Should brothels be legalised?

Totally standing with you on this one maryeliza.
GG13, any attempt by women to challenge the way in which we have been subjected to casual sexual harassment alongside its best friend, sexual assaults, rape and abuse seem always to be met with the cry that they're making things worse, not helping anyone and worse, alienating or upsetting men.

maryeliza Totally agree with the fact that our attitude towards sexual harassment needs to change.

Unfortunately some of the "me too" movement has had a bad impact on both sexes. Rape, sexual assault and aggressive sexual taunting is of course so wrong. Should always be addressed and prosecuted when proven.

Is wolf whistling in that category, casual flirting or a hand on your back when going through a door. For the more gentle souls out in the world it has become a very troubling dilemma when trying to make contact with a person they find attractive.

As for changing the deep rooted attitudes of some men GG towards sex as a right, I would argue that shifting attitudes towards sexual harassment of all types is a damn good start and shouldn’t be treated so dismissively by some on here.

People talk about prostitution being the oldest profession as though that makes its existence inevitable. Well marital rape, domestic violence, incest, child abuse have always existed but we ( well most of us) don’t just use that as an excuse to do nothing about it. The existence of prostitution is fundamentally an expression of the power differential between (some) men and women and men’s sense of entitlement to use women sexually.

In my earlier post I pointed out that the "gang masters, pimps and people traffickers" should be cracked down on, prosecuted and if they are not British (many of them aren't ) deported and not allowed back into the UK.

More control at our borders might prevent some of these girls (and boys) being brought in to UK to be abused.

For some women prostitution is a choice and for these legalised brothers might be an idea. I am against anyone telling a women what she can or cannot do with her body.

I think the reason some men see sex as their right is so deep rooted in all walks of society. I have no idea where to begin changing their mindsets. With our AC we constantly reminded them when they started dating that they should treat their girlfriends/partner how they would want their sister to be treated.

Saetana - I've also spoken to many sex workers, male, female as well as boys and girls who have been subjected to sexual exploitation.
I'm a feminist and yes, its a woman's right to choose. The fact remains, sex work is rarely an area of work chosen by people/children, who have much choice in the matter.

I'm opposed to brothels. I lived in a red light area for a couple of years and never walked to the shops, walked my dog, or walked my children to school without being asked by men cruising past in cars "are you working love". I certainly wasn't dressed in any way to draw attention to myself. 8 am - silly o'clock there these men were, feeling perfectly entitled to harass a young mother walking her children to school. Open a brothel and increase the likelihood of that kind of thing. None of us allowed our children to walk to school without an adult with them. The number of men seeking sex led us all to feel the need to offer extra security to the children.

How can any man can think it's his right to pay for sex, they all have either sisters, girl friends and mothers, would they like to think of them doing that with strangers. The girls that do it, unless they are physically forced into it, I can't understand. If you legalise something doesn't that legitimise it. It's wrong on every level, but I have to face the fact that it's the oldest profession and will always go on. Ultimately the girls need to be safe. life is so hard for so many desperate people.

Mimiro that is an important distinction:

Legal brothels do not = decriminalising prostitution. Prostitution is still criminalised outside of a handful of licenced venues where you have legal brothels. They do not improve things for prostitutes.

it is not" legal in a few of the states"
street prostitution is illeagal in all 50 states.and only legal and very controlled in parts of nevada.

www.quora.com/Where-in-the-United-States-of-America-is-prostitution-legal

How so Saetana?
Logistically
Your average sex worker would not be working in a legal brothel.

At the High end, why would they?
At the exploitative end, they wouldn't be hired.

How many legal brothels do you think there would be per town? A BIG tourist town/city? A handful at most would get licenced.
In small town maybe nil
Sex work is prolific. Legal brothels would probably employ well bellow 1% of any given towns sex workers

Legal brothels would not IMO have any positive impact on existing sex workers, or improve their working conditions in any way.

