Sex

[Greenday]

Oh, because there are socially awkward or funny looking lonely guys out there, or because there are couples who want to try stuff. Fine. Do it the legal way. There are even websites for people who want to cheat, swingers, one night stands, etc.

You realize that you still have to be decent looking and not completely socially awkward to use any of those websites, right? No one is going to hook up with you in person, or even message you back if you aren't somewhat decent looking.

[kibbles]

If someone had to pay to get another person's attention, I may not understand it but I certainly wouldn't look down on that person or think/call them a loser.

[Ladeeda]

Then the guys who are paying for it are losers for having to pay to get a girl's company or attention. Simply put.

There is no reason to sink to that level or use that as a valid excuse as to why it should be legal. Oh, because there are socially awkward or funny looking lonely guys out there, or because there are couples who want to try stuff. Fine. Do it the legal way. There are even websites for people who want to cheat, swingers, one night stands, etc.

Paying to get company or attention from someone. Wow. That's truly pathetic.

So what? So what if it's "pathetic", as your opinion states? That's not a legitimate reason to keep something illegal. If that were the case, most porn would be illegal, since only pathetic losers have to look at porn. The rest just get girlfriends, right?

[blas87]

No, porn isn't pathetic. Last I checked, you won't catch anything from watching porn or get killed or hurt in the process. And porn is something a lot of people are into. Prostitution.....you guys on this board are the only people that I know of who are actually into fighting for it's legality.

[Greenday]

So if prostitution was legalized...would people still get killed or hurt over it? It'd destroy a huge section of the human trafficking sector. No one gets hurt by legalizing it.

[blas87]

Can you prove that it would decrease danger and human trafficking, the way you are all challenging me in my beliefs that it wouldn't make anything better?

I'm pretty certain there'd still be dirty pimps, violent or unstable clientel, and I'm sure there'd be some way of sneaking in underage girls or girls against their will.

[Eisa]

I really don't see how prostitution is pathetic. I think it would gain a great deal from being legalized...for one, it would cut down on the number of underage children forced into it [girls and boys]. It would hopefully cut down on shitty work conditions, pimps who abuse the girls/guys under their "protection," hopefully make sure the prostitutes can be disease-free...

For that matter, porn could use a great deal of cleaning up, too, as I know of several girls who were forced into it and treated like garbage.

[Ladeeda]

Can you prove that it would decrease danger and human trafficking, the way you are all challenging me in my beliefs that it wouldn't make anything better?

I'm pretty certain there'd still be dirty pimps, violent or unstable clientel, and I'm sure there'd be some way of sneaking in underage girls or girls against their will.

Can you prove it wouldn't? Technically, we can't "prove" anything, it's all theoretical for the time being.

But let's look at some history: back before Unions and labor boards, children had to work in dangerous jobs that could kill them. Women were often forced to have sex with their employers to keep their jobs. No breaks, and people died from dangerous conditions.

Laws were passed and enforced. They were enforced because folks were KEEPING AN EYE ON THEM, and the employees now had somewhere to turn to for help when their rights were being violated.

That is how it would improve things.

As for the pathetic comment, isn't it more pathetic to get off by oneself rather than another person, no matter the reason? It's no more pathetic than getting drunk and having a one-night-stand that you're never going to see again, just healthier for your liver.

And people DO use protection when visiting professionals, and if they don't, yes, it's their own fault for catching something. It's bad for the professional if she catches something from the client, though.

Once again, laws and limitations. Prostitutes can insist on protection because there would be places they can turn to if someone ignores the rule. And they can get much-needed medical exams and STD tests on a regular basis to PREVENT that spread, on their side, anyway.

And how does NOT having legal prostitution prevent rape? It pretty much leaves all professionals open to the risk with no recourse. Who cares if a Prostitute gets raped? Just a whore. Asking for it. Insert a thousand other meaningless victim-blaming arguments that people believe when the victim's profession is to get paid for sex.

Maybe, blas, you might start thinking of these prostitutes and clients as people, not as vague stereotypes from your own prejudice?

[Racket_Man]

Anyone who has every worked a job for money has in effect prostituted themselves. Just because you didn't have sex doesn't deny the prostituion you sold your time and your ability. Whore's are just being honest about it.

I am "paid" to be fakey sincere, smile, have a joyous happy peppy cheerleader attitude, take abuse (from both ends if you will) and "fake" an orgasm when getting a penny tip while the company could care less about me just the business they get.

almost any date (same sex or opposite) these days or in the past was a variation of prostitution ie. pay for dinner and a show and get some later (first date or down the line).

most marriages in times gone by were just a legalized form ie. political marriages between states or families or what can be gained from a marriage (rich OR poor) ie. property, wealth, status, etc. the marriage was only important for the allience or bloodline. the "royality" just prostituted out their sons and daughters for the sake of the state and not much else.

and let us NOT forget that a lot of cultures DEMANDED a marriage dowery from the brides parents cause a girl was not "worth" all that much in times gone by. yes it was sometimes "seed money" so the couple could start a new household but it seemed to be very female orientated meaning the woman had to bring the dowery into the marriage not the man.

[BigGiant]

Yeah, I really don't get the whole "it's disgusting that they're selling their bodies for money!!!" argument...

Unless you own your own company, you're basically selling your body for money every day. Sure, you can say it is your skills/mind/talent/whatever, but in the end, you're selling yourself for money.

The stigma that surrounds sex has always confused me.

