The majority view, however, is that commercial sex harms these individuals and, more importantly, society at large. The ban against prostitution is said to denounce the exploitation of sexual gratification. Prostitution laws are intended to protect public health and welfare including the suppression of sexually transmitted diseases , protect minors who might otherwise become involved in the sex industry, thwart other associated forms of crime, and curb the incentive to exploit women.
In some states, prostitution is considered a form of disorderly conduct. In most the crime includes offering or agreeing to, or actually engaging in, a sexual act in exchange for money. Statutes typically describe the contemplated sexual activity vaguely. They use terms such as " lewd acts ," but invariably describe intimate physical contact of some form.
They require that the defendant intend to receive compensation, either directly or through a third party, in exchange for that contact. In many states, the government must prove only that the prostitute offered or agreed to engage in sexual conduct for compensation, regardless of whether she or he intended to follow through on that offer or agreement. The only requirement is that the offer or agreement not be in jest.
In some states, though, the prosecution must prove that the defendant specifically intended to engage in the sexual act in exchange for money.
In those states a prostitution violation requires some act showing that the defendant intended to follow through on the offer or agreement to partake in sexual activity. An example of such an act is touching the patron's crotch after offering intercourse. In all states where prostitution is illegal, the intentions of the would-be client are irrelevant—the alleged prostitute can be convicted even if that client doesn't actually intend to participate in any sexual contact.
Were the law otherwise, police sting operations to uncover and prosecute illegal sexual activity, which are vital to enforcing laws against prostitution, would be pointless. In addition to pimping and pandering, there are several prostitution-related crimes that involve third parties. State laws relating to the sex trade typically prohibit certain categories of behavior that foster prostitution.
These include:. In addition, federal law prohibits transporting a person across state lines with intent that that person engage in prostitution or any other criminal sexual activity. New Zealand Prostitution has been legal for Kiwis since Source: Source - scoop 2. Australia The legal status of prostitution in Oz differs from state to state.
Source: Source - webchacha 3. Austria Prostitution is completely legal in Austria. Source: Source - toktali 4. Bangladesh Male prostitution is illegal, but everything else is legal. Source: Source - photoshelter 5. Belgium They have been trying to remove the stigma, violence and fear associated with prostitution by not just legalising it but also running proper state of the art brothels with fingerprint technology and keycards!
Source: Source - businessinsider 6. Brazil Prostitution in itself is legal here, though you'll totally get busted if you're channeling your inner Snoop Dogg and pimping away to glory. Source: Source - abcnews 7. Canada Prostituting yourself is legal, but buying sex became illegal during the end of Source: Source - rantlifestyle 8. Colombia It is legal to work in the sex industry in Colombia, though pimping isn't. Source: Source - nyt 9.
Denmark Prostitution is legal here. Source: Source - dailymail Ecuador Everything related to sex work is legal here. Source: Source - spiritofbaraka France Prostitution is legal in France, though soliciting in public is still outlawed. Source: Source - huffpost Germany Prostitution was legalised here in and there are proper state run brothels. Working in the same space can help sex workers stay safe, but some anti-prostitution laws make that illegal, or even expose workers who share space to more severe charges like promoting or profiting from prostitution, Mogulescu said.
Criminalization of sex work also puts sex workers at risk of police violence, according to Jessica Raven, a steering committee member with the New York advocacy coalition DecrimNY. People of color are significantly more likely to be arrested for sex work-related offenses than white people. According to Amnesty International , nearly 40 percent of adults and 60 percent of youth arrested for prostitution in the US in were black, even though black Americans only make up about 12 percent of the US population.
Being convicted of sex work—related offenses also gives sex workers a criminal record, which can make it hard to find housing or non—sex work employment. This falls especially hard on trans women of color, who already face employment discrimination.
In , for instance, New Zealand decriminalized prostitution, removing penalties for buying and selling sex. A study found that after decriminalization, sex workers felt more comfortable reporting abuse to police and more able to insist on safer sex practices and refuse unwanted clients. Sweden took such an approach in , and several other countries, including Norway, have adopted the model since then.
Because it keeps the sex trade underground, criminalizing the buying of sex exposes workers to many of the same harms as criminalizing the sale, Mogulescu says. And Nina Luo, a steering committee member at DecrimNY, says that Nordic-model countries have enacted a number of policies that are harmful to sex workers, like campaigns to evict them from their homes.
Increasingly, global health and justice groups are calling for full decriminalization of sex work. In , the World Health Organization recommended that countries work toward decriminalization.
Amnesty International made a similar recommendation in The United States, however, saw little movement toward decriminalization for years. However, things are beginning to change. A bill to decriminalize prostitution in DC was introduced in Earlier this year, Democrats in the New York state legislature also introduced bills , backed by DecrimNY, to decriminalize prostitution and repeal the state loitering law. The legislation also got significant media attention, with coverage in the New York Times , the New Republic , and elsewhere.
Some feminist and anti-trafficking organizations have criticized the New York bill. When NOW and other groups held a protest against the New York bill earlier this year, sex workers staged a counterprotest. Meanwhile, political candidates are starting to run on platforms that include decriminalization. New York state Sen. Julia Salazar made the issue part of her winning primary campaign to unseat incumbent state Sen. And five Democratic presidential candidates — Sens. Booker and Harris, Reps.
Seth Moulton and Tulsi Gabbard, and former Sen.
0コメント