Prostitution is not morally equivalent to child rape.
January 29, 2010 by
Filed under prostitution
It just isn’t. I know that it seems like I’m being unfair to my opponents’ arguments since they are so ridiculous and vile, but I’m being as fair as anyone could ever be! They literally think that adults cannot consent to sex. That all prostitution is rape. That any exchange of money for sex is the moral equivalent to child rape. I am sorry that that is what they say they believe. If they change their minds and want to join civilization in opposition to child rape as particularly heinous while we endure the consensual activities of mature adults, we will welcome them. But, right now, their words are explicit and on the public record. They believe that a child that is raped deserves no more care or sympathy than an adult who has just sought out and received money for (possibly quite good) sex. I know that when I say that they are apologists for child rape I am saying it from the rubric in which adults can consent to sex and that some forms of prostitution are therefore OK. I know none of them would consider themselves apologists for child rape. Let’s make it clear. Their words and the policies they promote would distract law enforcement from matters like murder, child abuse, rape, or assault and would concentrate those forces upon consensual behavior between adults. Their policies, specifically, would create more distrust between prostitutes, clients and law enforcement. The policies would expand our jails and the punitive aspects of our laws. They have informed us that they want to do this to punish men for sexuality that they oppose and look down on. They are not human rights advocates or promoters of sexual diversity. We’ve got just a few more videos left and we’ll be done with them. I’m sorry that they believe what they say they believe. I am reporting it and reproducing their exact words. This does not have to be the direction of the debate.
It seems obvious to me that prostitution and rape are two completely different things.
The main distinction is that women who prostitute themselves do so voluntarily.
This shows us that these women would prefer to be prostitutes than any other choice which they are currently presented with.
Whatever the reason is for the women preferring this (situation, money, etc), it would be immoral to try to take this option away from her and force her to do something which she considers to be worse.
@pickofthepatch Secondly, you say that people don’t accept that some women do get abused. If anything, the abuse of prostitutes (male or female) is the strongest argument FOR legalization and regulation of the industry. Most people don’t say that no abuse exists, but in a more regulated industry, under a reformed system, abuse would be minimized – whereas now it is maximized.
@pickofthepatch Heidi Fleiss is a bad example for you to use to vilify the prostitution industry. Fleiss has publicly stated that she wants the industry legalized to provide more security for prostitutes. Her appearance on Celebrity Rehab has more to do with her harmful meth abuse than abuse suffered. Also, while the women might not “want” to be doing that, it is a job – I don’t want to work, but I do because I must. We ascribe a special place to sex, when it is a behavior like any other.
No one is claiming that no prostitute has ever been abused around here.
There certainly exist some prostitutes that haven’t experienced that, but some have.
Everybody is different.
Go out a pay for the services of a prostitute…..
visit with them.
Go to Dr.Drew Rehab 3 and take a really good look at Heidi Fleiss….
I am so fed up with this world thinking 1.the woman out there want to be doing is.
2.Not accepting the reality that thiese individuals have never been abused.That there has been no damage.
Prostitution is simply someone selling sex. That’s it. Nothing wrong with prostitution in and of itself. Child abuse and whatnot is not a part of prostitution itself. Just because child abuse may have happened with prostitution before doesn’t permanently make it a part of prostitution as a whole.
People need to separate the bad from good. Child abuse should be/remain illegal, prostitution should not.
A person wants to sell sex, a person wants to buy it. Where’s the issue?
Lol!
I mean, what else can be said for them? Completely crazy!
“Moderator: Is it sometimes okay to pay for? sex?
Neofeminist: Child trafficking is bad!!” – LOL. Facepalm.
Very glad to get your input here, Heather.
I think I can draw the following conclusion from that woman’s remarks:
Prostitutes are no more conscious than children, and other women are little better.
That is very offensive to women.
And I wonder what she thinks about people who are forced to work for Walmart, selling their time and their bodies for a few dollars an hour. Are they the same as raped children too?
In the 1970’s, the a wave of feminists cropped-up with the idea that all instances of man+woman sex = rape.
I guess now they’re taking it to the next level. =
As a feminist, I support the legalization of prostitution and think a woman should be able to do what she wants with her body as long as she isnt harming someone else. My opinion of anti-prostitution feminists is that they are perpetuating the concept that a womans body is not her own and are fully entrenched in the patriarchy they are attempting to fight against. If a woman is being forced into the sex trade, that is sex trafficking and should not be confused with prostitution.
Hypothetically, I know a madam who was abused as a child and began charging her dad for his indiscretions, is an amazing thing for a child to come up with given the situation she was in. She hypothetically now keeps two apartments of women who stay for a short period of time until they have a nice chunk of change, and move on with their lives.
Prostitution and sex trafficking are two different things that are being confused by the woman in your clip. She is trying to impose her belief that prostitution must be abusive as no woman would desire to sell her body for sex and using trafficking and abuse to make her case. The fact is, some women choose to and not all women feel the same way towards sex, obviously.
Watching this video series has just completely drained me. The complete dishonesty on the neofeminist side is appalling. You’d figure if they were on the right side, they wouldn’t have to use such slimy tactics.
Essentially it boils down to this:
Moderator: Is it sometimes okay to pay for sex?
Neofeminist: Child trafficking is bad!!
Seriously, you can’t win with these people. They are completely tied to emotional appeals and not the hard facts about prostitution.
A lot of people think that feminism is only about women, I don’t think this is true. Feminist rights are human rights. There is more than one type of sexism. The same people who believe that women should be barefoot and pregnant believe that a real man has to be the sole breadwinner, that he should want nothing more than to work, fuck and fight. Neither of these are fair. I want a world where no one is pressured into either of these roles. There IS still pressure, and this is a problem.
@variablast Cool
Do you mind proposing aesthector’s law to some online discussion blog?
The law is just this:
In every discussion of pornography, prostitution or any sex trade occupation as time progresses the likelihood of someone mentioning rape, child abuse and slavery reaches 1.
We can actually include slavery, I think, but a more conservative version of that law would just cover rape and child abuse.
Fair enough.
I want people to know that you can work for men’s rights and be a feminist at the same time. I also am automatically defensive online, since so many people are so automatically offensive.
Cheers.
Sorry, that was a continuation of my other comment. Her arguments are a strawman, misrepresenting the position of her opponent by saying they condone baby rape. Not you guys. I agree with you.
I’ve written her. I hope she writes back! I hope we can win this debate and change the culture for the better.
Me too. I would have interrupted people though, I worry. Maybe I could play it fairly strictly and still get some decency across.
I find her judgmental behavior to be reprehensible. It also inadvertently hurts the victims of child rape. Moreover all prostitutes and all of their clients should be outraged and should be given a voice, but since they are made illegal by unjust laws enforcing irrational taboos there is little to be done for them.
You think what is an obvious strawman? What exactly is the insult?
I am a feminist. Most people on this channel are feminists.
I think this is an obvious strawman, and an insult, in fact, to feminists.
Let me preface this by saying that those monkeys are adorable and I’m curious if they make good pets.
Anyway, I would consider myself a feminist of sorts and no, I would not feel comfortable standing behind Melissa Farley’s argument. I don’t see prostitution as equivocal to child rape, no matter how much I oppose it. I think this argument is on par with anti-homosexual christians who believe that gay people are just as bad as people who rape animals.