On Thu, 5 May 2005, Michael Dawson wrote:
> 1. From what I know, I would wager heavily that the big majority of people
> now doing "sex work" do it for reasons other than free choice. Take away
> drug addictions and poverty, and create an economic system that guarantees
> health insurance and regular, non-sex jobs at livable wages, and how many
> folks will choose sex work?
Speculation. This overlooks individual differences in what is desirable work. If I had to choose between being a mid-level corporate exec and a porn actor, sign me up for the lifetime Viagra prescription. My speculation is that some people will choose sex work regardless of the other opportunities, just as some people now choose to become librarians or accountants or college professors.
> 2. Are we willing to jettison our philosophical talk about alienation?
> Isn't there something objectionable about purchasing sex, at least in a
> substantial proportion of the cases? Who do you know who's a well person
> who wants to go buy a hooker?
What's objectionable about purchasing sex the same thing that's objectionable about any wage work in a capitalist society. If we had a prostitute union with excellent wages, health care, etc., I would see no functional difference between an auto worker and a hooker. (--Just as some people are disgusted by car culture and reject the commodities generated by auto workers, some people are disgusted by having sex with prostitutes and reject their services.)
> 4. Isn't sex work always peachy keen for OTHER PEOPLE? Being bossed into
> flipping burgers or packing window shades sucks. Being bossed into sucking
> or fucking people I don't know and/or who repel me is many, many times
> worse.
Well, many people who are prostitutes, facing the same choices, came to the opposite decision: the McJob at poverty wages is many, many times worse than sex work. Should they be excoriated because they don't share your values about sex?
Miles