Just for thoughtful input and response, Think if Prostiution/Providing were legalized nationally, or state by state???

[UNDER THE RADAR]

Just think what the hobby would be/look like if you had a national/state wide move to legalize prostitution/Providing to raise needed tax revenue. The tables would definitely turn I think in favor of the hobbiest, because you would definitely increase the number of providers and open up more legal ways of advertising services. Just like in Amsterdam there are brothels galor with every ethnic background imaginable, offering every service one can think of and at very reasonable price structures.

[Cpalmson]

But the quality would suffer. If the market suddenly became glutted with an abundance of providers, the term YMMV would take on a whole new meaning. I could also see a lot more cash and dash situations along with more ROBs. I also think there would be a bigger disparity between the high end providers (and their prices) and the low end providers (and their prices). I don't think the middle ground would be well serviced (pun intended). I think those providers now who are of decent quality would jump into the high dollar hottie market leaving those other marginal providers to go the way of the CL/BP types. I think as things are now, providers don't want to draw attention to themselves so they market to the middle ground and give us ordinary Joes a wide range of selection at good prices. If anything, I'd just like to see provider based prostitution become decriminalized and made less of a target for LEA. I still would want the police to go after the streetwalkers, etc who do pose a risk to society; whereas, escorts do not given the independent nature of the business.

[roadrep]

Having just spent a month in Australia - where brothels are legal, I wish we had the same here. There was no huge disparity between brothel prices and UTR prices. There was a wide selection and reasonable prices, and no one had to worry about a girl's pimp suddenly storming into the room. I never had a YMMV issue - services received were ALWAYS as advertised - which makes for another nice point - advertising and reviews are all out in the open - no need for clandestine conversations or "fictitious" reviews, and no ambiguity about what you would or would not receive. I thought it worked GREAT.

[charlestudor2005]

I think legalization is OK, but it would create a unique problem that doesn't exist now.

Now, hobbyists and providers engage in the hobby (which is illegal), and which they have to hide from all.

Under a legalized system, everyone would be engaged in legal activities which don't have to be hidden...but which, in fact, would, for the most part need to continue to stay hidden from family and friends on both sides of the hobby. So, in some respects, everyone would be more vulnerable to being outed by a transparent system because it is legal.

[Carrie Hillcrest]

If legalization occured, the quality would suffer indeed. For example, I would retire.

Legalization (with registration, open provider and client lists, public storefronts, etc.) would pose at least an initial danger of being "outed" to both provider and client. Changing the legal status of our little world is different from changing public and family/friend/employer opinion about it.

Decriminalization -- repealing legislation that makes sex for money illegal, and not enacting any licensing-type laws -- on the other hand, would be beneficial to both provider and client by allowing freedom to see who you want without concern about LE getting in the way. Possibly more ladies would start providing due to the apparently decreased risks, which could in turn lower rates. The state wouldn't directly benefit as much, as they would lose revenue from misdemeanor fines, and there would be no direct taxation on the financial exchange unless the lady decides to file income taxes. However, state money would be saved by not having to fund that particular vice section of the police force, as well as the reduced court and jail/prison costs.

So:
Legalization? Nay!
Decriminalization? Yay!

[kaitlin]

Originally Posted by Carrie Hillcrest

So:
Legalization? Nay!
Decriminalization? Yay!

Well put!

[oden]

Criminalization of prostitution just means selective prosecution for political reasons. Come on, if LE wants to get you they do. In San Antonio it is considered prostitution if a stripper takes her shoes off during a lap dance. There is as much prostitution as there has been since the beginning of time. End the stigma for the ladys. A provider can still work UTR even if it is legal and men will still face the political fallout if family, the public or politics turns against them. Same goes for women.

Why should individuals face criminal prosecution for consenting acts?

[kaitlin]

Originally Posted by oden

Criminalization of prostitution just means selective prosecution for political reasons. Come on, if LE wants to get you they do. In San Antonio it is considered prostitution if a stripper takes her shoes off during a lap dance. There is as much prostitution as there has been since the beginning of time. End the stigma for the ladys. A provider can still work UTR even if it is legal and men will still face the political fallout if family, the public or politics turns against them. Same goes for women.

Why should individuals face criminal prosecution for consenting acts?

whoa, SHOES??? what on EARTH is that about?

i wonder -- what % of LE personnel patronize escorts, erotic masseuses, courtesans, etc. -- either now, in the past, etc.?

