9 ms·

I don't think the issues are as cut and dry as you make them seem. I'd be willing to bet many of the prostitutes who are providing their services illegally wou

I don't think the issues are as cut and dry as you make them seem. I'd be willing to bet many of the prostitutes who are providing their services illegally would never be able to do so legally - as much more desirable people would begin to offer competing services. Believe it or not, many people also choose to be homeless; whether or not this is a result of another issue like drugs or mental illness is irrelevant. Many mentally ill people would rather deal with the disease than the treatment. No doubt we could do more to aid societies issues, but it's unlikely that we'll ever fully resolve many of them.

cstavish 13y ago
I am by no means an expert on prostitution, but I don't think it's the illegality of prostitution that keeps many women from entering the market.
- jlgreco 13y ago
  It could be the reason of many, while not being the reason of most. If comedy central has ever taught me anything, it is that there is still illegal prostitution in Reno, Nevada. ;)
  - Retric 13y ago
    Oddly enough, prostitution is illegal in Reno, Navada and Las Vegas. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prostitution_in_Nevada http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prostitution_in_Nevada Which probably increases the amount of illegal prostitution in those areas.
    - jholman 13y ago
      Oddly enough, if you read the link that you posted, you'd learn that contrary to your statement, prostitution is illegal in Reno and Las Vegas, and in fact in great swathes of Nevada (in particular, it's illegal in the areas where most NV residents live).
      - nknighthb 13y ago
        You may have read his link, but you certainly didn't read his comment.
        deleted 13y ago
        [deleted]
        jholman 13y ago
        Hmn. Apparently you are correct.
    - jlgreco 13y ago
      Huh, I knew it was illegal in Vegas but I thought it was legal in Reno. TIL.
      - krapp 13y ago
        knew it was illegal in Vegas but I thought it was legal in Reno. I'm sure the Reno Sheriff's department hears that a lot...
      - SageRaven 13y ago
        I believe the state law is that in any county where the population is under 400,000 residents, prostitution is legal, which rules out the main large cities in Nevada. I live in neighboring Utah, so I learn some interesting factoids about our neighbor once in a while.
- bmelton 13y ago
  Illegality also leads to a potentially unsafe operation. Without legalizing something, there can't be any regulation of the industry. Prostitutes are obviously wary of calling the cops in the event that they are abused, mistreated, robbed, or whatever else. Legalizing prostitution allows its workers to fall under police protection. Illegality also leads to money hiding endeavors and tax fraud. Illegal sex workers are wary of setting up a real shop where they could implement security methods, or a guard to stand at the door in a brothel type operation. Legalizing prostitution allows for better taxation, and less in the way of illicit venues. I'm sure you're right in that every woman wouldn't turn to prostitution just because it became legal, but at least part of that should be attributed to the inherent danger of working in an illegal market with zero marketplace or police protections. We (hopefully) wouldn't see a huge spike in legitimate prostitution if it were legalized, but we would almost certainly see an uptick.
  - DrStalker 13y ago
