As I work on moving sex worker rights forward in the US, this forum can be a very occasional place to initially float talking points which may be useful. A kind of "focus group", if you will.

why are you qualified to tell them how to respond to any questions or comments??  Every lady has her own feelings about the subject.

But I agree that there are many sex workers who have no desire to gain rights, and there are even more clients who have no interest in seeing sex workers gain rights.

Health & Morality:    
Workers in every fast food and other restaurants that saturate Americans with heart-clogging, diabetes inducing fat-laden sugar-coated processed food.  These workers contribute to the immoral degradation of the health of the majority of Americans.

Ah, the intellectual leading the revolt on behalf of the peasants.

Professional athletes often suffer lifelong debilitating injuries.

Hardly.  I have met several sex workers who are much brighter than me.

He finally makes a worthwhile post and all he gets is abuse.

SOMEBODY has to lead the charge if the draconian laws criminalizing otherwise lawful conduct between consenting adults, lawful in every way except for money being put into the equation.

I would think that everyone on this board would get behind an effort to end the incarceration of our friends for doing something that almost everyone of us does on a regular basis.

The anti prostitution people are quite organized and by getting the public on board with the sensationalism of "human trafficking" are winning the battle of public opinion. I mean they have even gotten many of the hookers and johns right here on TER to buy into their bullshit. I agree the the debate needs to be reframed or it's going to get worse, not better.

not only because they help kill Americans but because they disproportionately kill minorities.  Also because fruit and candy flavored cigarettes are intentionally targeted at young people to get them hooked.

Sorry, but I don't buy your examples.

Can you be a bit more specific?  Human rights 'leaders' are a dime a dozen, and it feels like everyone and his dog believes he can 'influence law'.  Who the fuck are you really other than some bullshit kid pretending to be a big shot on a topic that few legislators even care about and no decent constitutional lawyer would spend more than 12 seconds considering.

As passionate about sex worker rights as I am (I'm the one who posted as my first thread a run-around post about whether men would participate in a fund raiser that would benefit a sex worker organization), I don't think the reason for sex work being illegal lies in the superficial reasons given by the "other" side, double standards of safety and exploitation. The biggest reason is a puritanical view by a few that sex work is morally corrupt, because it goes against monogamy. And it's very hard to think of another legal industry that goes against such a well established standard of morality - except maybe abortion and look how much that's contested even after all these years.

I don't agree with your statement that few legislators care about this, certainly some do, if simply for the fact that if it were yet another legal industry it could be taxed then the government would have more funds, but they are afraid of their constituents. Plus I'm sure they care about it since they also partake in the industry.  

is the drivel posted on this thread by some of the previous contributors. If you don't really have a thoughtful addition to the discussion, how hard can it be to just go away? Why do you find it necessary to demean those with whom you do not agree? If you don't agree, please construct a logical, well reasoned reply that presents an opposing view. If all you can do is ask "who the fuck are you?" couldn't you just say no to the keyboard? Or go start another thread about something else? Grow the fuck up.

Anyone can be legally paid to perform sexual services. Unless those sexual services are provided directly to the person who's paying for them.  

As is any personal service business.

It's just like finding out that there is no Santa Claus. lol

But seems like most are fucking hookers as well  

From everything I have been able to discern, since my current medical expenses are a big fat zero, AND they now have to take you even with preexisting conditions, I don't see any reason in the world to buy health insurance until the penalty exceeds the cost of insurance itself.

So in the meantime I will "self insure" and any minor health issues that come up, if any, i will simply pay for out of pocket. If I do come down with some major illness costing tens or hundreds of thousands, I will buy insurance AFTER the fact, Hey, I didn't make the rules, but I can damn sure take advantage of them.

Decriminalization is a goal that can be achieved, but not without a lot of work.  And certainly, there will be setbacks and frustrations along the way.  Personally, I think the movement's path may be similar to that of the LGBT Rights movement, despite the obvious differences.

It should be noted that sex-workers would be far more safe if the perp knew that he (or she) could face the onslaught of the law if they were to abuse the sex-worker; and the sex-worker knew that they could call on LE to protect them from the abuser.

Thanks Madiba for waging the good fight.