[Buonas]

Legalization does not mean that there are public lists/registrations and storefronts. just check out places other than the stereotype Amsterdam.
I made the argument for legalization in another thread. it will not happen in this country.

[Michellepdxxx]

I think that legalization would be better and I don't think that it would make the quality of the providers change at all.
I have been a provider for a long time and have noticed the change of providers thru the years.
There was a time when a provider would rarely do anything uncovered,GFE and many other services that so many provide now.There have always been providers that rob people and do some crazy stuff.If things were legal,the risk of this would be taken away and I'm sure that providers would be checked for STD's,like the brothels in NV.
Providers wouldn't have to worry about their safety either.There are crazy people out there and sometime all of the screening in the world doesn't make a difference.I have known providers get killed from a military guy in Hawaii to a business man in a Vegas casino.Funny thing,the military guy was mad because he didn't want to be treated like he was a hobbyist and he killed more than one girl.The guy in Vegas was calling services in Vegas and was verified~not to mention staying in the casinos.He eventually messed up and was caught.But killed too many girls before they caught him.
Girls wouldn't have to worry about how to prove their income either.Just think of all the tax write offs!
When it comes down to it,it seems safes all the way around the board.

[npita]

Originally Posted by Buonas

Legalization does not mean that there are public lists/registrations and storefronts. just check out places other than the stereotype Amsterdam.

You mean, like Nevada? Oh wait - legalization there means working in a brothel in select counties and registering with the county. In practice, legalization in the U.S. would result in lots of things many if not most would like to avoid, like registering one's real name with the state/county/whatever and having that placed in a database (forever) that is a public record. In all likelyhood, most escorts would not comply with the requirements that legalization would impose. The ones who would be most interested in operating legally would be those whose name is already a matter of public record (e.g., arrested and or convicted). Women who wished to keep their activities private (quite a few, I imagine) would have a lot of incentive to continue operating illegally.

[Buonas]

Originally Posted by npita

You mean, like Nevada? Oh wait - legalization there means working in a brothel in select counties and registering with the county. In practice, legalization in the U.S. would result in lots of things many if not most would like to avoid, like registering one's real name with the state/county/whatever and having that placed in a database (forever) that is a public record. In all likelyhood, most escorts would not comply with the requirements that legalization would impose. The ones who would be most interested in operating legally would be those whose name is already a matter of public record (e.g., arrested and or convicted). Women who wished to keep their activities private (quite a few, I imagine) would have a lot of incentive to continue operating illegally.

I was referring to the situation Germany, the Netherlands and Switzerland.
Besides, there are reputable professional registrations like medical professionals that do not have client or patient data public.
If someone has issues with double-standard morals, that one should stay out of this profession to start with. Do you think, neighbors do not know what is going on? I don't believe most people are that naive.
and I am not even going there about data protection, privacy laws and what information is openly available in this country....

[nebtex1]

In Nevada some counties have legalized it ... my impression is that it is more expensive there.

Believe me if the gov't were to legalize for tax revenue purposes ... they would make you register etc. ... there would still be a lot of UTR unofficial girls.

I like the idea of decriminalizing for independent / consenting adults.

[npita]

Originally Posted by Buonas

Besides, there are reputable professional registrations like medical professionals that do not have client or patient data public.

Give me the name of anyone in Texas and in less than 5 minutes, I'll be able to find out if he/she is a medical professional and if that person is a physician, also get his/her DEA#. Ditto for attorneys and bar information, engineers and professional licenses, and in general, verify any professional with his/her license/registration information. I can't imagine an escort subjecting herself to the kind of attention that kind of public records information would bring.

If someone has issues with double-standard morals, that one should stay out of this profession to start with.

We aren't talking about a provider having double standards here. We're talking about other people who are busybodies and moral crusaders.

Do you think, neighbors do not know what is going on?

As a matter of fact, yes, I believe they don't - at least if the provider is fairly conscious of what her neighbors are doing and when.

I don't believe most people are that naive.

Most people are even more naive than that.

and I am not even going there about data protection, privacy laws and what information is openly available in this country....

If you want to argue for legalization, then you have to go there, since how it gets legalized makes a great deal of difference as to whether it legalization would be meaningful.

[Buonas]

Like i said, other countries have dealt with legalization a long time ago and it works there. That data protection and privacy is a big issue here is a given. so I frankly don't care about moral crusaders and so on, as I am fed up with this place anyway and plan to move back to the 21st century.