Sunday, August 22, 2010

Legalize Prostitution! An Informal Conversation

Jessica Mason McFadden: legalize prostitution NOW!
Jaime D: You're in favor of making it easier for women to degrade themselves?
Jaime D: I would support a group called- get psychotherapy for prostitutes.
Hayley C-L: It's always going to exist, have it regulated.
Jessica Mason McFadden: I don't believe all women who are involved in the sex work industry are degrading themselves. It depends on the individual situation. Also, I do not believe the government should have control over what women do with their bodies. Making something illegal is not necessarily the best way to transform a situation (unless the illegal activity involves harming someone against their will...). Programs that aim to empower women are a separate thing, and I'm in full support. I think there are disempowered AND empowered women in the sex work industry. I think legalizing prostitution would actually help to empower women rather than punishing them for living within a crazy system that they have little control over. Uprooting the whole system would be one way, and perhaps the only way for creating a situation in which women are not subjugated regardless of whether or not they engage in prostitution or sex work. In fact, if the system was uprooted then prostitution may take on a different form or just be a thing of the past.
Hayley C-L: One can feel empowered sexually without selling it or buying it. To each their own, like I said, it'll always exist. I believe there should be some kind of control because of diseases associated with sexual acts.
Jessica Mason McFadden: Yeah, the diseases...erk, troublesome. I'd probably sell sex if I could do it with women and make money! I'd dress up like a monkey and pretend to masturbate for a hefty sum of money - should it be illegal for me to do that?
Jaime D: Do you think women should have to pay money to have sex with other women? Even the idea of men having to pay money to have sex seems wrong...it's just plain lazy.
Jessica Mason McFadden: I'd also dress up like a kitten and actually try to masturbate for money. Peep show. Should I be allowed to make money doing that? Am I feeding into the the larger problem of a society that degrades women or am I a brave and kooky gal who is just trying to make some money because someone is willing to pay or am I helping to empower humans by freely expressing myself and playing with sex/gender/species roles?
Jessica Mason McFadden: No, no one should HAVE to pay money for sex with men or women. They should be able to exchange whatever they want, or exchange nothing.
Jessica Mason McFadden: We all make exchanges. Even love is an exchange. We're all bargaining and selling ourselves in everything we do, and that's usually just fine.
Hayley C-L: But prostitution in today's terms is about superficiality and exploitation, not just an "exchange."
Erica C: Jessica, you're doing such a great job, I don't feel the need or desire to step in here. :)
Hayley C-L: I'm for legalizing it, I'm just debating on what defines prostitution as opposed to empowerment.
Erica Clark Force is force. Consent is consent.
Jessica Mason McFadden: It's great that we're all sharing ideas...I love Facebook for that reason. Keep contributing your thoughts and ideas everyone! Love you all...now I'll vacuum and think about snacks for tomorrow. :)
Syretta P: Getting paid to have sex with women? They wouldn't have to pay me.. It's fun!!! I'll pay them lol
Janine C: "Consent is consent" is not as simple as it sounds. Legal definitions of rape include sex with "consenting" underage girls and people who are under the influence of alcohol or other drugs who may appear to be consenting to sex but are, according to the law, unable to consent. According to "Real Guys Don't Buy Girls," 'The average age of entry into prostitution is 13 years or 14 years. Most of these 13 or 14 year old girls were recruited or coerced into prostitution. Others were "traditional wives" without job skills who escaped from or were abandoned by abusive husbands and went into prostitution to support themselves and their children." (I don't know anything about RGDBG or where they get their statistics, but from what I know from my work, this sounds pretty accurate.)
Erica C: Accepting payment I think, falls under "consent". What's "under age"? These terms are all very relative.
Jessica Mason McFadden: All very good points...it's a complicated and difficult issue. I go back to the importance of the individual experience. I really enjoyed reading "Real Live Nude Girls."

2 comments:

sonyagraykey said...

I must know where this conversation took place...am I missing the Feminist Reading Group already?

Kathleen said...

This is fascinating. So many good ideas and important issues brought up here. You help identify what needs to be defined, communicated, understood, freely chosen, respected!!