was armed security.
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How many hours you can work.
How any days straight you can work.
Access to regular breaks.
Required safety protocol.
Required certification or licensing as required.
Many other regulations

An example of regulations for Fast Food workers:

https://www.dol.gov/whd/regs/compliance/whdfs2.htm

Want to drive a truck for a living? Here are some regulations:

https://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/regulations/title49/b/5/3/list

Cosmetology?

http://www.dos.pa.gov/ProfessionalL...Documents/Board Documents/COSMETOLOGY LAW.pdf

I think you get my point :)
 
My900ss

My900ss

Puts the work in
HappyHighwayman said:
You should read the Freakonomics book, the street walker prostitutes were making minimum wage and the high end call girls who worked for themselves were making over $250,000
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$67K average
https://www.simplyhired.com/salaries-k-prostitution-jobs.html

$2.8Mil one persons account
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/a...s-years-worth-gains-detailed-infographic.html

What is possible and what is realistic are going to be different. My point is that more people are victimized by prostitution as an illegal entity than benefit from it. More people would benefit from legalization and regulation than would be hurt. The positives outweigh the negatives in my opinion.
 
Holeshot

Holeshot

Super Moderator
Staff member
lam@barf said:
Yes, it's called organized crime.

The difference between organized crime and the government is that OC runs efficiently and accomplishes it's goals.
Click to expand...

Haha! Beautifully scripted!

MysterYvil said:
I personally know streetwalkers, sugar babies, call girls, and dominatrixes. Their income ranges from sucks to just getting by. Even the "high end" workers aren't making $250k, at least not these days.
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What's depressing the wages? Is this take home pay (wage minus any payouts they have)?
 
M

MysterYvil

Mr. Bad Example
Holeshot said:
What's depressing the wages? Is this take home pay (wage minus any payouts they have)?
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Competition. As jobs became more difficult to find the profession filled up with people willing to do anything in order to eat.

For example, a streetwalker I knew made a living wage because she chose to take beatings or take on multiple clients at a time. Not what she preferred, but others were doing it (or being made to do it) so she had to in order to stay competitive. On the high end women started having to compete with exotic multilingual women being smuggled into the U.S.

I also see far fewer college girls than I used to. Haven't had to vet or safecall in years. The ones J helped have all graduated so I don't know the story there.
 
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M

MysterYvil

Mr. Bad Example
My900ss said:
How many hours you can work.
How any days straight you can work.
Access to regular breaks.
Required safety protocol.
Required certification or licensing as required.
Many other regulations

An example of regulations for Fast Food workers:

https://www.dol.gov/whd/regs/compliance/whdfs2.htm

Want to drive a truck for a living? Here are some regulations:

https://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/regulations/title49/b/5/3/list

Cosmetology?

http://www.dos.pa.gov/ProfessionalL...Documents/Board Documents/COSMETOLOGY LAW.pdf

I think you get my point :)
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Most of those are regulations on employers, not employees.

Can you imagine a government-mandated sex worker class? "Demonstrate your skills, please."
 
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