Read the article Manhattan to Stop Prosecuting Prostitution, Part of Nationwide Shift https://www.nytimes.com/2021/04/21/nyregion/manhattan-to-stop-prosecuting-prostitution.html
While this is a recent development, many states/cities are reluctant to legalize prostitution. Why are jurisdictions reluctant to legalize or decriminalize prostitution? See here.
Please leave at least three comments. One is your original contribution. And two comments are you replies to your classmates. Deadline: December 13th, 11:59 pm.
23 thoughts on “Discussion Forum 15: Legalization of Prostitution”
Jurisdictions are reluctant to legalize or decriminalize prostitution because of many reasons. There are several controversies of legalizing and decriminalizing prostitution. For example, some people agree that legalizing prostitution is a good idea because it is the only source of income for many people. It helped people get out of poverty and fend for their children/responsibilities. In addition, some people are for it due to the fact of it being flexible with their schedules. They can basically make their own schedules how they want it. Also, they would be getting paid for something they like to do and enjoy for their own personal reasons. On the other hand, advocates believe that sex work involves more than prostitution. They believe that selling your body would just create more financial problems and emotional scars. Prostitution could also lead to non-consensual sex which is considered rape and is very illegal. In addition, Dr. Will Hall says that legalizing prostitution will increase human trafficking. This will make the crime rates increase which is bad for the states.
Hi Amy, I think that decriminalizing prostitution would actually give people the right to do whatever they want to do with their bodies, if someone wants to sell their body for money they should be able to do it without anyone telling them that that is illegal.
Hi Amy, I also think prostitution should be legal since they are doing something they don’t mind doing and paying for it.
Hello Amy, I agree that legalizing prostitution will increase human trafficking in every city.
Many states/cities are reluctant to legalize prostitution because state law makes this a crime of offering a sex act to obtain compensation of any kind. This is a complex issue as we don’t all think the same there are millions of reasons why they are reluctant to prostitution because it is considerate as an abuse of human rights. Personally I don’t agree with this bill since each person has the right to choose what they want in their lives and what makes them happy maybe I don’t agree with the profession but that doesn’t mean that I judge the women who do it. Dr. Will Hall says that “If you legalize prostitution it is going to increase human trafficking,” but even prostituting being illegal this happens is not like it does not happen. I think there must be rules to become legal it must be by consent and of legal age.
Hi Endrika. I agree that human trafficking will continue even if prostitution is legalized or not. There should be something done to permanently remove human trafficking and really serious punishments for suspects like that.
Hi Endrika, this is a very complex issue as you said, human rights get violated every single day everywhere we turn, and you are right, the fact that you might or not agree with the professions doesn’t give us the right to stop someone from doing what they want with their bodies.
Hi Endrika, I agree that each person has the right to choose what they want in their lives. I know many people have their own opinions on prostitution. Me personally I don’t judge anyone and your body your choice.
Hey Endrika,
I agree with your statement ” right to choose what they want to do their with their lives and makes them happy” because some people don’t know what their situation been like in the past years. If they make more money then regular jobs to support their children’s then let them be. They seem to enjoy that lifestyle and they leaving with a lot of money with them.
Hello Endrika, I agree with you about that everybody have their own opinion about legalizing prostitution.
Hey Amy, In my opinion everyone should have the right to choose what they want to do with their lives and work what best suit them. Even though prostitution is illegal, we see that cases of rape and human trafficking do not stop. These are adult women who are aware of what they do.
Prostitution is a sensitive topic for many, however, I strongly believe that prostitution should be decriminalized. I don’t agree with Dr.Hill when she says that this would create more human trafficking, I think it would be the opposite, having the peace of mind knowing that you can work selling your body without being prosecuted would actually cut the middle person from the picture, pimps wouldn’t be necessary for protection because now whoever is selling their body would be able to call the police if need it without the fear of being the ones accused of an illegal act. Many argue that this would also lead to exploitation, but exploitation happens everyday in any other field of work, we see it in retail, restaurants, cleaning companies, and basically any other profession, the only difference is that decriminalizing prostitution would actually give workers rights, they could say something when they feel like they had been abused or their rights had been violated, they would no longer have to put up with insecurities and unsafe conditions.
