Given the situation of these women (mostly from Eastern Europe) the statistics won’t tell you much.
According to the woman quoted in the story drug addiction and prostitution are not separate issues. According to her, the need for money for drugs drives the ‘willingness’ to prostitute herself.
And the conditions for sex for a street walker – with dubious strangers who are possibly diseased and aren’t able to find enough sex with willing unpaid partners in unsafe locations – are such that most women would probably prefer to face such a situation only drugged to the gills…
Recognizing that most pimps are male is not the same thing as claiming that all pimps are male.
“Probably a third to half the jobs in the U.S. are degrading in one sense or another or more, so that’s no argument.”
Nonsense. Because arsenic is found in various foods is no reason not to reduce it where it is highest. Same with degradation.
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There’s nothing in the article about the johns. Why is it you never read about men repeatedly arrested for patronizing sex workers?
The program is not open to male sex workers.
There’s the tell. When it comes to prostitution or other forms of sexual activity deemed “wrong,” the focus (and blame) is placed on women.
Even when they are the victims of rape.
No, this is not a progressive policy being discussed in the article.
A progressive policy, if focused on women, would be on providing training and alternative means of income.
A progressive policy would be less of a enforcement focus on women choosing something others don’t approve of, and more on prosecuting exploitation, violence towards sex workers, pimping, sex trafficking, etc.
Although I agree it should be legalized (see Avattoir) short of that they should focus on arresting the Johns and not the prostitutes. That would be the quickest way to tamp down the market. But full legalization is better even than that.
Good topic for discussion - healthy debate is possible … and associated issues can & should be brought in.
HOWEVER - it is really bad use of phrase & imagery to say “‘Therapy at Gunpoint’” and “‘therapy at the end of a gun barrel.’”
In today’s society, with all of the recent events with horrible outcomes involving the actual use of actual guns, it is ill-advised and counterproductive to utilize this form of hyperbole - it really does the subject matter a disservice - The program may be strict, some may view it as coercive or compelling a form of behavior under duress - but -at no point does anyone have the business end of a firearm actually aimed in their direction.