Prostitution Laws, let your voice be heard

[undercoverbrother]

The Gov't is looking for public input.

http://www.justice.gc.ca/eng/cons/cu...ros/index.html

The Government of Canada is seeking the public's input on the criminal law's response to adult prostitution (i.e. the sale and purchase of sexual services from persons 18 years of age or older). This online consultation is open from February 17 to March 17, 2014

[CaptainCrunch]

hmm, I guess if the woman aren't being pimped out, they're being protected, they're not drug addicts or sick, and they want to follow this as a vocation (is that the word to use?) then its going to be a service that's going to be provided no matter what. I'd rather have it above the table instead of in back alleys and basements where the worker is genuinely being abused and at risk.

There's a reason why prostitution is the oldest progression going back to when Oga auctioned off her body to Og for two pieces of flint and a dead brontosaurus. Because there are guys out there that will buy sex or power.

We might as well make some tax revenue off of it, and try to keep the girls safe.

[habernac]

"Selling is legal, @$&*ing is legal, why isn't selling @$&*ing legal?"
George Carlin

[Rathji]

I refuse to comment on the grounds that it may ... uhh ... How about those Olympic Bobsled teams?

[GGG]

So here is the oroblem

Legalization of prostitution leads to an increase in human trafficing
Legalization of prostitution leads to better and safer working conditions for prostitutes.

So for me the law needs to focus around on what will do the least harm. Morality should not be involved at all. Whatever provides the best safety and freedom of choice for women should be the law.

Canadians in general should not be consulted.

[Mike F]

One thing to keep in mind: Prostitution (i.e. one party paying another for sex) has long been legal in Canada.

What was illegal was maintaining brothels (i.e. common bawdy-houses) public communication for the purpose of prostitution, and living on the profits of prostitution, with those prohibitions recently found unconstitutional.

[Mike F]

Originally Posted by GGG

So here is the oroblem

Legalization of prostitution leads to an increase in human trafficing

Do you have a study or something similar showing this?

Originally Posted by GGG

Canadians in general should not be consulted.

Couldn't disagree more. Any final decision must be subject to the Constitution, however, this is a democracy, so as long as the public is informed, public opinion is always valuable and important.

[Kswiss]

Need to think long and hard for my opinion on this one.

[1stLand]

its already legal.

Its called marriage.

lol.

[Iowa_Flames_Fan]

Originally Posted by CaptainCrunch

hmm, I guess if the woman aren't being pimped out, they're being protected, they're not drug addicts or sick, and they want to follow this as a vocation (is that the word to use?) then its going to be a service that's going to be provided no matter what. I'd rather have it above the table instead of in back alleys and basements where the worker is genuinely being abused and at risk.

There's a reason why prostitution is the oldest progression going back to when Oga auctioned off her body to Og for two pieces of flint and a dead brontosaurus. Because there are guys out there that will buy sex or power.

We might as well make some tax revenue off of it, and try to keep the girls safe.

I'm not criticizing you in particular on this, because I often fall victim to the same assumption myself--but it's worth noting that many sex workers are male. (to be sure, the customers are usually male either way I think)

And of course, as someone else pointed out, it was never prostitution that was illegal--it was communication for the purposes of soliciting prostitution, and keeping a common bawdy-house. If we remember that fact, it may help us to keep our eye on the ball so to speak--that the objective is to develop laws that permit sex workers to work in places and in ways that are safe for them.

My view is this: our law has been backwards all along. It has forbidden the safest forms of sex work (in a setting and place controlled by the sex worker) and permitted the least safe forms (street prostitution and so-called "out calls"). We need laws that do exactly the reverse.

[Street Pharmacist]

Originally Posted by Kswiss

Need to think long and hard for my opinion on this one.

You don't have that long

[To Be Quite Honest]

Originally Posted by CaptainCrunch

hmm, I guess if the woman aren't being pimped out, they're being protected, they're not drug addicts or sick, and they want to follow this as a vocation (is that the word to use?) then its going to be a service that's going to be provided no matter what. I'd rather have it above the table instead of in back alleys and basements where the worker is genuinely being abused and at risk.

There's a reason why prostitution is the oldest progression going back to when Oga auctioned off her body to Og for two pieces of flint and a dead brontosaurus. Because there are guys out there that will buy sex or power.

