Quote:
Originally Posted by Firewire
I don't disagree with any of this. I do think you're right. I just think safety starts with respecting the workers from the beginning. Changing the term from prostitution to sex work might mask the issues, but it helps transform attitudes towards the women and men who do it as a form of work. It's like calling someone a "drug addict" instead of "junkie" – one respects them as a human and the other doesn't (not that sex work and drug addiction are similar, but the attitudes towards people with addiction are changing and changing terminology does help).
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The attitudes of the wider public, maybe I could agree on, but the attitudes of the people actually engaging with what's on sale? I highly doubt it. Much as a drug dealer doesn't care whether their next sale is to a junkie or a drug addict. Also "addict" rather than "junkie" is still a negative term, even if respectful... No one is internalising the message; "Oh I would never want to be a junkie - but being a drug addict sounds OK". "Sex worker" is a specific attempt to rebrand prostitution as "as legitimate a job as any other" and like I said, the end result of that is MORE vulnerable and naive young people going down that route with absolutely no idea of the realities of it. I don't know that the trade off is worth it. Trading current people doing it "feeling better about it" for more people being tempted into it?