O.R.D.

First problem, the average age that a person becomes prostituted is 13.  There are prostitutes as young as 4.  The average life span of a prostitute is 7 years.  The most common cause of death is murder.  The most common murderer is the pimp- when his prostitute ceases to be as lucrative or cooperative.  Buying and selling children, molesting children, and murdering children is not something that a society should tolerate.

 

Another major problem is that 98% of prostitutes are there against their will- they are almost universally an oppressed population. They have been brought into the industry through fraud, coercion, threat, or abduction.  They are raped 10-20 each night for the financial benefit of their pimp, who owns them.  They are his slaves and they carry his tattoo for easy identification.  They often live in cramped and unhealthy conditions, recieving little medical care- excepting those being sold as "virgins" being resown over and over again.  They often die of internal trauma, or are tortured or murdered by johns who are playing out violent fantasies that they have developed through the use of hardcore porn. This is tolerated because prostitutes are an expendable and replacable asset.  A society should not tolerate slavery or torture.

 

Another problem- there are thousands of safe beds for dogs and cats in the US, yet there are only a couple hundred for sex trafficking victims.  We know of 3 girls locally in the last 3 months who were shot in the head by their pimp, and recently an 8 year old girl had a really hard time leaving her "boyfriend" who was pimping her to go to her Grandmother.  In all of these recent cases, the biggest problem was finding a shelter that could take them in.  A society should not treat pet dogs and cats with greater respect and compassion than it can show to women and children.  We believe that you can gauge the health of a society by the way that it treats its women, children, and prostitutes- often the most marginalized of marginalized populations.

 

It would be simplifying things too much to suggest that all prostitutes are brought into the industry the same way. Some enter voluntarily either as porn stars or prostitutes, and typically lose their independence, becoming slaves to their "managers"- ie pimps.  Others are born into the industry, children of prostitutes and pimps who know no other life.  There is a lot of variety in the situation and yet 98% of prostituted people are there against their will and do not feel that they can escape.  So what is the problem?  A society should not tolerate a self-perpetuating cycle of disadvantage.  

 

One of the worst problems is that the victim in the situation is treated as the criminal.  Police officers often bust prostitution rings and take the prostitutes into custody. Why do they arrest the prostitutes?  Because they are easy to get ahold of, because they are the ones handling the money, and because it is easy to prosecute them according to current laws.  What about the pimp?  What about the john (this is the name for someone who pays for a hooker)? The pimp can be prosecuted under anti- human trafficking laws, but that is a totally different approach than the typical reaction to prostitution.  Usually, he gets away with it- the prostitute took the money from the John, not the pimp.  She doesn't keep it, of course, but she was the point of contact.  The John gets a $50 fine.  Yes, that is all.  The prostitute is fined (typically $4,000), given jail time, and a 99 year sex offender status.  

 

The prostitute is the victim in this situation.  She is usually under 18 and in any sane system this would be considered statutory rape on the part of the john, but because there was money involved, it isn't considered rape. It is considered consentual- never mind how she feels about it.

 

There are some arguments against this idea that prostitutes are unfairly criminalized and victimized, the two most popular being:

1) A woman should have the right to choose sex work if that is what she wants and

2) A lot of women choose to enter sex work.

 

First, lets address the argument that women should have the right to choose sex work.  There is a small but vocal group of women who consider themselves feminists who promote this as a cause.  While we understand their motivation, their logic is fundamentally flawed.  Yes, a woman should be able to earn a good salary and she should have the freedom to enter a field that allows her to do this.  A woman's career choices should not be limited by what men determine she should be able to do for a living- this is true.  But promoting sex work is not feminism because the sex work industry does not empower women or improve their lives.  We have no argument against a women choosing a career for herself.  Our argument is against the sex industry as it stands.  It is neither a safe nor lucrative feild for women. The fundamental problem propelling unsuspecting women into sex work is that women do not recieve equal pay for equal work in any feild, nor are they equally encouraged to pursue lucrative careers.  Sex work promises returns that it does not ultimately deliver.  Just as it is in other industries, the lucrative positions are typically reserved for men.

