why is prostitution illegal?

I am so inceredibly shocked by all the people who seem to think legalizing prostitution would be a good idea!!!!! (not putting down anyone's opinion, I am just very surprised)

Early in this thread someone compared pornography to prostitution. I would like to use this comparison to point out a few things: Pornography is legal, and it's legalization has done nothing to control the horrendous abuse throughout the industry. Pornography participants (both women and men) are often underage. They are often supplied with false id by directors, producers, and co-stars. They are often coerced into participation by abusers. Many suffer from drug addictions, and many have a variety of mental illnesses. This puts them in the position of being unable to make any kind of informed choice about their participation. Many are physically, sexually, and emotionally abused by the people they work with.

I know many people have expressed the idea that legal prostitution would eliminate pimps. I think all it would do would be to give them a new title: boss, manager, sir. A whole new set of loopholes for abusers to jump through and continue harming others.

I believe you have something here lynn, I was pondering the same thing and then I saw you posted my thoughts.

I think the idea of prostitution being illegal puts SOME married women's minds at ease as they feel their husband doesn't want to be arrested when also being a "slime". Sure he could take off his ring and go dating-- but then there's the risk of the other woman calling him and the wife finding out and the other woman finding out there's a wife.

So in either scenario there is risk for the man.

BUT-- if prostitution was legal everywhere--- there would be a lot less risk for the man... and thus.. some women/wives would have more "fear" to deal with in their relationship. (the fear that she's not enough, that he won't be faithful...etc...etc...)

fins

In a million years I could never see how prostitution would be "getting back" at men. let me see...... here give me some money and I'll give you just about ANYTHING you want physically-- I'll call you a hero, a god, give you a massage, please you to the nth degree with no strings attached. I will, 95% of the time, get no sexual release for my own body. And having different emotions, being a female, I will stuff them away for this and you -to give you pleasure, to make you feel important-- all attention focused on YOU. (kind of like a naked therapist!) AND --- I won't get acknowledged for the good service I do by society--instead I will be degraded,shunned.... people will sneer at me and regard me as trash.
Yea-- sounds like women are really getting back at men (no offense to you radioflyer-- I just wanted to make a point, that I don't see any benefit that women reap here except money... that's it.... many in the industry commit suicide, have drug addictions and other sad human afflictions due to being degraded... so I truly don't see any "getting back" on the women's end.... it's more men getting back for a woman hoping to be sexual-- IMO..... she gets degraded, arrested and shunned)

-----how can a man really enjoy "sex" with a woman that prob had sex with a another man a few hours earlier?----

this is where some men live in the "now"-- that's all that matters-- NOW. and also they have no emotional attachment to this "thing" they use for pleasure, so it's not thought of in that way-- like a girlfriend, or wife would be... whom they are emotionally attached to.(IMO)

hope you understand radioflyer-- I meant no disrespect towards you at all.... I so appreciate your rolling all this around in your head.

best regards
fins

Gr3tta

I couldn't agree with you more!
it is a catch 22 here though-- as far as I can see..... damned if you do make it legal and damned if you don't....
so I think some of us are just trying to go the route of least harm....
it's all harmful(IMO)....
it saddens me to think some people want to treat others like animals ---with no emotional connection, no regard for the other's emotional well being...... just use them for their own benefit....
it is sick....
but it is here and has been here for a long long time....
so what is one to do?....
keeping it illegal hasn't helped any either, has it?.....

I truly wish it would all have NEVER ever existed..... that all humans were respected emotionally and treated with empathy and understanding...
but....
sadly it does exist ......

fins

Gr3tta... you have made some really good points. In fact, everything you wrote is an eye opener. You mentioned things I never thought about and makes me think...Anyway, I am the one that compared porn to prostitution and pimps....I know very little about porn and prostitution.

Is always good, in my opinion, to get a variety of ideas, being for or against something. Then instead of having "tunnel" vision one can gather all the information and step back and see the whole picture.

