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There's an distinction made between legalization and decriminalization in terms of sex work (that I think is the reverse of how they're used in regards to drugs

by patmcc 7y ago

There's an distinction made between legalization and decriminalization in terms of sex work (that I think is the reverse of how they're used in regards to drugs). Legalization, to sex workers, implies regulation, licensing, additional taxes charged, etc. Decriminalization means no laws against adults selling sex (except perhaps any standard employment laws, etc.) It's an interesting distinction, and talking to people about it really brings up the core complaint against sex work, which almost always ends up being a moral one (i.e. that it is not work that should be done, it's wrong).

DoreenMichele 7y ago
I've repeatedly run into issues when I comment on this, so I spent some time at some point searching for stuff on the web. Dolores French makes the exact distinction you are making: that legalization means regulation and decriminalization means just leave them the hell alone and make no law forbidding it. But when I've searched, different sources use decriminalization to mean what you and she called legalization, iirc. So I have really been given a lot of nonsense over the years by people seemingly affronted by a woman and former homemaker who is for decriminalization as the term was used by Dolores French. If they understand the term differently from how I use it, they pounce on this as evidence that I'm an idiot rather than acknowledging that it gets used differently in different sources and it was simply a misunderstanding. Yes, I think this is about the gut reaction many people have that sex work is flat out immoral and should not be done. Period. "Identity politics" -- ie details about who I happen to be -- seems to just make it a real hot button for a lot of people that I am willing to go on public record as being for the decriminalization of sex work. As a former homemaker, devoted military wife and full-time mom of special needs kids, I'm supposed to be some symbol of conservative goodness or something, it seems. I've gotten more careful about how I talk about it. But my views remain the same.
gizmo686 7y ago
I think "standard employment laws" may be an issue. Between sexual harrasment and bodily fluids, I cannot imagine most sex work being non criminal without some special carve out in the law. I can imagine a policy of non enforcement, but such policies have a tendency of getting reversed. Also, it was mentioned in the article, but the porn industry's STD situation should be harold by free market conservatives as a triumph of self regulation.

by patmcc 7y ago

DoreenMichele 7y ago

I've repeatedly run into issues when I comment on this, so I spent some time at some point searching for stuff on the web. Dolores French makes the exact distinction you are making: that legalization means regulation and decriminalization means just leave them the hell alone and make no law forbidding it. But when I've searched, different sources use decriminalization to mean what you and she called legalization, iirc. So I have really been given a lot of nonsense over the years by people seemingly affronted by a woman and former homemaker who is for decriminalization as the term was used by Dolores French. If they understand the term differently from how I use it, they pounce on this as evidence that I'm an idiot rather than acknowledging that it gets used differently in different sources and it was simply a misunderstanding. Yes, I think this is about the gut reaction many people have that sex work is flat out immoral and should not be done. Period. "Identity politics" -- ie details about who I happen to be -- seems to just make it a real hot button for a lot of people that I am willing to go on public record as being for the decriminalization of sex work. As a former homemaker, devoted military wife and full-time mom of special needs kids, I'm supposed to be some symbol of conservative goodness or something, it seems. I've gotten more careful about how I talk about it. But my views remain the same.

gizmo686 7y ago

I think "standard employment laws" may be an issue. Between sexual harrasment and bodily fluids, I cannot imagine most sex work being non criminal without some special carve out in the law. I can imagine a policy of non enforcement, but such policies have a tendency of getting reversed. Also, it was mentioned in the article, but the porn industry's STD situation should be harold by free market conservatives as a triumph of self regulation.