 

Now, let's address the argument that a lot of women choose to enter sex work.  We can address it by revisiting the earlier statistic- that 98% of prostitues are working against their will. 98% is almost universal.  If 98% percent of prostitutes want something better and are afraid to get out, does it really matter how they got in?  While it is true that a person should be able to choose their career, policy decisions should be made for the 98% versus the 2%.  Consider this- prostitution is an industry that was created primarily by men, for the sake of men, and is protected by men.  How do men protect the industry?  With laws that criminalize prostitutes, protect users, and keep women financially disadvantaged.  Of course there are exceptions to this, but this is the rule.  A woman may choose to enter this field, but it is never a positive step in her life. No feminist who understands the true nature of the sex industry would ever defend it.

 

But rather than dividing the interests of the 98% and the 2%, there is a solution that would benefit 100% of sex workers. DECRIMINALIZE PROSTITUTES. What do we mean by that?  In the US, it is illegal to sell sex and it is legal to buy it.  Yes.  It is illegal to sell sex, and it is legal to buy it.  This fact has a way of blowing everyone's mind, including ours.  This is why the prostitute gets all of the penalties- the $4,000 fine, the jail time, and the 99 year sex-offender status while the john gets his hand slapped- a $50 fine and a mandatory class for repeat offenses.  

 

Politics play their part.  Politicians are often patrons of prostitution.  And it shows in the laws.  The way that the laws are written protects the users and the pimps and criminalizes the prostitutes- which criminalization locks them into the situation- no ID, sex offender status- they are stuck!  Why are they stuck?  Because, without an ID, it is impossible to get a hotel room unless you find someone with an ID to get it for you.  A sex offense record makes it difficult to get a decent job or housing.  The current laws not only protect the sex industry but they trap women into it.  Recently, South Carolina made it legal for lobbyists to purchase prostitution services for politicians.  Yes, this is mind-boggling- just think for a moment how this changes the dynamics of bribery and black-mailing, let alone burgeoning the sex industry in that area- but this is how it is.  Unless the populace harasses their lawmakers on the subject, it will stay the same.  

 

What we need is called the Nordic Model- a reverse of the current model.  Make it legal to sell sex and illegal to buy it. Everyone seems to balk at this idea and they always ask "shouldn't both be illegal?" but the answer is definitely NO. As long as prostitutes are criminalized, they will be locked into their situation.  We must decriminalize the victims- the prostitutes- and criminalize the criminals- the pushers and the users.  Once johns have to pay $4,000, spend time in jail, and get a 99 year sex offender status, you'd better believe there will be a change.  When prostitutes are given legal protection relating to regulated work environments, wages, hours, and health benefits, then they will be free to enter and leave the system as they will. There will, of course, be a black market but the new regulations and laws will curtail the industry- thereby decreasing the amount of human suffering in the slave trades.  And a society should do what it can to minimize the suffering of the disadvantaged.

 

Another big problem is the pornography industry.  This is a touchy subject because a lot of people really like their porn.  Some people argue that porn should be protected as free speech.  Some argue that it should be protected as an art form.  Both arguments are inadequate and wewill tell you why: the pornography and the sex trafficking industries are inseparably connected.  Pornography, hardcore pornography, and child pornography all lead to the use of prostitutes of all ages.  Porn stars are often chosen from the pool of prostitutes, and porn stars become desirable and lucrative prostitutes as patrons develop fettishes.  So porn and prostitution are a vicious cycle. Hardcore and violent porn lead to sick fantasies that can only be played out in secret with helpless and vulnerable victims. Recently, there was a massage parlor in our own local area that was busted for prostituting an eight year old child.   Often men will go to Thailand and pay for a young prostitute to torture, rape, and kill over a week or a month's time. When a person views pornography, they fund the sex trafficking industry.  There is no escaping that.  When someone views pornography, they support the rape and murder of men, women, and children- one way or another- through fees or advertising dollars that come to the site based on number of views.

 

So what is the big problem?  

Our society is not only tolerating but supporting the slave industry with its laws.  There is a population of men, boys, women, and girls who have been marginalized and are being denied their basic civil rights- equal protection under the law, and freedom from involuntary servitude.