One way of looking at it, if prostituion is legal, it might put a damper on the "underground" nasty stuff. And then again, if prostituion was legal, the authorities would have more time on their hands for breaking up the illegal use of minors and all the underground stuff that slips through the cracks????

These are just thoughts to throw out..So much to really think about....Think I will make a list.. The pros and cons of legalizing prostitution...

Again, my reasons for legalizing prostitution are that it would provide a safer environment for those who would choose this way to earn a living...One problem with this is would it confine prostution to just the "brothels"... Or would the bored housewife or anyone for that matter, take up prostitution on the side for extra income? hmmmmmmmm

Yes, purple fins, you made excellent points. I guess I was searching for a reason why a woman would get involved in prostitution.. As you said, it looks like it is just for the money. And she reaps no rewards. She is shunned and degraded by society...So then in the long run is the money worth all the pain? Survival and pain equals prostitution...

Think I will do a search on prostution in Germany. Maybe get a better idea as to how this whole thing works....

I am like you as in wishing prostituion never existed. Or that abuse never existed. And that minors/children would always be safe...

Hi fins! Sadly, many prostitutes have gotten into the business for just this reason, though I am much more apt to agree with you. Often women entering the sex trades think that they will have the power, the money, the control and in more cases than you might think, they do.

Another lifetime ago I was asked to manage a strip club to get the drugs out before the city closed it down. I did. Many of the girls who worked for the club got involved in prostitution. I didn't stop caring about them when they left and I usually followed their progress, or rather their decline. Some of the girls would come back looking to give it up, but not as many as I might have hoped. Too, homeless and alone, prostitution was my wifes only means of support beginning at fourteen years old. This paragraph was just my way of assuring you that I'm met more than a couple upon which I base my opinions, without leaving you with no explanation other than I was a customer or a pimp.

Prostitution has a similar allure like drugs. At first the people think they are in control and it enhances their lives, giving them confidence, money, power etc. Most people don't start doing drugs believing that it takes more than it gives - but it does. Some of us might not be able to understand why some people would start to take meth or crack - and surely the people taking it don't do so thinking, "Well this will destroy my life - lets do this."...same thing with prostitution. I've never seen a girl come out of a choice of prostitution better than she went in but alot of them, I'd even say the vast majority of them, think it will when they start.

I have italicized a bit of your response. I do not think it is a fair assumption to say that if someone takes care of their partner physically and emotionally that partner won't cheat. I may do the right thing, but it doesn't mean that my partner is going to. Cheating is based on a variety of things, but I don't want to assume it is a fair reaction to not getting your emotional or physical needs met as you want them to be.

On the cheating thing...if a man (or woman) wants to cheat, (s/)he'll cheat, prostitute or no prostitute. I wouldn't blame the prostitute because a married man goes to her, I'd blame the man.

There's a company (possibly more than one) that helps people (men and women) cheat on their spouses and significant others. They have all kinds of thing set up to help cheaters get away with it. If you're a cheater and want your wife to think you're hanging out at a hotel when you're really partying away, you can give your wife a phone number to the hotel...only it's not to the hotel, it's to the company, who answers the phone as if they're the hotel (like, "Good morning, LA Hilton, how may I direct your call?"). They have ways to help you, the cheater, to hide your actions, and even help people meet people to cheat with.

I'm not sure prostitution could ever become legal because it's selling one's body, kind of like slavery? One could argue that a construction worker is selling one's body but that's actually selling one's labor the body does whereas sex is part of the body, not something separate. Even legal, there would still be pimps/mesdames and "organization" and the whole crime element I think. I think it would be harder to protect children from being prostituted by their parents if it were legal.

I think the number of prostitutes that are prostitutes because that's what they want for their lives is extremely small. I don't think legalizing prostitution would help the poverty/desperation/drug problems associated with the act?

I don't consider prostitution selling one's body, rather than renting it. It's just semantics, but that's how I feel.