Tell me, someone....why is it that we look down on people who are basically making money to make others feel good? Take the sex out of it, and you'd be calling it a noble profession.

Anyway, as for making prostitution legal. As many have argued, I think it would do a great deal to help eliminate the underage girls that are forced/coerced into prostitution....This is actually the biggest problem concerning illegal prostitution. Ask any cop in a big city- they could care less about the older prostitutes, they want to get the underage girls off the streets.

Something that is a bit shocking: The average age of a prostitute in New York City is 13.

[blas87]

Once again, and this is the last time I am going to ask, do not put words or assumptions into my mouth. I have never ONCE in this entire effing thread said that I was better than prostitutes, nor have I insinuated that they are lower beings on life's totem pole, or any comments insinuating that I think that they are slime. Yes, I mentioned something about low self respect. Yes, I have called it pathetic that someone would PAY for someone else's attention and I would call a person who does that a loser. But get your facts straight and read what I write thoroughly before your fingers start with the diahhrea text. After all, this argument took a whole different direction the post that I was accused of saying I was "Better" than prostitutes, which I NEVER FUCKING DID.

Alright?

Ok. Now.

I will take this moment to also point out that I think it's repugnant that some members have said that it's prostituting yourself working any type of job. To me, that's the same as the misuse of the word "rape", as in "ZOMG my bank raped me of 400 dollars!" or the misuse of the word "slavery" as in the idiots at my job who say "This place is nothing but legalized slavery!"

I would not for one minute define my job as prostituting myself. I'd call it a waste of time, a headache, a cluster fuck, a chaotic disaster, but definetly not prostitution. I'll use the "pathetic" word again. It's such a poor comparison, prostitution to working in a warehouse or at a restaurant or a dealership or at an office.

[Wingates_Hellsing]

Like them or not, all those terms are perfectly valid uses of hyperbole. They seek to convey a message by using whatever society has chosen to be the 'ultimate' form of a similar act to describe something in place of more mundane words.

In those cases it goes as follows:

Raped = taken against the will of the owner
Slavery = working for inadequate compensation
Prostituted = providing a service for no reason but to make money

Sometimes people may be attempting to make out that the two really are the same, but this is not always the case. Most often it's a clearly understood instance of hyperbole. The disparity is the point.

When you demean someone as having little or no self respect you are placing them below you. When you demean someone's customers as "pathetic" or "losers" you by extension demean the person catering to them.

It's long been a convention of the language to use prostitution as an allegory for any line of work where the individual in question has no interest or where they do not pride themselves on a job well done as this is almost unilaterally what prostitution is portrayed to be.

However, this stereotype is far from correct. Sure, there are individuals for whom it's true, but to the rest it's a job like any other and even something they're passionate about doing well. As evidenced by the legal prostitution where it can be found. The only reason this is less so for illegal prostitution stems from the illegal part. If you make something illegal you make it dirty, dark and dangerous and that is a sure way to weed out all but the most determined/confident of individuals who which to pursue the career out of anything other than desperation or necessity.

[the_std]

I will take this moment to also point out that I think it's repugnant that some members have said that it's prostituting yourself working any type of job. To me, that's the same as the misuse of the word "rape", as in "ZOMG my bank raped me of 400 dollars!" or the misuse of the word "slavery" as in the idiots at my job who say "This place is nothing but legalized slavery!"

I would not for one minute define my job as prostituting myself. I'd call it a waste of time, a headache, a cluster fuck, a chaotic disaster, but definetly not prostitution. I'll use the "pathetic" word again. It's such a poor comparison, prostitution to working in a warehouse or at a restaurant or a dealership or at an office.

Why do you hold the word "prostitution" in such a negative light? In essence, prostitution is providing a service in exchange for money. That service just happens to be sex. Anyone in nearly any job is doing the same thing - exchanging goods or services for money. I'm not sure why you automatically assume that, when this exchange involves a biological process (sex), but not necessarily other biological functions; after all, we pay doctors to deliver babies, people to pierce our skin or put ink underneath it, cook us food... For people who are able to seperate the physical from the emotional, sex is on par with serving food - it fulfills a biological imperitive that most people enjoy. Just because you might not be able to seperate those two things doesn't make the act degrading to those who can.

[blas87]

And now it's assumed I cannot seperate one thing from another, just because I am not in the more popular opinion in this thread that it should be legalized, and once again, it was assumed I think of myself as better than prostitutes.

It'd be a little hard to honestly say I am, because I have never met one or even seen one, for that matter. I live in a smaller more rural area of Wisconsin. Do I think it exists? It may. I have heard talk of what goes on between shady landlords and single mother tenants in scarier areas of town. But I've never had the urge to find out. All I can say is I would hope to God no woman is actually doing that right now, just to make rent or feed her children, and God help her if she is.

Until the words actually appear on the screen that say "I am better than *so and so*", shall we stop with the damn assuming? It's a very poor debate tactic and makes people seem to be just as lowball as those mudslinging political compaigns and commercials that make me want to throw the remote at the TV.

I often make remarks of all kinds of people. I have never once said I was better than anyone or higher than anyone. I would consider myself of higher standards of self respect and dignity than a lot of people, of course, but not as an overall person.

[AdminAssistant]

Regarding underage prostitution - do you really think it will stop if we legalize prostitution? The lowlife perverts who are paying 13 year olds for sex will continue to do so even if there is a legal alternative.