The perceived protections of legal brothels do not extend beyond their walls, outside of which 99.9% of sex workers would continue to work

Legal brothels would just further desensitize porn-sick boys and men

I've spoke to and known a number of "prostitutes" over the years - ALL of whom were in the profession by choice. I personally believe licenced brothels are the best way of protecting women, no way is perfect but this is better than most. Not all, or even most, women in the sex industry are there because of drug habits or because they are being forced by pimps. Street prostitution is a serious issue and should be heavily clamped down on but alongside this there needs to be protection for brothels and women who work from their own homes or rented premises. Please don't presume to tell any woman what she should do with her own body - there is good money to be made in this field for women who are halfway attractive OR offer specialised services (something I have experience of myself but am not prepared to go into details on a public forum). If you are a feminist then you should believe in a women's right to choose what she does with her own body - obviously it is wrong that pimps exist and, again, the law should clamp down on this exploitative scum hard.

What do you mean Gabriella?

I'd say that all loving, caring and loyal husbands would take their cue from their wife.

I believe that devout Jewish men take their cue from their wife.

I agree Iam
The perception that men are entitled to sex and shouldn't be expected to go without it is very deep rooted.

Flip it to see how wrong it is

I revert to the argument that male disabled people NEED the mechanical act of sex. Their "plight" met with sympathy. It is "understandable" for them to buy a female body if mean women kind are "rejecting" him

No one would say that about a disabled women.

Deep rooted.

notanan2 - I totally agree with your fury about the ill conceived notion that legalised brothels would do anything to protect the vulnerable girls, boys, men and women who earn small amounts of cash by selling any kind of sexual service demanded by their clients.

I am aware that prostitution and the exploitation of vulnerable children and adults for sex has existed since time began. My question continues to be, why is it seen as acceptable for men (and it usually is men) to expect their sexual needs to be met. I find the notion that some sexual services that wives or partners won't provide can be bought, with the man facing sympathy, rather than criticism.

The only reason the men using these "services" aren't prosecuted is because they aren't caught. It is an offence to use and tout prostitution. Many countries do have legalised brothels but I do wonder why folk use them.

& the most vulnerable types would have no chance of being hired by legal brothels anyway.

very interesting thread ladies! I thought I was in favour of legalised brothels before I read some of your comments. Now I don't know.
Certainly the trafficking of young boys and girls for sex is a huge problem and something should be done.
One of the most interesting comments, which has really made me think, was the one about men expecting to have access to sex/violence. How can we change that?

If legal brothels would reduce abusive brothels, why doesnt escorting already do that?

It doesnt because it is a totally different niche. Men who pay £20 for a vulnerable person they can do anything to dont pay upwards of £100 for escorts who can say no and have boundaries, and they wont pay for legal brothels either

& the kinda girls who would work in legal brothels would be the kinda girls who work in strip clubs or for escort agencies, and NOT the street workers or pimped girls

IMO legal brothels wont take a single client away from exploitative brothels. It is a different market/demographic.

They will mainly draw from the kind of clients that would otherwise visit strip clubs

Women providing sex for money isn't the problem, pimps and gangs that force young girls and boys into prostitution are.
Those young and vulnerable people would not be working in legal brothels.

The men buying them have no interest in the type of assertive protected healthy adult women who would work in legal brothels. They WANT vulnerable people/children who have no say/rights

It would be business as usual for the illegal pimps and the vulnetable people they exploit.

It is the people trafficking which is the real problem. They get lured away from their homelands with promises of riches to come. When they arrive they get their passport and ID documents taken from them, are threatened that awful things will befall their families. Routinely beaten and kept locked away. The CPS should prosecute the gang masters, and if they are from overseas deport them with no chance of them being re-admitted to the UK

Legalised prostitution would not help these unfortunate young women.

Clean and regulated "brothels" is surely a better option than seeing girls/women on the streets soliciting.

As other posters have said, it is the oldest profession and I cannot see it ending in the foreseeable future.

Women providing sex for money isn't the problem, pimps and gangs that force young girls and boys into prostitution are. I think brothels should be legal and licensed and that there should be regular inspections, just as with any other business, to ensure that the regulations are being adhered to. Prostitution has existed for as long as people have walked the Earth, in some civilisations it was regarded as an honour to serve in the temples as a prostitute and such women were highly sought after for marriage when they 'retired'.

notanan2
As did a tenant of one of our properties ( chose too)
We had no idea.
She was one of the best tenants we had. Never missed a rent payment, kept the flat beautiful.