I don't think legalizing it will make it easier for those who would prostitute children or others in general; regulation can make it safer, because we're not going to get rid of it. Too much demand. Sadly, many men don't understand women selling sex aren't always doing it as a matter of choice, and some don't care. They see a woman and want her, spend some money and get what they want.

On a side note, there are some jerks who ask prostitutes for "free samples," like a woman is ice cream or something. I know there are male prostitutes, too, and I don't mean to leave them out, but I'm speaking in generalities for the moment.

Ya know, AkAngel's comment got me thinking. Especially the comment that women sometimes are drawn to prostitution due to anger towards men. And in the end, the women are still getting hurt.

When you close your eyes and visualize actually what a prostitute does, one would generally conclude she can't really feel good at the end of the day. Guess the only one "feeling good" would be the man..Although she may have earned enough money for dinner and a room for the night, am sure her heart is aching for a better life.

I don't know how much money a "street prostitute" would make. Have a feeling it isn't all that much..maybe enough to survive another day... And then the "high dollar" prostitutes probably are living really good. But then all of the prostitutes can't demant high dollar, being they probably aren't high dollar material...Even so, after a period of time, and all that sex, even the high dollar prostitute must shed some tears from what she is doing with her life....Multiple sex partners can't bring a woman joyous memories, no matter how much money she makes....

Just talking sorta out loud again... sorting out my thoughts... thinking that prostitution in the long run isn't really that good of a thing.. Legal or not legal...

We can take a short cut to the "strippers"... now there is money in that too.. And no sex involved. Maybe that is why stripping is legal...soooooo instead of prostituting, go for the dancing, stripping... Am sure those ladies sleep good at night with little regrets.... maybe

There were sooooooooo many good points brought to my attention in this thread..Things I never even thought about.. Maybe in my "magical" thinking prostitution was like that movie, Best Little *****house in Texas..Not realizing the pain and abuse involved in prostitution. Thinking the woman came out ahead with the "dollars". That little anger inside, make em pay for it... Wrong anger never solved anything, other than sometimes making things worse.......................

so how do I feel about legalizing prostitution now...I don't know....I just don't know..

I just wanted to add... I can't or won't point my finger at a prostitute and put them down. I would never judge or degrade them either. Prostitutes are people.. People with the very same feelings as those who aren't prostitutes..

Drawing on my experience managing the strip clubs I would share this: I've never met a woman who stripped for a year who didn't turn to women sexually, if not exclusively, at least bisexual. Personally, I could care less what someone's sexual orientation is and am supportive of everyones choices in that department but 100%? This is more about hating men than it is loving women. Their attraction to women is more of a rejection of men, at least in many if not most cases.

I'd say that 15-20% of the girls who were hired ended up having drug problems that I missed (or I wouldn't have hired them), but eventually most developed drug problems - maybe 75% or more. I steered many to drug treatment programs but the money was too easy and too many guys were willing to party with them. Stripping led to prostitution for most girls though many they didn't consider themselves such because they weren't charging money - but what else do you call it when you sleep with a guy you loath cause he's got a couple of eightballs?

Every strippers got stories of $1000 nights, but there's a lot more nights where they are spending $1000 to forget what they had to do to get that $1000.

That's how I feel. Women are detested if they're in this business, when, according to my reading, documentaries and other information I've gotten, most women don't choose prostitution; more often than not, a pimp meets a runaway teen (who may have it worse at home, and looking for support--then the pimp makes them feel loved, but turns them on the streets once she's hooked), and those grown women who are prostitutes often started out as those teens.

I read a book of prostitutes' experiences...I think it was called SEX WORK, but it's been a while since I read it. Most of the stories were not "I'm glad to be a prostitute!" stories.

Geez, I was hoping to get here sooner.... just that.... darn life gets in the way sometimes..

radioflyer-- very well said-- "Survival and pain equals prostitution"...
I think for many young women/girls it is sadly the way they see to survive.and the culture is all too happy to accept their lost soul and trample all over it.

