12 ms·

What is wrong with sex tourism?

sandworm101 7y ago
Really? I think you know. I'm not going to spell it out. Edit: fine. I guess some people here need the talk. This is about the phenomena of men traveling from rich countries to poor countries to engage in sex with children. Not this guy, but it does happen. These men often return with digital images stored on laptops and cellphones. Possession of such images is illegal in canada and so Canadian boarder services targets men who fit the profile of a potential "sex tourist". The term is a polite euphemism for a darker profile, not a literal reference to having sex while being a tourist.
- Fogest 7y ago
  They may be referring to the legal aspect, that it does not mean they are a criminal. It is more of a rightly so frowned upon moral issue, but legally is usually okay.
- kbenson 7y ago
  That's not a useful reply. People travel to countries where prostitution is legal for that purpose, and so someone who doesn't necessarily know the extra connotations that phrase carries for you. I for one did not immediately equate sex tourism with child slavery or pedophilia until I saw your sibling comment.
- tomp 7y ago
  You sound like Elon Musk (at his worst).
ChrisClark 7y ago
Yikes. In case you're serious, it's the slavery, and children.
- derefr 7y ago
  I think you’re thinking of sex trafficking. The John being a tourist is orthogonal to the prostitute being a victim of trafficking. Many sex tourists visit Germany, for example, where prostitution is a safe, unionized profession.
  - ChrisClark 7y ago
    Yeah, I'm not talking about Germany. We're talking about why border patrol might investigate something.
  - kzrdude 7y ago
    Highly naive picture of germanys pragmatic situation - basically nobody is registered much less unionized and trafficking is everywhere.
Tharkun 7y ago
"Sex tourism" is usually implied to mean sex with people who are either underage or somehow unwilling. Travelling abroad as a tourist for sex, with willing and legal participants, is obviously fine.
DoreenMichele 7y ago
In most parts of the world, sex workers don't exactly have strong human rights protections. In a poor country, it's generally worse. A relatively wealthy, privileged person going someplace poor for sex is probably doing it because it facilitates doing rather nasty things in a way that is comfortable for them. They don't need to be ugly about it. Someone else will be ugly about it on their behalf while making them feel great about spreading their money around. This often means they are raping children or otherwise indulging sexual predilections too unseemly for sex workers in more well-heeled parts of the world. So sex tourism is generally understood to be a polite term for exceedingly depraved behavior with a veneer of civility.
- sandworm101 7y ago
  This. Anyone who thinks they are targeting people visiting Amsterdam's red light district, or Nevada's bunny ranch, needs to read more. This is about people seeking underage sex in countries where it is more accessible than in Canada. Thailand, Vietnam, all of south america ... a single male with no family ties, returning alone from such countries should expect some attention at the Canadian boarder. They are looking for the pictures, the possession of which is a serious crime in Canada.
  - fopen64 7y ago
    Puritanism reloaded
    - DoreenMichele 7y ago
      Not in my case. I'm for the decriminalization of sex work, among other things. I'm just against raping children and generally mistreating poor people because you think you can get away with it. Keep it among genuinely consenting adults, and I don't care how many, what genders are involved, how you folks agree to get your freak on and yadda. Just one easily findable prior comment by me: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=19821347 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=19821347
      - 7y ago

Really? I think you know. I'm not going to spell it out. Edit: fine. I guess some people here need the talk. This is about the phenomena of men traveling from rich countries to poor countries to engage in sex with children. Not this guy, but it does happen. These men often return with digital images stored on laptops and cellphones. Possession of such images is illegal in canada and so Canadian boarder services targets men who fit the profile of a potential "sex tourist". The term is a polite euphemism for a darker profile, not a literal reference to having sex while being a tourist.

Fogest 7y ago
They may be referring to the legal aspect, that it does not mean they are a criminal. It is more of a rightly so frowned upon moral issue, but legally is usually okay.
kbenson 7y ago
That's not a useful reply. People travel to countries where prostitution is legal for that purpose, and so someone who doesn't necessarily know the extra connotations that phrase carries for you. I for one did not immediately equate sex tourism with child slavery or pedophilia until I saw your sibling comment.
tomp 7y ago
You sound like Elon Musk (at his worst).

ChrisClark 7y ago

Yikes. In case you're serious, it's the slavery, and children.

derefr 7y ago
I think you’re thinking of sex trafficking. The John being a tourist is orthogonal to the prostitute being a victim of trafficking. Many sex tourists visit Germany, for example, where prostitution is a safe, unionized profession.
- ChrisClark 7y ago
  Yeah, I'm not talking about Germany. We're talking about why border patrol might investigate something.
- kzrdude 7y ago
  Highly naive picture of germanys pragmatic situation - basically nobody is registered much less unionized and trafficking is everywhere.

Tharkun 7y ago

"Sex tourism" is usually implied to mean sex with people who are either underage or somehow unwilling. Travelling abroad as a tourist for sex, with willing and legal participants, is obviously fine.

DoreenMichele 7y ago

In most parts of the world, sex workers don't exactly have strong human rights protections. In a poor country, it's generally worse. A relatively wealthy, privileged person going someplace poor for sex is probably doing it because it facilitates doing rather nasty things in a way that is comfortable for them. They don't need to be ugly about it. Someone else will be ugly about it on their behalf while making them feel great about spreading their money around. This often means they are raping children or otherwise indulging sexual predilections too unseemly for sex workers in more well-heeled parts of the world. So sex tourism is generally understood to be a polite term for exceedingly depraved behavior with a veneer of civility.

sandworm101 7y ago
This. Anyone who thinks they are targeting people visiting Amsterdam's red light district, or Nevada's bunny ranch, needs to read more. This is about people seeking underage sex in countries where it is more accessible than in Canada. Thailand, Vietnam, all of south america ... a single male with no family ties, returning alone from such countries should expect some attention at the Canadian boarder. They are looking for the pictures, the possession of which is a serious crime in Canada.
- fopen64 7y ago
  Puritanism reloaded
  - DoreenMichele 7y ago
    Not in my case. I'm for the decriminalization of sex work, among other things. I'm just against raping children and generally mistreating poor people because you think you can get away with it. Keep it among genuinely consenting adults, and I don't care how many, what genders are involved, how you folks agree to get your freak on and yadda. Just one easily findable prior comment by me: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=19821347 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=19821347
    - 7y ago