    > I'm sure you're right in that every woman wouldn't turn to prostitution just because it became legal Prostitution is legal where I live (Australia) and I can confirm that not every woman has turned to prostitution.
    - obtino 13y ago
      > Prostitution is legal where I live (Australia) and I can confirm that not every woman has turned to prostitution. Indeed! It's the same in New Zealand. As attractive as it may be (in terms of income) there are always inherent risks that come with every occupation.
      - noloqy 13y ago
        And here in Holland. It even stimulates tourism. I wonder what would happen to the Amsterdam economy if legalization of softdrugs and prostitution becomes the global norm.
  - dragonwriter 13y ago
    > We (hopefully) wouldn't see a huge spike in legitimate prostitution if it were legalized, but we would almost certainly see an uptick. Maybe in the short-term; it would probably somewhat increase the rate of entry. But removing the powerlessness that comes from illegality would probably also make it much more common for people to be able to move up and out of it and one to other things once they'd entered.
mayneack 13y ago
If those people can't be legal prostitutes because they are out competed, that doesn't mean that they will continue being illegal prostitutes in public bathrooms. It's certainly plausible that having legal and more desirable options will drastically reduce the number of them using free toilets.
MichaelGG 13y ago
There's already very "desirable people" working as prostitutes. Most likely, if you're meeting up in a public bathroom, and it's not part of the thrill, it's because of economic issues.
- jiggy2011 13y ago
  It is legal here in the UK. I have heard that it is common for women working as prostitutes to declare themselves unemployed in order to get free housing. They use this free housing as their "business premesis".
  - diroussel 13y ago
    It's not really legal in the UK. True it's legal to pay for sex, but it's illegal to offer sex for payment, or to live off immoral earnings.
    - jiggy2011 13y ago
      It is only illegal to live off somebody else's immoral earnings (i.e pimping / running a brothel). It's also illegal to solicit in a public place (i.e kerb crawling). It's certainly not illegal to respond to an advert offering paid sex or to place such an advert. I have no idea what the law would be regards propositioning people at random. Edit: Paying for the services of someone who is coerced into prostitution against their will is also illegal. Source: http://sw5.info/law/punters/ http://sw5.info/law/punters/
    - grannyg00se 13y ago
      Immoral earnings? Based on who'se morals? I hope it's not actually worded that way.
      - jiggy2011 13y ago
        It actually is! I presume it implies the morals of the Church of England.
sambeau 13y ago
many people also choose to be homeless; whether or not this is a result of another issue like drugs or mental illness is irrelevant. This statement is an oxymoron. If anyone chooses to be homeless their reason is relevant: otherwise they haven't made a choice. Many mentally ill people would rather deal with the disease than the treatment. This is hyperbole. It is also plain wrong. Mental illness is not a lifestyle choice. No-one who has experienced mental illness would choose to live with it. Those that do live with it often don't live for long. Many mentally ill people are incurable. Many mentally ill people are too ill to find treatment. Nobody chooses to live on public transport. The mentally ill are vastly more likely to be the victims of crime: assault, battery, rape. If you were confused and persecuted and in fear for your life: where would you go to seek safety? Seeking refuge from persecution and violence is not my idea of 'choice'.