Hi Julio. I agree that prostitution is a very sensitive topic. I have no opinion on it honestly. I wouldn’t judge anyone for being apart of it or agreeing with legalizing it because everyone is entitled to their own opinions and ideas. I don’t think that society should degrade someone for being themselves and letting others see the real, raw, uncut personalities/traits of themselves. Everyone should support each other!
Does calling the cops really seem like a reasonable next step if a sex worker been raped or unpaid for their work? Not to POC or migrants or trans people. They are part of groups of people that have been harassed and killed by members of the community and the police. White women are also unlikely to call the police because they don’t know that their profession has been decriminalized and they–especially if they work alone–are worried about retaliation. Because the sex worker can’t get prosecuted but he can.
While this is a recent development, many states/cities are reluctant to legalize prostitution. Jurisdictions are reluctant to legalize or decriminalize prostitution because your choice your body. Also some people can’t get jobs and that’s the only work that they can find at the moment. However, I believe people should have the right to do whatever with their bodies as long as they aren’t committing illegal crimes. You shouldn’t judge anyone because you don’t know where they come from or why they are doing certain things to make money. Legalizing prostitution will also decrease the amount of men who try to rape and kidnap women because now they can offer money to a prostitute without getting in trouble for it.
Hey Boubacar,
I agree with your statement with “shouldn’t judge anyone” because they don’t know their life story and how they been. It will be great to help out someone out when they need it and not go behind their back.
This is a great point of view yes people do have the right to do whatever they want with their bodies but with limitations because prostitution is a dangerous work environment especially for woman who need to do it in order to get some type of income. On the other hand, it a way to take advantage and control for the weak ones which makes it more difficult to have a safe and fair work space without thinking you can get exposed to disease or develop bad habits.
Prostitution should be decriminalized because some women actually need extra money. It depends on the women of what they do with their money. Some are to support their children’s if they any or some use it for drugs of the habit. They make their own decisions on how they wanna spend their life with it. They also have benefits such as mental and physical health care plan. Dr. Will Hall believes legalize prostitution increase human trafficking. They don’t know what their life story was about. It will just make more drama for other people of what they think and they will start riots.
I agree, woman do these type of work due to their living circumstances they consider it as their job which would mean legalizing would give them better opportunities with limitations of creating better laws.
Many can argue that legalizing would mean the regulation of prostitution with laws regarding where, when, and how prostitution could take place. Decriminalization eliminates all laws and prohibits the state and law-enforcement officials from intervening in any prostitution-related activities. Prostitution is an incredibly dangerous profession for most women involved; sexual assault, forced drug addiction, physical abuse, and death are common in the industry. For the women who work in this field, it is often very difficult to get help or get out. Many sex workers were sold into sex trafficking at a very young age and have no resources with which to escape their forced prostitution, or started as sex workers by choice only to fall victim to sex trafficking later on. Many street-based workers are low economic people who have limited options in the formal economies and so they do sex work for survival. Decriminalizing sex work maximizes sex workers’ legal protection and their ability to exercise other key rights, including justice and health care. Legal recognition of sex workers and their occupation maximize their protection, dignity, and equality. This is an important step toward destigmatizing sex work.
Jurisdictions are reluctant to legalize or decriminalize prostitution because it is a loaded and controversial topic. The right wing voters, which have a very vocal presence, say it’s immoral along with their representatives (even though multiple GOP members have been caught having mistresses and even getting abortions for them). There is also the stereotypical prototype of a women doing sex work because she is a drug addict or is someone in need of saving. The regulations involved with legalizing it are burdensome–similar to the regulation of abortion clinics (they are often regulated out of existence). Instead the workers need legal protection to report crimes, etc. This is needed instead of regulating the entire market/profession. Decriminalization is also needed. This is worker protection and makes the clients feel a bit safer telling their name, etc.
Many states and cities are reluctant to legalize prostitution, and they have valid reasons. The idea that legalizing or decriminalizing commercial sex would reduce its harm is a persistent myth. Many claims if the sex trade were legal, regulated, and treated like any other profession, it would be safer. But research suggests otherwise. Countries that have legalized or decriminalized commercial sex often experience a surge in human trafficking, pimping, and other related crimes.