I wonder how many more ladies would choose to be providers if prostitution laws were changed?

My concern would be that increased workers would be decreased income.  Who knows if this would be a significant change or not.

Legalizing prostitution could only benefit hobbyists.  But as a provider?  I'm not sure I want it to change.

I think the move to decriminalize is great, and I also think it's a big difference from legalization.  Decriminalization would at least allow some legal recourse if a provider is hurt by a client (or even LE).

Maybe more would enter the biz if it really were decriminalized in the US, but that's not going to change the mores of the country instantly and take away the social stigma of being a provider.  Even if the laws changed tomorrow, I'd still feel the need to conceal my part-time hobby.

I'm so glad to hear that we are taking more steps to represent ourselves in public opinion and policy! I am writing a paper on Amnesty International's position on this issue, and while I fully support decriminalization and legalization based on my own experience and knowledge of the industry, it is equally important to take into account other hobbyists' opinions, not the least being those of people currently practicing.  

It appears that while the possibility of legal rights and protections are undeniably beneficial (at least in my view), I have also wondered if the accompanying regulation and bureaucratization might be of concern to some hobbyists who may prioritize discretion or relative anonymity. Being free from government and public interference can give some protection against the social stigma many of us face, not just from participation in the hobby, but also just from asserting ourselves as people who have agency over their own bodies. I accept that this stigma is a very real condition of our world, however, I do not want to perpetuate it or act as if it is a condition that cannot be changed. I believe decriminalization is only one step of many that are necessary for this change. What I wonder is, legal matters aside, who benefits from the more clandestine aspects of the industry?  

The other direction that my experience and my studies are going is the commodification of bodies and labor, including labor such as emotional or interpersonal service. The hobby certainly occupies a unique space in this discourse. Considering that supply and demand remained the same, I often think about what the industry would look like if the mediating functions of finance were removed. This could apply to any kind of work-- in a theoretical and utopian situation where there was no money involved, and all of one's basic needs were met, and there was no stigma, how many of us would still continue to practice the hobby? Or is exchange-value unavoidable in this hobby, because of the nature of human desire?  

Sorry for the long-winded musings-- I'd really like to hear more from you all! (Especially ginainthemorning!) So much of this hobby is private. What do you think of the possibility of public policy being engaged in the hobby more openly?