PROSTITUTION VIGNETTE

Feminist attitudes towards prostitution vary.  I used to believe in the legalization of prostitution and its regulation to contain public health risks and to ensure the consenting participation of all involved.  I may have to rethink that position in light of the many intelligent feminist critiques to the contrary.  I don't have much personal knowledge of prostitution because prostitution was not an issue in the rural county where I prosecuted.  But the topic (which I was thinking of relative to the prior post) reminded me of a brief incident from my youth.

When I was 19, my parents lived in New York City. That summer, I went for a jog along a jogging path on the East River in the middle of the day.  The path was dotted with benches where homeless people would sometimes sleep.   After I finished my jog, I emerged from the jogging path area at a stroll, wearing my old sweatpants, a t-shirt, and my hair tied up in a rubber band.  I wasn't carrying anything because I had put my key and some identifying information in my shoe.  I guess I must have looked pretty ratty.  Anyway, as I stood at the cross-walk, a shady-looking guy approached and asked me if I had any place to stay.  I told him no thank you, I was just fine.  He assured me that he could give me a place to stay and a way to earn lots of money.  I looked at him full in the face and told him firmly, "No thank you. I live here and I have a job."  When the light changed, I walked with a brisk and determined stride towards my parents' apartment building. 

I guess it's no surprise that those recruiting girls and women into prostitution would often choose the most desperate.  I often wondered what  it would have been like if I had spent the night on a bench on the East River without a penny to my name.  I wondered what would have happened if I had told this helpful man that I needed a place to stay and a way to make money.  Where would he have taken me and what would have happened next?

Comments

[Scott Lemieux]

Maybe I should post about this--I already have--but I think that while the feminist critique of prostitution is right I still think that decriminalization is obviously right as a policy matter. The reason that prostitutes are particularly subject to exploitation and abuse is precisely because they essentially forfeit access to legal protection by being involved in an illegal trade. I just don't see any way that the remedy does anything but exacerbate the problems it's trying to solve.

rape, emotional violence, other forms of abuse.

[BitingBeaver]

Actually,

There is much talk about decriminalizing it in the sense that the women are no longer being put in jail. But, in the same token, we criminalize the act of buying sex. Thus, we get the Johns, the ones who really need to be put away and leave the women the heck out of it.

Personally, I adore this proposal because goodness knows that prostitutes don't need anymore flack than they already get.

[Righteous Feminist]

I very much disagree with decriminalizing prostition, with would be tandamount to legalizing the consumption/ownership/degradation, slavery in part, of women's bodies, sexuality, spirits. Why not instead look at what in our society makes prostitution possible, tolerated. What makes men use women in prostitution both individual and societal responsiblity, and what makes women and children resort to prostitution. There's a study somewhere (can't remember where, COYOTE possibly?) where they interviewed adult female prostitutes about their childhood. 95% stated they had been molested as a child by a male family member. The other 5% said they couldn't even remember their childhood (hum, what could have caused that lack of memory). The majority of prostitutes get turned out at a young age, and quite often, it's by a family member. If you had to choose between getting raped by a family member, and getting fucked by a stranger for money, which would you choose? Do people understand that this is the "Choice" wommen who are prostituted have made? Is this really choice? Then there's the question of whether the drug addiction began first, or if the women resorted to drug abuse just to be able to go out on the street night after night. Bottom line is, it appears to be pretty hard to stay in one's mind and body while being prostituted. I did it several times as an undercover officer, and I can tell you - the looks, the language, the intentions of the Johns - made me feel like shit, and my night always ended happily - I wasn't robbed, assaulted, raped, tortured, murdered like so many prostitutes are, although I suspect that this could have happened on more than one occassion had I not had a band of arresting officers with me. Oh yes, I also got to arrest the Johns - lots of them. If anyone is interested in the idea of going after the Johns as a way to fight prostitution - look at what Sweden has done, they've been very successful. Go to: www.justicewomen.com/cj_sweden.html. If anyone can help me with this problem/issue - I'd be greatful. Seems there's a lot of lesbians who are so anti-feminist (not sure what their idea of feminism is), and they think there is nothing wrong with going to strip clubs. They consider it empowerment to have the female sex workers dance for them for money - just don't get it. I tried to talk to a friend about it, and ended up in her girlfriend's blog with lots of offensive comments towards me: recoveringstraightgirl.blogspot.com. I just don't get why some lesbians think being a homosexual female means adopting the worst, most oppresive practices of male hetersexuals. HELP!