4 ms·

>And until we decriminalise sex work, sex workers will never be safe by not being able to work in pairs. This is probably the most ridiculous argument I've hea

>And until we decriminalise sex work, sex workers will never be safe by not being able to work in pairs. This is probably the most ridiculous argument I've heard for the decriminalization of prostitution.

DanBC 10y ago
In England sex workers are not allowed to "run a brothel". A brothel (in English law) is a place where two or more women offer sex. http://www.cps.gov.uk/legal/p_to_r/prostitution_and_exploitation_of_prostitution/#a14 http://www.cps.gov.uk/legal/p_to_r/prostitution_and_exploita... > the definition of a brothel in English law does not require that the premises are used for the purposes of prostitution since a brothel exists wherever more than one woman offers sexual intercourse, whether for payment or not. This means that sex workers who want to charge people for money (a legal activity in England) can't do it by sharing a property (illegal), but have to do it on the street. Whatever your views on sex work it should be clear that street sex work is more dangerous than that offered in a private residence.
robryk 10y ago
According to the article in UK it's legal to offer sex for money, as long as you're the only person doing it in a particular location (because otherwise the location is a brothel and operating a brothel is a criminal offense). In light of this that statement makes much more sense.
- DanBC 10y ago
  It's even legal to sell sex for money in a brothel, so long as you're not the one operating it. http://www.cps.gov.uk/legal/p_to_r/prostitution_and_exploitation_of_prostitution/#a14 http://www.cps.gov.uk/legal/p_to_r/prostitution_and_exploita... > It is not illegal to sell sex at a brothel provided the sex worker is not involved in management or control of the brothel. A house occupied by one woman and used by her alone for prostitution, is not a brothel (Gorman v Standen, Palace Clarke v Standen (1964) 48 Cr App R 30).
  - robryk 10y ago
    So what happens if two people independently rent rooms in the same apartment and sell sex there? Neither the owner of the apartment nor any of those two people need to be aware of that being a brothel, and the sex workers themselves are arguably not operating it either. Does the crime of operating a brothel not require mens rea?
foldr 10y ago
>If more than one person is available in a premises for paid sex, then that is a brothel - however, if a sex worker works alone, they are not keeping a brothel The law in the UK discourages prostitutes from having anyone else nearby when they are with their clients. This makes them less safe.

DanBC 10y ago

In England sex workers are not allowed to "run a brothel". A brothel (in English law) is a place where two or more women offer sex. http://www.cps.gov.uk/legal/p_to_r/prostitution_and_exploitation_of_prostitution/#a14 http://www.cps.gov.uk/legal/p_to_r/prostitution_and_exploita... > the definition of a brothel in English law does not require that the premises are used for the purposes of prostitution since a brothel exists wherever more than one woman offers sexual intercourse, whether for payment or not. This means that sex workers who want to charge people for money (a legal activity in England) can't do it by sharing a property (illegal), but have to do it on the street. Whatever your views on sex work it should be clear that street sex work is more dangerous than that offered in a private residence.

robryk 10y ago

According to the article in UK it's legal to offer sex for money, as long as you're the only person doing it in a particular location (because otherwise the location is a brothel and operating a brothel is a criminal offense). In light of this that statement makes much more sense.

DanBC 10y ago
It's even legal to sell sex for money in a brothel, so long as you're not the one operating it. http://www.cps.gov.uk/legal/p_to_r/prostitution_and_exploitation_of_prostitution/#a14 http://www.cps.gov.uk/legal/p_to_r/prostitution_and_exploita... > It is not illegal to sell sex at a brothel provided the sex worker is not involved in management or control of the brothel. A house occupied by one woman and used by her alone for prostitution, is not a brothel (Gorman v Standen, Palace Clarke v Standen (1964) 48 Cr App R 30).
- robryk 10y ago
  So what happens if two people independently rent rooms in the same apartment and sell sex there? Neither the owner of the apartment nor any of those two people need to be aware of that being a brothel, and the sex workers themselves are arguably not operating it either. Does the crime of operating a brothel not require mens rea?

foldr 10y ago

>If more than one person is available in a premises for paid sex, then that is a brothel - however, if a sex worker works alone, they are not keeping a brothel The law in the UK discourages prostitutes from having anyone else nearby when they are with their clients. This makes them less safe.