I’m also not saying it’s “verboten.” I’m saying I think it’s most often done out of desperation and a lack of any other options. And yeah, I think it’s way different to lie down and let someone handle your body and do whatever they want to it, than to dance on a stage or put shingles on a roof. I don’t think you’re really calling your own shots anymore when you’re a prostitute. And guys who are cool with that are not very cool.

Unless they’re unionized or something and really have a choice, and a way of being taken care of in the future, like a roofer might…

A construction worker has all kinds of protections that a prostitute doesn’t have. Unless they’re undocumented, they’re going to have health insurance, and workers comp if they get injured, and legal rights to sue if they get hurt, and a union to protect their interests. As an office worker, I’m also very much protected. Unless prostitutes have those same protections and benefits, which they don’t in most cases – they just need to rely on a pimp or madame to “protect” them – then it’s just not the same thing. And office workers and construction workers are not slaves, while many sex workers are… the stats are out there, I’ve looked them up before for discussions like this. It’s just not a fair comparison.

Ok but we have legal sex work so women doing it DO have those protections here. There are variances but in 99% of cases workers are registered, operating out of a legal brothel or escort agency or can be a sole operator without consequence. They have enough power and representation backing them there’s a political party here called The Sex Party that began purely as a way to further the interests and protections given to sex workers. They have a senator representing them in parliament. Hell I voted for them in the last election.

Human trafficking is an issue, particularly for us being so close to Asia but they can’t get away with being in legal brothels. There are illegal ones but there’s no way of knowing which one this guy went to. Probably legal, they’re in the phone book.

If we’re talking about people with limited options let’s compare apples to apples. Day laborers, poultry factory workers, migrant farm workers, etc aren’t exactly rolling in options, benefits, or legal protections. Fast food workers generally don’t have 401ks. People do lots and lots of things that suck for money and we don’t judge the people who engage their services harshly.

I guess if all that’s true, Ange, then I don’t feel so much that the women are being abused and such or that using their services is as gross.

I do still feel like using some marginalized person’s body for your pleasure is different than letting a McDonalds worker serve you a burger. They are paying into unemployment, may even get benefits. They have promotion opportunities to management. They’re not being exposed to disease, pregnancy, and beatings. If they’re mistreated at work they have avenues to get help.