tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2291200544675330796.post8336122940720349139..comments2008-09-05T23:11:43.532-04:00sallyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01054413520223145494noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2291200544675330796.post-23402415861127106102008-09-05T23:11:00.000-04:002008-09-05T23:11:00.000-04:00<I>provide support services and build an environment so that the people who don't want to go into sex work have the option of not doing so</I><BR/><BR/>I definitely wish I heard of more programs that worked this way. The more I read about it and talk to people on both sides of the issue, the more I conclude that the place to start is by making sure that prostitutes are not the criminals here.frau sally benzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01054413520223145494noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2291200544675330796.post-8277448391046906562008-09-05T14:35:00.000-04:002008-09-05T14:35:00.000-04:00I'm involved with a group that's pushing for decriminalization, so that's the angle I'm coming from, FYI.<BR/><BR/><EM>On the other hand, oftentimes the women who "choose" to go down that path are young, poor, and come from a background of abuse.</EM><BR/><BR/>Right. I think that while some people enjoy sex work and some people choose it voluntarily and within the context of having other options, some sex workers come from backgrounds where it's their only option, and that's not a meaningful choice. The solution is not to abolish prostitution, however, but to provide support services and build an environment so that the people who <EM>don't</EM> want to go into sex work have the option of not doing so. That means supporting transition programs as well as the usual work of supporting education, health care, a living wage, rehab programs, etc. - all the usual liberal positions. ;)<BR/><BR/>Decriminalization is on the ballot in my city and a lot of the opposition arguments focus on how sex workers are frequently victims of violence, trafficking, and abuse. They're correct, but the problem there is that keeping prostitution criminalized doesn't actually help those people, it just makes them illegal. The middle ground that you speak of ought to be decriminalization, because it stops penalizing the people who didn't have options other than sex work. Criminalization just further punishes those individuals by making it impossible for them to report assault, rape, theft, etc. because they'll be prosecuted for being prostitutes.pizzadiavolahttp://pizzadiavola.wordpress.com/noreply@blogger.com