Prostitution

[undercoverbrother]

Should prostitution and the public solicitation of prostitution be legal?

Women in the porn trade make a living selling their body. I would suggest (thou I don’t know for sure) that the porn industry is not very heavily regulated. If the prostitution industry was legal then it could be regulated. The government could inspect the set ups, much like they do with meat packing plants (no pun intended).

[Reaper]

Prostitution is legal in Canada. The public solicitation of prostitution is not.

[Svensational]

If someone wants to buy a sexual encounter.. who cares? Make it safe, regulate it - etc. Shouldn't even be an issue anymore. We're not xtian puritans living with horse and buggy.

[Notorious Honey Badger]

Originally Posted by Reaper

Prostitution is legal in Canada. The public solicitation of prostitution is not.

wut?

[troutman]

I don't think the experience in the Netherlands has been especially positive:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prostit...he_Netherlands

When the Dutch government legalized prostitution in 2000, it was to protect the women by giving them work permits, but authorities now fear that this business is out of control: "We’ve realized this is no longer about small-scale entrepreneurs, but that big crime organizations are involved here in trafficking women, drugs, killings and other criminal activities", said Job Cohen, the former mayor of Amsterdam.[6] Recently, officials have noticed an increase in violence centered on this irregular industry, and have blamed this increase on the illegal immigration of individuals into Amsterdam to participate in the sex industry: "The guys from Eastern Europe bring in young and frightened women; they threaten them and beat them", said a resident of De Wallen.[6] Prostitution has remained connected to criminal activities, which has led the authorities to take several measures, including detailed plans to help the prostitutes quit the sex trade and find other professions.[13]

[Reaper]

Originally Posted by Notorious Honey Badger

wut?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prostitution_in_Canada

[blankall]

Originally Posted by troutman

I don't think the experience in the Netherlands has been especially positive:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prostit...he_Netherlands

When the Dutch government legalized prostitution in 2000, it was to protect the women by giving them work permits, but authorities now fear that this business is out of control: "We’ve realized this is no longer about small-scale entrepreneurs, but that big crime organizations are involved here in trafficking women, drugs, killings and other criminal activities", said Job Cohen, the former mayor of Amsterdam.[6] Recently, officials have noticed an increase in violence centered on this irregular industry, and have blamed this increase on the illegal immigration of individuals into Amsterdam to participate in the sex industry: "The guys from Eastern Europe bring in young and frightened women; they threaten them and beat them", said a resident of De Wallen.[6] Prostitution has remained connected to criminal activities, which has led the authorities to take several measures, including detailed plans to help the prostitutes quit the sex trade and find other professions.[13]

Hits the nail on the head. I have no problem with legalizing prostitution, it's legalizing pimping that is the problem.

Government run facilities would be alright. Women here would be given protection, treatment, etc... But if you legalize privately run pimping or baudy houses, you end up with a slew of problems that always result in exploitation and human trafficking.

[flamesfever]

Wasn't prostitution legal in Calgary in the old days i.e. early 1900's?

[undercoverbrother]

Originally Posted by blankall

Hits the nail on the head. I have no problem with legalizing prostitution, it's legalizing pimping that is the problem.

Government run facilities would be alright. Women here would be given protection, treatment, etc... But if you legalize privately run pimping or baudy houses, you end up with a slew of problems that always result in exploitation and human trafficking.

So would you be agreeable to gov't run/sponsered brothels?

[Lobotroth]

Originally Posted by troutman

I don't think the experience in the Netherlands has been especially positive:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prostit...he_Netherlands

When the Dutch government legalized prostitution in 2000, it was to protect the women by giving them work permits, but authorities now fear that this business is out of control: "We’ve realized this is no longer about small-scale entrepreneurs, but that big crime organizations are involved here in trafficking women, drugs, killings and other criminal activities", said Job Cohen, the former mayor of Amsterdam.[6] Recently, officials have noticed an increase in violence centered on this irregular industry, and have blamed this increase on the illegal immigration of individuals into Amsterdam to participate in the sex industry: "The guys from Eastern Europe bring in young and frightened women; they threaten them and beat them", said a resident of De Wallen.[6] Prostitution has remained connected to criminal activities, which has led the authorities to take several measures, including detailed plans to help the prostitutes quit the sex trade and find other professions.[13]

[Daradon]

Originally Posted by Reaper

Prostitution is legal in Canada. The public solicitation of prostitution is not.