cstavish 13y ago

I am by no means an expert on prostitution, but I don't think it's the illegality of prostitution that keeps many women from entering the market.

jlgreco 13y ago
It could be the reason of many, while not being the reason of most. If comedy central has ever taught me anything, it is that there is still illegal prostitution in Reno, Nevada. ;)
- Retric 13y ago
  Oddly enough, prostitution is illegal in Reno, Navada and Las Vegas. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prostitution_in_Nevada http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prostitution_in_Nevada Which probably increases the amount of illegal prostitution in those areas.
  - jholman 13y ago
    Oddly enough, if you read the link that you posted, you'd learn that contrary to your statement, prostitution is illegal in Reno and Las Vegas, and in fact in great swathes of Nevada (in particular, it's illegal in the areas where most NV residents live).
    - nknighthb 13y ago
      You may have read his link, but you certainly didn't read his comment.
      - deleted 13y ago
        [deleted]
      - jholman 13y ago
        Hmn. Apparently you are correct.
  - jlgreco 13y ago
    Huh, I knew it was illegal in Vegas but I thought it was legal in Reno. TIL.
    - krapp 13y ago
      knew it was illegal in Vegas but I thought it was legal in Reno. I'm sure the Reno Sheriff's department hears that a lot...
    - SageRaven 13y ago
      I believe the state law is that in any county where the population is under 400,000 residents, prostitution is legal, which rules out the main large cities in Nevada. I live in neighboring Utah, so I learn some interesting factoids about our neighbor once in a while.
bmelton 13y ago
Illegality also leads to a potentially unsafe operation. Without legalizing something, there can't be any regulation of the industry. Prostitutes are obviously wary of calling the cops in the event that they are abused, mistreated, robbed, or whatever else. Legalizing prostitution allows its workers to fall under police protection. Illegality also leads to money hiding endeavors and tax fraud. Illegal sex workers are wary of setting up a real shop where they could implement security methods, or a guard to stand at the door in a brothel type operation. Legalizing prostitution allows for better taxation, and less in the way of illicit venues. I'm sure you're right in that every woman wouldn't turn to prostitution just because it became legal, but at least part of that should be attributed to the inherent danger of working in an illegal market with zero marketplace or police protections. We (hopefully) wouldn't see a huge spike in legitimate prostitution if it were legalized, but we would almost certainly see an uptick.
- DrStalker 13y ago
  > I'm sure you're right in that every woman wouldn't turn to prostitution just because it became legal Prostitution is legal where I live (Australia) and I can confirm that not every woman has turned to prostitution.
  - obtino 13y ago
    > Prostitution is legal where I live (Australia) and I can confirm that not every woman has turned to prostitution. Indeed! It's the same in New Zealand. As attractive as it may be (in terms of income) there are always inherent risks that come with every occupation.
    - noloqy 13y ago
      And here in Holland. It even stimulates tourism. I wonder what would happen to the Amsterdam economy if legalization of softdrugs and prostitution becomes the global norm.
- dragonwriter 13y ago
  > We (hopefully) wouldn't see a huge spike in legitimate prostitution if it were legalized, but we would almost certainly see an uptick. Maybe in the short-term; it would probably somewhat increase the rate of entry. But removing the powerlessness that comes from illegality would probably also make it much more common for people to be able to move up and out of it and one to other things once they'd entered.

mayneack 13y ago

If those people can't be legal prostitutes because they are out competed, that doesn't mean that they will continue being illegal prostitutes in public bathrooms. It's certainly plausible that having legal and more desirable options will drastically reduce the number of them using free toilets.

MichaelGG 13y ago

There's already very "desirable people" working as prostitutes. Most likely, if you're meeting up in a public bathroom, and it's not part of the thrill, it's because of economic issues.

jiggy2011 13y ago
It is legal here in the UK. I have heard that it is common for women working as prostitutes to declare themselves unemployed in order to get free housing. They use this free housing as their "business premesis".
- diroussel 13y ago
  It's not really legal in the UK. True it's legal to pay for sex, but it's illegal to offer sex for payment, or to live off immoral earnings.
  - jiggy2011 13y ago
    It is only illegal to live off somebody else's immoral earnings (i.e pimping / running a brothel). It's also illegal to solicit in a public place (i.e kerb crawling). It's certainly not illegal to respond to an advert offering paid sex or to place such an advert. I have no idea what the law would be regards propositioning people at random. Edit: Paying for the services of someone who is coerced into prostitution against their will is also illegal. Source: http://sw5.info/law/punters/ http://sw5.info/law/punters/
  - grannyg00se 13y ago
    Immoral earnings? Based on who'se morals? I hope it's not actually worded that way.
    - jiggy2011 13y ago
      It actually is! I presume it implies the morals of the Church of England.

sambeau 13y ago

many people also choose to be homeless; whether or not this is a result of another issue like drugs or mental illness is irrelevant. This statement is an oxymoron. If anyone chooses to be homeless their reason is relevant: otherwise they haven't made a choice. Many mentally ill people would rather deal with the disease than the treatment. This is hyperbole. It is also plain wrong. Mental illness is not a lifestyle choice. No-one who has experienced mental illness would choose to live with it. Those that do live with it often don't live for long. Many mentally ill people are incurable. Many mentally ill people are too ill to find treatment. Nobody chooses to live on public transport. The mentally ill are vastly more likely to be the victims of crime: assault, battery, rape. If you were confused and persecuted and in fear for your life: where would you go to seek safety? Seeking refuge from persecution and violence is not my idea of 'choice'.