We were all sitting there debating whether or not it would help if prostitution were legalized, and that's only one tiny, miniscule piece of the puzzle. Of course, legalization would not be addressing the underlying problems behind prostitution, regardless of region; it would, however, make it safer and regulated for many of the individuals within it.
I truly believe that there would still, no matter what the circumstances, be a "black market" version of human trafficking; if we legalize prostitution for adults, there will be someone who will traffic children. I am not saying that it is right, moral, good, desirable; I'm just saying that it is there and always will be. Look at porn: it is legal, to make and to purchase, as long as everyone involved is at least 18. Yet there are people who make child porn, and while illegal, it happens.
Still, legalization would mean better conditions (i.e., safer housing, food, less fear of police, rape, etc., in terms of structural consequences; better access to medical care, especially as it relates to sexual health, birth control, pregnancy care, STI's, etc.) and better regulations. We would know who was involved, how, we would control wages, apply taxes (can you imagine the revenue that could be collected in taxes on prostitution?!) and we could work through a lot of theory on why we view sex and prostitution the way we do in society (i.e., punishing the prostitute but not the "john," minimal punishments for pimps, etc.)
And I believe that stigma would change -- not disappear, but change. There would be a place in society for this group of individuals now, whether or not it is a desirable place.
On the other hand, not legalizing, I found the idea of shifting the stigma to johns fascinating -- making a public site much like the sex offenders list to publish those involved in prostitution. After all, what is a business without supply and demand? And the point was raised that many politicians, government officials, trusted businessmen, etc., would be discovered to be on this list. My reaction: let them be! If they've put themselves in such a place, they deserve to be there. Either society will tolerate it with a "boys will be boys" attitude, or people will really start to evaluate their choices when it comes to paying for these services.
Did anyone else find it interesting that there was no research found for the LGBT crowd? I know that a disproportionate number of trans women are, at some point or another, prostitutes. Also, we didn't hear about women hiring prostitutes. Just interesting to me.
Oh, and finally -- language is icky around this. Did anyone notice that we continually used the term "to buy a prostitute"? Because, if you're a pimp, sure, I'll agree to that. Otherwise, you don't buy a prostitute, you hire one. Let's not make stigmatized, marginalized women any more stigmatized, marginalized, and outcast than they need to be.
