Before we go any farther, this diary is about Sex Work.
Some of this is from personal experience, some of this is from the anecdotes of friends who I have who do Sex Work, and some of this will be sourced.
However, this is an issue that must be discussed, and we'll start with the elephant in the room, which is Trafficking, and then go into the rest of it.
(Discussion and ruminations on the flip)
I must state that I've Known Sex Workers.
Having lived in L.A., it's the way many struggling actresses/actors made ends meet. They certainly weren't the slaves portrayed by the media in order to turn public opinion against prostitution. (No, it's not a road I ever went down, although the temptation was definitely there when you're making food calendars based off what restaurant is having a 39 cent sale. You're looking at that couple hundred bucks for a few hours of effort, and thinking that it's better pay than you're getting at the studios, or the people who want you to work for FREE because you'll get "exposure".)
And yes, some enjoyed the work. Some didn't. Much like any profession. I seriously doubt anyone would happily choose to work at a fast food joint if they could get any other work, and yet there are people who enjoy the work and excel at it.
Now, it has been claimed that trafficked women make up 30-80% of all Sex Workers. I have attempted to verify that claim online, and have found the DOJ reference HERE. Please note it is heavily skewed towards sexual exploitation of CHILDREN, which is in no way what I am advocating. The Polaris Project claims that in 2014, there were 3598 cases in the United States, specifically related to sex work, which is a horrible number but...
Some other interesting figures I can find are from 2010 related by the DOJ, which states that nationally 62,668 people were arrested for prostitution or related crimes. Not a word is said about how many were linked to trafficking.
This suggests that the number of trafficked women is far less than the amount who are in the industry for other reasons. Legalizing prostitution would allow us to go after the the MUCH smaller portion of those who are being truly harmed.
Another reference I have found is from the 2012 DOJ report which takes gleeful joy in talking about how they plan to engage in "Shaming" of Johns, Engaging in Stings, and numerous other methods to "Reduce Demand." In no way does it speak about reducing trafficking, or actually helping the victims of slavery.
The trafficking issue is because of the fact that there is NO legal recourse for sex workers who are being exploited. They have no union (At least none that can legally sanction or negotiate with potential employers. While C.O.Y.O.T.E is an advocacy group, as far as the actual business end...), no protection and no status. The efforts by police to "Protect" them, often ends up with them being charged for prostitution whilst the people who engage in trafficking get away scot free, due to police resources being spent on "Stings" to reduce demand for their services, essentially hunting down what they consider crimes at the expense of ACTUAL crimes being investigated.
Honestly, I believe that the anecdotal trafficking figures are exaggerated because it's a great weapon to use. Slavery is evil, no argument here. Exploitation of children is evil. No argument at ALL here. Legalization of sex for money will eliminate the hammer of police falling upon those who are not in the industry by choice. Instead of being a sex criminal, they would be a victim of exploitation similar to undocumented workers exploited by factory farms to pick crops. In fact, the trafficking of people for labor is far more pressing and hideous, and yet the police and media focus on a tiny subset of the overall picture in order to stoke public opinion against Prostitutes and those that employ them.
Interestingly enough, the profile of the average person who uses prostitutes might be of concern to those who envision a sneering, misogynistic brute. According to the DOJ, that profile seems to be more akin to those who actually ABUSE prostitutes, and already have a history of other crimes. The average person (Male employing a female) does not express opinions that support violence against women. This suggests that the targeting of those that pay for sex might in fact be targeting those who are least likely to harm a prostitute, or degrade them.
The hypocrisy of the laws are insane. A woman/man can strip naked, simulate sex acts, and even have sex on camera, but the instant someone suggests that he or she be paid for it, it becomes illegal. The money must be for a "performance" or "time" NOT for what is actually being paid for. Even then, if the police choose, they can charge someone for a crime based off the nebulous definition of solicitation. This crime is one that charges criminals for the offer of sex for money. Similar to drug laws, no sex actually has to occur, or money need change hands. Just the offer is enough to publicly shame both parties in the transaction, as well as send them to jail.
The Ashley Madison case has proven that men and women will pay for sex. It has also proven that corporations are ready and willing to exploit that willingness. However, the corporation is not the one who faces financial censure. It is the man who wished to make an arrangement, and was callously exploited by a group that lied about what they were offering and what they were doing. In essence, fraud, but since that fraud was linked to the sex trade indirectly, the onus is on the men, not those that exploited their desires.
The government has gone after sites in the past that allowed prostitutes to screen clients, ensuring some stability and security for their work. Sites like Rentboy.com and Myredbook.com have been investigated for "Money Laundering" and "Prostitution", including shutting down the entire site. What this ends up actually doing is increasing risks for Sex Workers and their clients. With no way to check on potential clients, Prostitutes are required to gauge every client with only their gut to tell them whether a potential client is looking to pay them, or instead rip them off, beat them, or arrest them, or even kill them.
And now, Full Disclosure. I have employed the services of a Prostitute. In 2009. I had returned from Iraq, and went to the now defunct Wild Horse Ranch. The transaction was legal. However, the women I saw were completely ripped off by the company. For my 1000 dollars, she saw approximately 250. This is due to the brothel taking 50%, the cab company taking 10%, and the woman's need to pay for the room she uses, which is a flat rate of 200 dollars a day. However, since this is the only legal way for a woman to work in the industry, the standards are set by the men who run it, and the politicians who determine what they consider a woman to be worth.
I am NOT advocating for the Nevada brothel system to be exported. It is just as exploitative as the worst forms of human trafficking, and when it was explained to me by the woman who worked there, I never returned. (Yes, I actually talked to her. Very nice, intelligent, and beautiful woman, and her big pet peeve was men who called her name out in public when she wasn't working.)
What I am advocating here is a refocusing on real crime. Trafficking and slavery are hideous offenses against human rights. When a Sex worker can go to the police and say "I am being forced to work" without fear of being arrested for the work they were forced to do, then we can make real strides in the exploitation, and especially the "Legal" exploitation of people who have their own reasons for doing the work they do.