The Sex Industry and Prostitution

[Harlequin]

What are your opinions on the sex industry (toys, images, video) and prostitution (paying for sex)?

Do you think it's "wrong" (why?)? Do you think it should be legalised (why?)? How about sex toys? Are they "wrong" or "immoral"?

GOGOGO.

also what sort of restrictions do you think should be placed on the pornography studios (if any)? Do you think it's safe? Would you ever be a sex worker of any kind?

GOGOGO again.

 

[Alexi]

The sex industry is a very viable industry and I feel has improved how many people's view on sexual practises. And it makes life interesting.

If prostitution wasn't such an easy way for STDs to spread, I'd be all for it. In fact, if it were legalized, than there could be regulations in place to keep such things from happening. So I feel it should be legalized.

Sex all the way, baby. :D

Oh, and as far as pornography: Pornography *can* be safe if regulations are in place and actors get tested for diseases regularly.

 

[spaekle]

Porn is fine as long as the people in it want to be; there's no problem at all with sex toys; I think prostitution should be legal.

You can go out and do everything you'd do with a prostitute with anyone you feel like, including exposing yourself to all kinds of diseases, and as long as it's consensual and there's no money involved, it's perfectly legal. It's not like making prostitution illegal is really stopping the spread of disease or anything. If anything, making it illegal forces it underground and makes it even harder to control. And furthermore, it's your body, and if you're cool with selling it, then that's your business.

There's the matter of people being forced into it, but that's not an issue of prostitution - it's an issue of people being forced into things they don't want. There are people who are prostitutes because they want to be, just like there are people in the porn industry because they want to be. If prostitution was made into a legitimate part of the sex industry with health codes and regulations, I think it'd make a lot more sense.

I don't think pimping should be legal though. I know in some countries prostitution is legal but pimping isn't.

 

[Keta]

The pleasure that arises from sex or body stimulation doesn't really constitute a sin in my mind, nor do prostitution or any of the other things you have mentioned, as long as it is voluntary on the part of the people involved. It is the individual's choice whether s/he wants to masturbate, watch porn, etc. and s/he should be free to do so.

The primary complaint about pornography seems to be how "bad" it is for the children. I don't advocate introducing children to the physical act of having sex at a young age, but I don't believe the idea of sex itself is what significantly "scars" young children.

I don't really believe knowing about sex at a young age is a "bad thing"; the only reason it is emotionally scarring for a young child is that most cultures hide away the idea and label it a sin. The majority of the public would most likely act uncomfortable when seeing something "lewd", and, by mimicking that reaction, children grow up with the same social biases towards sex as the culture they are brought up in.

But, if sex were universally accepted as a natural phenomenon, something that happens like pissing or breathing, then pornography (or even this debate) would not be as big of an issue. I don't really see much reasoning behind the idea that sex is bad; the only immediate issues that come to mind are overpopulation and unwanted (possibly aborted) children (but those are other debates).

Because of the way sex is currently viewed, I think the only restriction that should be placed on pornography studios is that they should carry a giant, incredibly obvious warning label. As for websites, same concept, "do not enter if you don't want to see pr0nz".

 

[goldenquagsire]

What are your opinions on the sex industry (toys,

pretty much anything can be converted into a handy sex aid, so banning sex toys is stupid.

images, video)

apparently you're not allowed to support both feminist causes AND porn, so i'll just be blunt.

i'm a man. i have urges and desires. there is a limit to what my imagination can provide. though pornography may not be the most desirable or empowering industry to work in, it's still the individual's choice to work in it. furthermore, amateur porn is so prevalent that banning professional porn would be meaningless. so yeah, arguing against porn for the sake of porn stars is stupid.

as for the cause of "protecting the consumer". well, i've been having fantasies since before i even started watching porn at all. so that didn't cause them. furthermore, i'm not stupid enough to equate the fictional scenarios of a porn film with real life - of course real men and women don't act that way. personally, i wouldn't have thought that it had affected my view of women either.

and prostitution (paying for sex)?

er.

this is one of those things i try not to get involved in. there seems to be reasonable arguments for and against, and it pisses a hell of a lot of people off if you side either way.

buuut at the end of the day, if you keep these things near the surface as opposed to down in dark alleys and whatnot, it makes it easier for the prostitutes (less stigma, easier access to help, better education about STDs), better for the clients (hey, you can't get arrested any longer). but yeah, it's still messy.

also what sort of restrictions do you think should be placed on the pornography studios (if any)?

1. make sure everyone's legal (no jailbaits, mm?).
2. make sure no-one's doing stuff against their will.
3. decent pay?

Would you ever be a sex worker of any kind?

notrly.

 

[J.T.]

Sex toys are fine, no one's getting hurt by them.

Videos and images, as long as everyone involved wants to be in 'em.

Prostitution, I'm a bit iffy on. There'd have to be some serious regulations to make sure no one's being forced into it, the prostitutes are healthy and don't have/get STDs, etc. But if all those conditions were fulfilled, why not.

Restrictions on porn? Everyone agrees to being filmed/photographed, and gets paid (unless they don't want to but I can't think of another reason you'd want to be in a porno :V ). As for age restrictions, I can see some problems arising, since there are different ages of consent for different places. For example, I believe here in Canada the age of consent is 14, but I think it's higher in other places in the world.

