By Travis Coltrain
Prostitution and sex work have a pretty stale stigma attached to the jobs, something I’ve never quite understood. Many of those against sex work will always argue that it is wrong to “sell one’s body.” Why though? What is so wrong about using your body to your advantage? I feel most of the stigma is based on the patriarchal hypocrisy of this nation.
The idea that women actually could have a choice to do what they want with their bodies is something that honestly scares the patriarchal society we live in. I don’t believe that selling one’s body for sex is much different than if one were to sell one’s body for labor. In both aspects, you are giving yourself up to another for the promise of money. We don’t judge those who work construction for their labor, so why is it that sex workers are put under such judgmental eyes?
A large issue that many advocates against sex work raise is the large rate of violence that seems to come with it. Advocates always talk about how common it is for rape in the sex workplace, which isn’t necessarily untrue, and even if it were, America’s stance on rape shows it isn’t an issue many care about.
In some cases of rape, the rapist is given a slap on the wrist while the woman is shamed for what happened. This is showed in the case of Brock Turner. These issues are more common among sex workers, who are normally told by society that they put themselves in a situation for that to occur.
However, no matter the situation, rape is inexcusable.
A research study conducted by San Francisco Women’s Centers determined that sexual assault is common in prostitution. Of the 475 people interviewed, 73 percent reported physical assault in prostitution and 62 percent reported having been raped since entering prostitution. While only 27 percent said they have experienced violence from their pimp, 72 percent were physically assaulted by a customer.
This raises the question, is prostitution the problem or is its demographic the true problem? This is an issue that can be easily fixed by legalization and reform in the world of sex work. In a study conducted by University of Nevada, 84 percent of the sex workers interviewed said they felt safer when working with legally regulated brothels. These brothels also have a chance to be capitalized on, and by adding a tax to the price of sex work, it could create fantastic revenue in whatever state the brothel is located.
Providing an environment in which workers feel safe is a basic necessity for anyone, regardless of the profession. By legalizing sex work and establishing safe and regulated areas for these workers, we can cut down rape rates, violence, and even STDs. Brothels require the use of a condom by Nevada law, which obviously is up to the worker when working on the street.
Decreasing STD rates is an issue many have wanted to fix for a while, and making clients follow rules is moving toward a better and more justifiable sex-work community. Overall, the legalization of sex work is more than just a step toward a more free country, and it’s a step away from the patriarchal view on sexual assault in sex work.