Decriminalize Prostitution Now Coalition
Your Tax Dollars Are Being Wasted Ruining Citizens Lives
Instead of fighting real crime

COPYRIGHTED 2000-2004 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED - MAY BE REPRINTED OR QUOTED FROM ONLY IF CREDIT IS GIVEN Decriminalize Prostitution Now Coalition with web address credited

It is long overdue for private consenting adult prostitution to be decriminalized in the U.S. There are millions of sexworkers in the U.S. who enjoy their profession and the largest risk is not bad clients, not STD's since most insist on safe sex, but the law enforcement stings wasting resources on morality crimes with no victims.

Prostitution fills a vital role in our society by addressing the sexual and emotional needs of men and women, and by providing high paying employment options to women and men who wish to provide sexual services.

People in a free society have the right to work in their chosen profession, and to do with their own bodies as they so choose. Likewise, all citizens have the right to engage in consensual adult sexual contact.

Criminalization of private adult prostitution is wrong. Almost all the rest of the world realizes this, and the U.S. is one of the few countries were private sexwork is illegal.

15 Reasons Why Prostitution is Beneficial - Often referred to as Sexworkers who are the professionals as opposed to the street hooker.

1) Sexworkers are a  legitimate option for older single men or those married.
For example, I gave up the dating game more than 10 years ago. I am just not attracted to most women my age - 50s - and was frustrated with "usual" women who are so sexually conservative in our culture. Further most women in our culture are overweight to which I have no physical attraction. I find I have far more in common with sexworkers than I do regular women and enjoy younger slim women - yet with some maturity so say age 25-35.

For others, they are married but that doesn't always bring sexual satisfaction. Many men enjoy variety and zillions of married men are sexually frustrated since the wife lost interest long ago. Or many of us enjoy intimate sexuality with more than one women we enjoy different personalities, bodies, interacting sensually with different women which also helps us learn good sexual and intimacy skills. Going to sexworkers is far better than an affair and can actually help keep otherwise loving marriages together, if man gets basic sexual needs met by sexworkers vs. an "affair".

2) Biblically Not an Issue - Many wives and concubines was acceptable as were "common" prostitutes
for Christians there is clearly nothing wrong for Christians or Jews seeing "common" prostitutes. The only negative references in the Bible is to the sex goddess prostitutes in the Temples worshiping the fertility gods. It was idolatry not sex that was the sin. Many times common prostitutes are mentioned in the bible with no negative inference. Prostitution has always been legal for example in Israel and Tel Aviv is known as the brothel capital of the world. Yet so many ignorant Christians totally distort biblical sexuality based on negative traditions that have no biblical basis. Likewise having many wives and concubines was not wrong. A married man never committed adultery as long as the "other women" was single - not the property of another man. Adultery was a property sin not a sex sin. For extensive biblical study see Prostitution Is Not A Biblical Conflict at http://www.sexwork.com/coalition/christian.html

For many Muslims you marry by reciting certain words. Marriage can be for any length from 1 minute to 99 years. I have heard of sexworkers with a Muslim client who recites the marriage vows with the time limit, so he feels no guilt since he is married to the sexworker for the time they are having sex. For many Muslims this makes the "arrangement" perfectly legal and is acceptable by the society since you are married! It is called "sigheh." Mohammed, it is said, recommended it to his soldiers and friends. And of course you can be married to many women at the same time. Mohammed is said to have had between 9 and 14 wives, the exact number is not clear.

3) Prostitutes can make the world safer for women and healthy for normal men
Rather than encourage rape, or sexual harassment from sexually frustrated men, prostitutes are there for people who have a strong sex drive and cannot find anyone to have sex with or who enjoy sexual variety. For the socially inept man, they cope with all those with confused and repressed sexuality, removing the risk of attack they cause to other women. But most clients are just ordinary normal men, your neighbors, the man in the Church pew next to you, your children's teacher, your lawyer, or politician. Some of us well adjusted normal men enjoy physical intimacy with a variety of women and it is physically and emotionally healthy for otherwise healthy men.

4) Prostitutes become experts who can offer high quality sex.
If there was not such a negative stigma, most everyone would want to visit prostitutes for erotic inspiration and self indulgence. They provide the chance for new experiences without entering a new relationship which many people find of enormous value at certain stages of their lives. In some cultures, it is customary for all young men to learn about sex from the local prostitutes before they have sex with other women.