Would I be a sex worker? If someone wants to see me naked, they have some serious issues, because I am by no stretch of the imagination attractive. o.o Even if I were, I doubt I would. Just not my thing, y'know?

apparently you're not allowed to support both feminist causes AND porn

Interestingly enough, there was a recent article in my local newspaper about a feminist porn film festival.

for obvious reasons I don't remember specifics on the article

 

[ultraviolet]

I don't really have a problem with any of them, so long as there's no children involved, everyone's consenting and people are tested for STDs/STIs regularly. I mean I don't think I'd actually take part in anything other than maybe buying sex toys, but it's not really my place to judge what people should or shouldn't do with their sexual fantasies.

In WA the legal age of consent is 16, but you can't buy sex toys or pornography until we're 18. So it's like, yeah you can have sex, just not creatively. xD

 

[Tarvos]

I don't like any of it but as long as it's professionally regulated I see no point in taking it away. I just don't like engaging in it.

 

[opaltiger]

apparently you're not allowed to support both feminist causes AND porn, so i'll just be blunt.

Um, what? There's lots of porn that doesn't treat women like shit.

1. make sure everyone's legal (no jailbaits, mm?).

I would like to contest this point. Why should the age at which you can appear in pornographic material differ from the age at which you can have sex, period? As long as all other requirements are observed, as with other employment, I don't see the problem.

 

[Tarvos]

yes and 18 is more than good enough for that, people aren't ready for it earlier imo

 

[Felidire]

I personally think prostitution is disgusting, but if that's what they want to do with their body, then whatever.. Less people in the equation, it makes my job of finding the right partner a little easier.

STD's don't bother me at all, because I don't plan on sleeping with 50 different people, and if they'd slept with others previously then i'd happily abstain for 6 months waiting for an STD test to come back. The world around me could be diseased and falling apart for all I care, that's their fault and not my problem. ,,xD

Like I said before, I think 17 is a good age to wait until.

In WA the legal age of consent is 16, but you can't buy sex toys or pornography until we're 18. So it's like, yeah you can have sex, just not creatively. xD

The state government's way of making sex seem boring as fuck for all the teens, to discourage them, rofl.

 

[goldenquagsire]

Um, what? There's lots of porn that doesn't treat women like shit.

i was mostly being sarcastic (as in: ohnoes i jerk off that means i must be ANTI-WOMAN) but

uh

i guess there's porn that doesn't treat women like shit? i sure have trouble finding said porn. :/

I would like to contest this point. Why should the age at which you can appear in pornographic material differ from the age at which you can have sex, period?

that's exactly what i said.

so as long as you're legally able to have sex (i.e. not a jailbait), you should be able to appear in porn films.

 

[opaltiger]

so as long as you're legally able to have sex (i.e. not a jailbait), you should be able to appear in porn films.

If you're over eighteen anyone under eighteen but over the age of consent would still have the term "jailbait" applied to them because of statutory rape laws - at least as I see it. But yes, by your definition, agreed.

 

[Dinru]

Like most everyone has said before, I'm a-ohtay with the purchasing of sex toys and porn and the legalization of prostitution. Everyone else has pretty much said all that already, though.

yes and 18 is more than good enough for that, people aren't ready for it earlier imo

I would like to counter this argument. True, there are a lot of people under the age of 18 that are not ready to have sex responsibly. There are a lot of people under 18 that are ready to, though, and a lot of people over who aren't. Everyone matures at different levels. Honestly, how can someone be ~magically~ ready for something at age 18? It may be just another whole debate entirely, but... really.

 

[Dewgong]

eh. porn's fine. i don't care, as everyone else has said, as long as the conditions are cool and everyone is agreeing. nobody being forced into anything they don't want to do, checked for STDs regularly.

prostitution isn't something i exactly find pleasing, but if you want to do, go ahead. it's not my body, not my problem, i shouldn't be able to put a ban on what you do with yourself.

 

[Felidire]

I would like to counter this argument. True, there are a lot of people under the age of 18 that are not ready to have sex responsibly. There are a lot of people under 18 that are ready to, though, and a lot of people over who aren't. Everyone matures at different levels. Honestly, how can someone be ~magically~ ready for something at age 18? It may be just another whole debate entirely, but... really.

There's a lot more people under the age of 18 who aren't ready, and far less who are ready, than those over 18. I mean when I was 13-16, I thought I was probably the most mature person in that school; now that I think about it, i'm glad I never had sex at that age, i'd have sorely regret doing so. I can only surmise that a lot of other people would most likely feel the same way.

Plus I think 18 is just made to be legal because you're ~magically~ an adult, up until then your parents are held responsible for you. After you hit 18, you can do whatever the hell you like because it's all your problem now.

There are states that have 16 as the legal limit, some have 14, and i'm pretty sure that Texas has their legal age of consent set as 17. So yes, everyone's opinion is different.

 

[Harlequin]

Why is sex something special? It's an activity that you do with someone (or multiple people). There's no inherent specialness to it.

 

[Dewgong]

eh it isn't in my book. everyone always told me "it's something very special that you only do with few it's an act of love blahblah"

it doesn't really have that much love in for me. i don't see too much specialness. i mean you don't go around doing random people, but you get the point.

 

[Felidire]

It's special to some, and not to others, hence prostitution in the first place.

I consider it special because it's something i'd only share with a very select few special people. It's instinctive, but not something i'd go around doing with just anyone.

 

[ultraviolet]

The state government's way of making sex seem boring as fuck for all the teens, to discourage them, rofl.

xD
at least we don't have abstinence-only sex ed

Why is sex something special? It's an activity that you do with someone (or multiple people). There's no inherent specialness to it.

I guess probably because you also have the responsibility of having kids (or not having them) which is kind of important.