We might as well make some tax revenue off of it, and try to keep the girls safe.

Yes, only the girls...

While you may not participate in same sex prostitution, both sexes need to be represented. Also, regular testing for johns, gigolos and prostitutes. If you go in you get tested, privately. Protect everyone including possible families back home.

[Northendzone]

Can we make this a discussion on service and tipping as well?

I think I am in for the legalization of this, but then I think about my 8 yr old daughter choosing a career and then I think all of the women doing this are daughters and then Ithe water gets muddy for me......

[WhiteTiger]

The way I look at this, it's nothing I should be getting my nose into. It's something that I think that the government shouldn't have it's nose in either, but since that's not going to change, I'd much rather see it safe for the people involved.

If people want to spend money to buy sex, and other people are perfectly fine with selling it to them...more power to all parties, imo.

[GGG]

Originally Posted by Mike F

Do you have a study or something similar showing this?



Couldn't disagree more. Any final decision must be subject to the Constitution, however, this is a democracy, so as long as the public is informed, public opinion is always valuable and important.

I have read the first two points various times this issue comes up. A quick google of legalizing prostitution and human trafficing gives numourous results. The first of which the conclusion is almost exactly what I wrote above. I should note that I have only read the summary and conclusion of it.

http://www.lse.ac.uk/geographyAndEnv...us-REVISED.pdf

Two your second point I should have been a little more nuanced, Canadians should be informed, and the issue perhaps discussed however the decision should soley be based on what reduces harm the most and not morality or what is politically sellable. Any issue which involves a minority or a marginalized group should never be decided by the whim of the majority.

[SebC]

Originally Posted by Iowa_Flames_Fan

My view is this: our law has been backwards all along. It has forbidden the safest forms of sex work (in a setting and place controlled by the sex worker) and permitted the least safe forms (street prostitution and so-called "out calls"). We need laws that do exactly the reverse.

Street prostitution is not legal, unless you've figured out a way to do it without public solicitation.

[mikephoen]

Originally Posted by Northendzone

Can we make this a discussion on service and tipping as well?

I think I am in for the legalization of this, but then I think about my 8 yr old daughter choosing a career and then I think all of the women doing this are daughters and then Ithe water gets muddy for me......

Think about it this way... If your daughter did get into it, wouldn't you want it to be as safe as possible for her?

[Maritime Q-Scout]

Originally Posted by Northendzone

Can we make this a discussion on service and tipping as well?

I think I am in for the legalization of this, but then I think about my 8 yr old daughter choosing a career and then I think all of the women doing this are daughters and then Ithe water gets muddy for me......

Are you worried about your daughter becoming a stripper?

Does the water get muddy for you when watching girls on TV, or in magazines or in the You Love, You Lose thread?

In fairness, I don't have a daughter. If I did I'm sure my opinion on gun control would change when she became a teenager (yes I should be allowed to have automatic weapons to deal with the snot nosed horn toads coming to see my daughter).

But, from a neutral perspective work in the sex industry already exists. Does changing one part of it to make it safe really affect your daughter in a negative way?

[Thor]

Its the devil you know, better we control and regulate an industry that will continue to exist regardless of the law, so I would want this legalized.

Give our police more resources to focus on human trafficking.

[Caged Great]

I am of the mind that non serious vices (Drugs, Prostitution) should be legalized, regulated and taxed. Part of the tax revenue goes towards the costs associated with the newly legalized things. Safe injection sites and access to treatment would be vastly better than having people OD or get bad stuff and suffer because of it. Similarly with prostitution, it will allow for a safer work environment (for both the Jon's and the workers) and less chance of them getting murdered, which is a huge problem albeit not the only one.

Drug use has been shown to have occurred thousands of years ago and has been there the entire time.

Prostitution is the "oldest profession" and hasn't been curbed since then. As long as men have penises, they will want to use them.

Instead of shaming these long held practices, maybe everyone should grow up and realize that for a lot of people, life is not awesome and .... happens for a variety of reasons. It is far easier to assist people that might not be in a great situation (Either drugs or being a prostitute) than it is to vilify and demonize them, especially when they are doing something that is "natural" in terms of it's prevalence throughout human history.


Also, when things like drugs and prostitution get legalized, the use of each drops because it doesn't have that "Danger" attached to it.