5) Prostitution is the oldest profession and should be respected
Like any other profession - there are the experts, the specialists, the all-rounders, the scoundrels and the bad people who need hounding out. Bad people such as the cash and dash scams ruin the reputation of the industry as to those few that are on drugs, drink to much or just think of men as ATM machines.

6) Prostitutes offer many services often far more than just sex
Prostitutes call themselves all kinds of names, from whore to therapist; slut to Tantric teacher; hostess to surrogate. Each have their own style but when you listen to what they actually do, most provide approximately the same range of services. They act as listeners (to everyone in pain, including sufferers of child sexual abuse), pacifiers (often of the same), substitute mothers, sisters and brothers, they enact fantasies, dominate to force those who are normally in control in their work and social lives to play submissive; whores may also play sub.

Prostitutes fulfill all kinds of role: from a quick hand-job behind a carrier bag in the park, to dinner and all night bed companion to "girlfriend" for a month's holiday.

Some do this with grace and love, others with one eye on the clock and the other eye on his wallet, hoping to steal it. There are sex workers who can actually adapt their mind sets to "fall in love" with each client, in order to give them maximum benefit of the time spent. There are others who despise all clients and play tricks to make them come fast. But there are many who sincerely love and enjoy men and for them it is an ideal profession and not only about men as ATM machines. These are usually the most successful sexworkers since men can tell their sincere enjoyment of what they do.

7) It can be a satisfying Job
The fact is that a growing number of women are switching to work in sex rather than in other jobs because they find it gives them more freedom and job satisfaction. You chose your hours, you make more money per hour than most of your friends and you spend your time giving pleasure (and often receiving it too).

Some women who may once have opted for a career in nursing find it more satisfying offering a caring "hands on" service caring for people's personal needs. So many people in society have never been touched caringly or had their emotional needs catered for. Sex work allows caring individuals to offer such services and they often just advertise as a prostitute because this is the easiest way to make a living.

8) Many Men Need Teaching
Sociologists recognize that many men pay for sexual gratification and emotional solace because they have not yet learned to find either elsewhere. Many shy, socially phobic and disabled men rely on prostitutes to teach them how to gain a positive body image, seduce and make love. The book Shadow Syndromes by John J Ratey and Catherine Johnson identifies a high incidence of minor forms of Aspergers Syndrome in males in Western cultures, which means that they can't respond to normal invitations of emotional bonding and socialization.

9) Prostitution enables many women to liberate themselves
It is not uncommon for women to enter the sex industry in order to establish their own sexual identity. Belle du Jour was a classic. There are many situations where women decide to enter sex work because it seems to be the only way they can throw their sexual repressive background to the wall. They usually have to keep quiet about it and never identify themselves publicly.

10) Prostitution provides a better alternative to starving or stealing
When a woman is desperate to feed herself and her children and has no other income, prostitution is often the best option for her. One woman is quoted as saying that working as a street worker to provide the money to buy heroin for herself and her partner is better than him going out thieving because he might get a long prison sentence. (Mckeganey, Neil and Barnard, Marina 1996 Sex Work on the Streets). But there should be safe off street incalls available or zones of tolerance so as to not be a public nuisance "in the face" of the public in neighborhoods where not wanted. If prostitutes want respect they should also respect neighborhoods and businesses that do not want street hookers in front of their homes or businesses.

11) Prostitutes Educate
Prostitutes provide a service where people can learn. A young person can learn about their orientation and how to become a good lover. A couple can experiment with group sex. Isolated people can learn how to become intimate, people can learn about S/M and explore their submissive or dominant sides.

12) Prostitutes provide fun
They offer a service of pleasure. In countries where women are allowed to work together, there are clubs where people go along for an orgy: sex parties with several prostitutes and a group of clients. People enjoy visiting prostitutes for light hearted yet intensely erotic experiences, which may be very difficult to find elsewhere.

13) Prostitution is good for mental health
Comforting sex without ties is excellent for mental health, soothing the nervous system, and helping the client improve their sense of well being.

14) Prostitution can cure problems
People with social disabilities such as stammerers can be helped to overcome their problems by loving attention and uncovering anxieties. People who have been sexually abused as children often need a lot of patient body work to overcome sexual difficulties and prostitutes are invaluable in this work.

15) Sex Work can be empowering
People gain personal strength from selling their bodies because their clients worship and admire them, they have as much sex as they want and the defy traditional mores and roles imposed on them. Often prostitutes are extremely healthy, playful, creative, adventurous and independent women.

Some of the above is from http://www.iusw.org/policy/index.html, edited and expanded on by Dave in Phoenix, www.sexwork.com

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