For the others...

While you are completely correct, the incongruity of the law and the confusion of 'public spaces' including the internet keeps people confused.

As it stands, as anyone else selling something, who can put up a stand, advertise, etc. It's not the same. It is for all purposes illegal.

[Superflyer]

Didn't Ontario legalize brothels a few months ago? I remember reading about this and they have a year or so to get things in place.

Edit

Yeah here is an article
http://news.nationalpost.com/2012/03...titution-laws/

[Ben_in_Canada]

[blankall]

Originally Posted by undercoverbrother

So would you be agreeable to gov't run/sponsered brothels?

On a trial basis. However, the potential for explotation would still exist. There'd be nothing stopping men from forcing women to work in these facilities and then taking a cut of the profits. It'd be difficult for counsellors to identify or stop these kind of exploitative relationships.

That being said, the positive effects of these institutions might outweigh the bad. Even limitations like Canadian citizenship might ensure trafficked women would be kept out of these places. You could also combine these institutions with a step up in action against pimps, traffickers, and private baudy houses. Currently "massage parlors" and "excort services" are allowed to advertise openly. We all know what's going on there. You have commercial enterprises profiting off women, and not so coincidentally many of these women happen to be from Eastern Europe or Asia.

My problem isn't a moral one. Adults should be allowed to engage in sex acts for money, if they so desire. I'm concerned with the actual effects of legalizing the sex trade. So far places that have legalized sex trades, have simply becomes hubs for sex slaves.

[SoulOfTheFlame]

It's legal in Australia (there are brothels everywhere, etc.). Don't see any negative impact on society. I lived there for 7 years, I knew people that went to brothels, they were normal.

[SoulOfTheFlame]

It's also legal in Singapore... Which IMO has some negative impacts. Mostly that when you go to clubs and bars, there's a chance the hot girl who for some reason is there alone, is possible a prostitute (in Australia it's more about brothels than chicks on the street, with some exceptions) .. So really I think it has different impacts depending on culture of the place it becomes legal in.

[undercoverbrother]

Originally Posted by SoulOfTheFlame

It's also legal in Singapore... Which IMO has some negative impacts. Mostly that when you go to clubs and bars, there's a chance the hot girl who for some reason is there alone, is possible a prostitute (in Australia it's more about brothels than chicks on the street, with some exceptions) .. So really I think it has different impacts depending on culture of the place it becomes legal in.

I assume the laws are different in Aussie and Singapore.

From what you have described, in Aussie the prostitutes need to be in brothels, but in Singapore they can walk around/head to bars looking for customers.

Is that right?

[Daradon]

Originally Posted by Superflyer

Didn't Ontario legalize brothels a few months ago? I remember reading about this and they have a year or so to get things in place.

Edit

Yeah here is an article
http://news.nationalpost.com/2012/03...titution-laws/

It's getting there. The supreme court decision opens up pretty much everything, but it won't be long until legislators jump in. Especially since they are conservative.

Unless, it's beginning to move in that direction.

[blankall]

Originally Posted by SoulOfTheFlame

It's legal in Australia (there are brothels everywhere, etc.). Don't see any negative impact on society. I lived there for 7 years, I knew people that went to brothels, they were normal.

Australia is also a major destination for human trafficked sex slaves.

http://www.humantrafficking.org/countries/australia/

Since Australia has a relatively small population, it's one of the highest per capita trafficking destinations in the world.

[Northendzone]

while part of me thinks this should be legalized, i try and think about how would i feel if my daughter was considering doing this for a living?