[LINK] German Lopez on Vox about the need to legalize prostitution

[rfmcdonald]

At Vox, German Lopez makes the case for the legalization of prostitution.

When I first began looking into the research on decriminalizing prostitution, I didn't know where the evidence would take me. I was familiar with the arguments on both sides of the debate, but I had little idea what the empirical literature said.

But after reviewing dozens of studies, papers, and articles and talking to researchers, the issue is much clearer to me: Sex work should be fully decriminalized and regulated, similar to other businesses. Decriminalization isn't the perfect policy — but to me, the evidence suggests it's the best option, while prohibition doesn't appear to have any good empirical evidence behind it.

I say that acknowledging that this is a contentious issue for a lot of people. Many people on both sides of the debate look at prostitution with preconceived notions. Critics of sex work, for example, may have already made up their minds that it is inherently exploitative, so it should be banned and eradicated at all costs. On the other side, advocates may see their opponents as misogynistic, because critics characterize sex workers as women who are incapable of deciding what to do with their own bodies. It's hard for these sides to find much common ground.

I didn't have these biases. I didn't know what to think when I began looking into this topic. So as someone who approached this issue without any strong preconceptions, here's why I ended up in favor of decriminalization after reviewing the research.

The author goes into full detail at the site.