Here are seven strong arguments for why the rest of the U.S. should allow people to sell sex in a well-regulated way, as they do in the Netherlands, Switzerland, and parts of Mexico, among others. Globally, the prostitution trade is worth $186 billion, according to the www.havocscope.com website, which analyzes the underground economy. Revenues of this magnitude could generate a lot of tax revenue. It is estimated that legalizing prostitution in the United States could bring tax authorities about $20 billion a year. In Germany, which liberalized its prostitution laws in 2002, the legal industry is worth around €16 billion and tax revenues make a significant contribution to some urban budgets. It is time for the sex industry to be taxed like any other business so that this income can benefit society. There will always be lonely or kinky men in America who will pay for sex, and there will always be women willing to rent their bodies. As anthropologist Patty Kelly wrote in the Los Angeles Times, prostitution has become “a part of our culture” in the United States. This new law in the Netherlands has decriminalized both sex workers and businesses. Local authorities monitor the conditions under which prostitution is permitted. Industry standardization implements mandatory health and safety regulations such as running water, access to condoms, and fire escapes. Most importantly, these reforms grant prostitutes all the legal, social and labour rights that meet many, but not all, requirements of sex workers` organizations to work under legal and satisfactory conditions.
Critics of the decriminalization of prostitution often point to the increase in reports of human trafficking in countries that have legalized prostitution, such as Germany. However, it is entirely possible that this is because people have finally started to see human trafficking and report it in greater numbers. In addition, a Harvard study on the subject noted that “the likely negative impact of legalized prostitution on the influx of human trafficking into a country could help those advocating for the prohibition of prostitution, thereby reducing the flow of human trafficking. However, such reasoning overlooks the potential benefits that legalizing prostitution could have for workers in the industry. An April 2012 study by the Urban Justice Center found that New York City police officers had actually used women`s condoms as evidence in criminal prostitution cases against them. It is easy to imagine how this practice could deter sex workers from wearing protection. Prostitution does not allow the general public to take advantage of these pretexts. On the contrary, the industry is honest about how sex and money are directly related. And for many people, it`s an uncomfortable idea. It is even more uncomfortable for some people to believe that women should have control over their bodies that would allow them to voluntarily engage in prostitution; You cannot afford to believe that women would choose such a profession. But instead of acknowledging this reality, those who oppose the legalization of prostitution advance with arguments about concern for women`s safety.
They don`t realize that criminalizing prostitution doesn`t help sex workers, and their arguments lead to legislation that harms women while operating under the morally motivated pretext of wanting to protect them. Researchers estimate that there are up to 31,000 people in legal sex work in the Netherlands. There are still problems with the living conditions of illegal prostitutes, but for those with residency papers, life has improved considerably. The Dutch government conducted a study on the quality of life of sex workers in the early 2000s and found improvements in several categories from 2002 to 2007. The proven benefits of legalizing prostitution include mental and physical health care (including STI prevention), safer and more accessible methods of reporting violence and abuse, and improved infrastructure and working conditions. SEATTLE, Washington – Looking at sex work through the lens of women`s empowerment versus oppression, there is evidence that legalizing prostitution can have individual and economic benefits. In the Netherlands, prostitution has operated under an effective regulated system for almost two decades. Regulatory practices that restrict sexual behaviour are essential to understanding how different societies perceive sex and sexual activity, and to understanding the benefits of legalizing prostitution.