AkAngel-- perhaps this could be the case, in the few places on this planet where it is all legal... I believe there are very few cases where this would be true though.... or else women would be growing up saying how that's what they dream of as their career and many men would be wanting to "covet" such a woman.... I sure don't see much of that happening.
I agree with your comparing prostitution with drug addiction/use....yes, most don't go into thinking that's what they want out of life.....
it's just sad that unlike drug addicts, prostitutes don't seem to get the same compassion, support or understanding to get out of it(women often despise them more than men) and prostitution is often valued within the confines of the men's locker room, where stories fly about how this guy got some prostitute to do this or that and then they all laugh and give him a "high five"..... seems it's funny to keep a prostitute dehumanized but not so much a drug addict
I wish there would be talk in that same locker room about how some guy got this prostitute a job and how she is now earning a respected living and has her own apartment... and every guy in the locker room gives him a "high five"....
ah... I'm such a dreamer
to treat each and every person like a-- Human.

wish I had time to write more.... got to run now... hope to be back later.

to all--

fins

I was raised to believe our bodies are sacred, a gift from God - especially our genitals. Not only are they used for reproduction, they are to be used to enhance LOVE between partners.

There is no LOVE shared in prostitution. It's the ultimate disrespect of the human body - using a sacred gift as a toy or a way to make money. I would not want to see this dehumanizing "profession" become a legalized career choice.

How many men would marry a prostitute, and would they have a problem with her "working" outside of the home? How would it be explained to the children?

How do the children of prostitutes thrive in society? Would they be able to "show and tell" what they know about their mothers? Would they be able to proudly report their experience on "take your child to work day?" to the rest of the class?

How many children say "When I grow up, I want to be a prostitute!" How many parents or grandparents would feel a sense of pride from such a proclamation? My guess....not many (at least I hope not).

I always wondered - how does a person feel when they have to PAY for sex?

I beg to differ. Please don't put those of us down, who may differ with your opinion. My morals come from God, and He isn't paranoid nor does He have low self esteem.

Don't forget, there are male prostitutes too.

Some here may be forgetting the law of unintended consequences. Living in an imaginary world where everything is allowed and good won't work here in our world.

Let's think about just a few things IF prostitution was legal ... what do those who make a living from pimping and kidnapping etc to provide the prostitutes, once the act is legal? What about the people who get off ONLY because it's not "allowed" or it's in secret, etc. I'm especially considering those who will draw on the illegal stuff, children, mainly....

Legalized prostitution tends to provide the same social problems as illegal prostitution. Germany and the Netherlands may very well be considering changing their laws. http://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&q=...LN_QFdCR7b1rUA

MYTH: Legalization of prostitution will stop illegal prostitution
FACT: Legalization of prostitution in Nevada, Germany,
Australia and the Netherlands has resulted in an increase in
illegal, hidden, and street prostitution. Decriminalization
and legalization promote sex trafficking. Germany and the
Netherlands are currently reconsidering whether to get rid
of legal prostitution because of these social problems.

Believe in Him or not --- GOD LOVES YOU!

Want to share your Christian faith? Click HERE

I think that NV proves that this can be legalized and regulated. Legal women have to get regular check ups, STD tests etc. A friend of mine that is from NV states that there are still illegal "hookers", because they are cheaper than those that are regulated.

I have no moral issue with prostitution, what each person decides to do is their own business. There have been prostitutes since the beginning of time. But I would have a problem with a brothel setting up business next to by home. I think many people agree with this and that is why it's still illegal. They rezoned a home at the end of the block as a business and its increase in traffic has made me crazy, I cannot even comprehend what the traffic would be like with a brothel.

Hi AAAAA - would you feel the same way if one of your children chose this as a profession? If so, would it be a source of pride or shame to share your kid's career choice with your friends, neighbors and other family members.