I’m going to write some two or three posts in
which I discuss what is usually considered degrading to women by a great part
of the feminist community, and even the not-so-feminist one. And by what I've
seen and heard, these can be quite a lot of things. From the more obvious
(unequal pay, discrimination, sexual harassment) to more "touchy"
ones such as:
- Pornographic industry;
- Sex work;
- Certain sexual practices;
(Look, I warned you. Yes, the vomit bag's over
there. You're welcome.)
Now what most people think about unequal pay,
discrimination just about anywhere and sexual harassment is pretty consensual
(and thank goodness for that). But there's still a major controversy over those
other points. Let me approach the one on sex work in this post, and talk about
the other ones later on so I can give you some time to compose yourself and
wave those fans, ladies and gentleman ;)
I have recently been debating it with some
people (no need to specify names, we all know there are idiots in the world and
that's enough) and apparently my views aren't the most acceptable. According to
them, sex work is degrading to women because:
1 - They are coerced and forced into it;
2 - They are selling their body;
3 - It is not real work, and it is an
"easy life";
4 - It can easily disseminate HIV and other
diseases;
5 - Legalizing it would mean approving it;
6 - It is just shameful;
(Now, I don't want to be all smart and super assertive
about this, because I have little qualifications to talk about the subject and,
well, it would be like talking about plumbing or brain surgery or airplane fabrication:
I don't understand a wink of it. But I have read some books on the issue and,
much much much more important than that (and I can NOT emphasize enough how
much more important that is) I have talked, in person or online, to some sex
workers. And I am trying to reflect their views here, nothing more.)
1 - They are coerced
and forced into it.
Let's get this first one out of the way before
we tackle the others, because that is something most people don't do: they
simply don't distinguish between the trafficking of women and those who are in
sex work because that is what they chose. But please, draw a line between those
two, guys! Yes, human trafficking is absolutely awful and must be stopped. But
not every sex worker you see has been coerced into it. Not every one of them
needs rescuing.
2 - They are selling
their body.
Are they really? Last time I sold a cake I
didn't keep it. How many sex workers do you see without hands after they sell a
"handjob"? (What? Look, I warned you! No, there are no vomit bags
left!) They are NOT selling their body. They are selling a service that
involves their body. If you can't understand that difference, you might as well
say that a footballer is selling his body too. Right? No, he's selling a service
that involves his body. No difference.
And then again, what if they were? Are they selling any other body
that is not theirs? But no, they're
not selling their body anyway, so tough.
3 - It is not real
work, and it is an "easy life".
First of all, it is work. And I do not believe that anyone could do it. But there
are lots of things that "anyone could do" that are considered legitimate work. So why not this? Because it makes
people uncomfortable? I would feel mighty uncomfortable working as a movie
stuntwoman parachuting into the void but I recognize it is work, and what a work, too. I also recognize that
sex workers do not have an "easy life". At all. Let me explain why.
What I read on this is a bit rusty, but I'll do
my best.
Since sex work isn't recognized as a legitimate
profession, the money sex workers earn from it cannot be used for the benefits
you are rightfully entitled to with money from your work. It is just about as
easy to legitimate as stolen money. And even money earned in casinos and games
of luck can be used safely! This makes it so that they have to deal with an
enormous amount of financial issues in daily life, and some that affect
something as basic as housing.
4 - It can easily disseminate
HIV and other diseases.
For more information on that misconception,
check this site:
http://www.nswp.org/
And for a very interesting problem, this:
http://www.rhrealitycheck.org/article/2012/04/27/what-do-you-call-someone-who-carries-condom-in-new-york-city-answer-might-just-be
So if in New York there is a law that enables
condoms to be used as evidence for prostitution (which is a crime over there apparently),
it is totally the sex workers’ fault
for not being protected and she is fulfilling her evil agenda of spreading
diseases across the whole world, mwahahaha! Right?
(Please tell me you understood that was my
friend sarcasm speaking.) I could not believe my eyes when I saw such a law
existed in New York. What kind of incentive to safe sex is that?! Not just for
sex workers, but for anyone really?!
5 - Legalizing it would
mean approving it.
Yes, legalizing it would send the message it's
alright. And I don't see why not, at all. Just with the recent and most welcome
legalization of same-sex marriage sweeping through several countries. Many
people consider it the same as approving a crime. Let me just say this: in a
robbery, you clearly see there is a victim. In a murder, you clearly see there
is a victim. In a rape, you clearly see there is a victim. What about in sex
work? When it is not human trafficking (and as I said, I put that immediately
aside, I am only speaking of willing sex work), who is being hurt? Who is the
sex worker harming?
Society? Decency? No, forget those; give me a
specific person or being they are
harming. The old lady over there who is very shocked by their behavior? Well,
sorry, old lady, but they are not imposing their business on you; you can look
somewhere else if you feel uncomfortable.
Furthermore, legalizing it would mean that when
they are physically or psychologically attacked, even raped, as it often
happens, there would be no problem in reporting it to the authorities.
A sex worker I met in person told me about how
once she very nearly got raped, but no one would take it seriously because they
assumed, well, isn't that what you do in your "line or work"? *sneer*
And another one (to whom I only talked to
online) related how two policemen saw her being physically abused by two men,
and did absolutely nothing about it.
I find the actual law we have in Portugal a
good one. Sex work is legal; what is
illegal is what we would call "pimping". The sex workers do not have
to live in constant fear and no one is allowed to profit from their work and
control them.
6 - It is just
shameful.
Maybe it is to you. It is not to me. It is not
to them. I find certain things bankers do shameful. I find certain things the
military does shameful. I would be ashamed to find myself in a football stadium
(Ok, ok, this one was a joke. More or less). But as long as they are not a)
forcing anyone to do it and b) harming anyone, they have every right to
continue to do it.
I think this all brings me to this: what IS
degrading to women is to assume they cannot own their body properly, they
cannot make good decisions about it, they are not free to choose, they must be
"saved". THAT is what is degrading. Furthermore, there are too many
people talking about sex work and even issuing laws on it who have never even once spoken to a sex worker. They've
seen "statistics" and "numbers" and "studies".
But statistics and numbers and studies are people too! Bah.
The sex worker’s motto is a good one.
“Nothing
about us, without us.”
That's it for now, folks. I'll write more on
other "degrading to women" things in a short while. That is, if
you'll be able to stand me and my long rants again ;)
I thank you very much for reading! Comments are
always quite welcome (just remember the Troll Terminator 3000 and all will be
well)! I truly hope I will see you next time :)
