Contrary to popular belief that it’s conservative vs. liberal politics, low status men do not want to have their pool of potential women that they could hook up with reduced by having a large amount of women going into the biz and high status women do not want their affluent husbands out whoring around and causing them embarrassment.  Accordingly, the legalization of prostitution in this country has always been an uphill battle.

our religious institutions have become like any other collective lobbyist group interested primarily in insuring the survival of the institution, which means growing their head count. Come to think of it, I haven’t heard of any church speaking out against prostitution lately or at all for that matter. What you do hear them talking about is illegal immigration, right to life and prayer in school which all have to do with increasing the size of the herd. There was cartoon that I saw somewhere, where a young, attractive woman goes into a Catholic confessional and proceeds to tell the priest that she had become a prostitute, the priest misunderstanding her, states that she had become an abomination of god, thinking that she had said she had become a Protestant.

-- Modified on 9/28/2011 7:49:04 PM

What are the estimates of the financial size of this underground industry and how much does the U.S. lose in taxes each year?  Would the providers be happier this industry were legalized?  Thoughts?

Its difficult to put numbers to this, but if legalized I think prices would go up to cover the service tax that would be charged. But I think you would have more participation because there are many guys who don't know about how to pay to play.

Can't see any downside for the girls except they might have more completion.  More women would do it because they wouldn't be afraid of getting busted.

Guys would win out because due to more competition we'd get better quality.  Think about the evolution of playboy models and porn actresses.  They have gotten better looking over the past few decades.

Government would save money by not having to task cops to bust Indies or even agencies of willing legal sex workers.

Have them focus on human trafficking and child porn.  I think they could gain cooperation from the legit sex business in busting the bad ones.

I'm afraid I don't

I like your take, but I think the main religious institutions are more to blame, and are able to focus their flocks to push the politicians to vote their way. That coupled with the typical American woman who wants to control her husband's penis and where it goes.... as opposed to just about every other modern country where there is at least some form of legalized prostitution.

Rather than pull my post for an edit I was just going to finish with that I don't see a down side.

Groups that will loose out if prostitution is legalized are the religious institutions that want to keep us sexually repress and maybe civi women because men wont have to put up with their bullshit for sex. There will be a legal alternative.

The revenue strapped municipal and State governments know that billions is changing hands annually. But if the slightest action is taken to legalize, regulate, and tax; the puritanical/orthodox religious bases in America will go batshit crazy accusing the government of pimping.  

Personally if I was a provider I'd want nothing more than "de-criminalizing" by part of the State/Feds. "Legalization" means nothing but more bureaucracies, licenses, fees, rules, and taxes,

They don't need to speak out against prostitution.  The government and society at large already declares it illegal.

But those groups would come on strong to fight against any real attempt to legalize pay for play.

Its all a moot point. They will never legalize prostitution in the US.

The last bit was hilarious!  While the church may not have formally verbalized it's take/stand on prostitution, religious dogma dictates that prostitution is a sin.  Because it's widely understood that the latter is the case, perhaps the church doesn't feel the need to come out say something against it.  I am just surmising.  The church's need to speak out against illegal immigration is tied in with politics, of course.

And we once thought that we'd never have a black president!

Right now providers enjoy some degree of monopolistic competition (differentiation of products and the freedom to more or less ignore how their rates affect other competitors). If prostitution were legalized, the market would move towards perfect competition, where barriers to entry (like worrying about jail time) are decreased, women charge less overall and have more similar rates (see Canada).
Of course, not having to worry about legality issues would be wonderful, but individual provider earning power would decrease.
Still, I'm on board with decriminalization, mostly because it would undermine social stigmas surrounding sex work. mmm alliterations...

-- Modified on 9/28/2011 7:53:12 PM

Don't need ANY more governmental monitoring of what I do or don't do with my own body!! Geesh!  PS RRO2610) I Love when you use words that I don't know what the f--- they mean!! LOL! Makes me hot! Tee hee! XO

the legal encumbrances certainly create one --- absolutely RATES would PLUMMET if legalized.

I talk to so many women about the hobby, for many years - the awareness is growing - I think we might see some serious change in 10-20 years. By that time, all of the puritanical assholes will be dead, most of the male population will have been with an online dream girl and most of their wives understanding and thankful for her hubby not having an affair.

.o2

and that was one brothel in New Orleans, 150 years ago when the going trick was 25 cents, and the upper floors .50,  .75 and 1.00 - that is from an HBO documentary.

my guess is that upwards of 300 billion is spent on the hobby - here in the US - well over a billion globally

-- Modified on 9/29/2011 12:21:12 AM

I get pleasure from the fact that so much regulation & money is kept out of reach of the government through their vigorous recognition and adherence to "Separation of Church & State". ( note sardonic irony)

NOTHING is as innately greedy, or as rapaciously hungry to regulate as government. And although on paper RELIGION and its dogmas are supposedly "seperate" from our governance; the "Church" costs the government tens of Billions along with countless bureaucracies and subsequent regulations missed by hanging the ‘Pariah’ specter over any public official not marching lockstep.

Adult films are legally produced here in the  San Fernando Valley. Women and guys pay to have sex. Not so much different than prostitution. So lets call it a film we are producing and I will pay you and sex will flow like a well aged caubernet. We will become lost with the good wine and the hot sex. Lost in a mutual embrace of lust and simple joy. No one gets hurt. We then relax in the Jacuzzi and plan our next escapade.  That's life. Contact me.

I don't understand how it is any different from paying for a massage, or haircut, a salon service..professional dance or (any kind of dance) a make up artist or photographer etc. Etc. None of that stuff is taxed..you just pay the asked rate..even sports (private lessons)....

So, if someone over 18 makes a profession choice and they're not out on the street being trashy/obvious, or pimped/trafficked/enslaved..then I believe it should be allowed..not necessarily legalized, but definitely decriminalized.

Maybe in some instances, LE have trouble differentiating? Although, to me it seems pretty obvious if someone is on the street..and it seems those are the girls who are pumped. Also, I would say *those* are the girls who are more likely (or at least a bigger chance) that they would be sold/trafficked.. Etc. To me, it seems that those are the cases LE should be going after, not those who are discreet, and not making anyone else uncomfortable.

Just my opinion.

Aerial