"Oldest profession" not a real career choice
"The oldest profession" [Aug. 30–Sept. 6], seriously?
Although this phrase is increasingly used to characterize prostitution as a career choice, Oxford merely deems it "humorous". Yet instead of genuine work, or a joke among grizzled anglophones, prostitution is better understood as "the oldest oppression": a grim, timeworn reality to be abolished (yes, like slavery–not prohibited for puritanical reasons).
It perhaps needs to be stressed that the age of a practice is no evidence for its necessity or acceptability. Despite his attempt to appear unbiased, Stephen Smysnuik's use of the words work and sex trade implies a tacit acceptance. His article, consistent with current media debates, suggests a false polarity: on the side of criminalization, there are the abolitionists and prohibitionists, extremists who see prostitution as entirely violent or immoral; and on the side of decriminalization, those pragmatic and humane realists, including prostitutes themselves, who wish to legalize it for the safety and benefit of all.
A more nuanced and novel approach is needed. As an abolitionist, I nevertheless support decriminalization as it applies to prostituted women. But this is not equivalent to legalization; studies the world over show that legalization means proliferation and promotes the trafficking of women and children.
The problem with prostitution lies not with the laws or whether it originates on the street or indoors–neither is safe–but with men who exploit and harm prostitutes. Criminalize the men involved, really enforce existing laws, and provide more exit strategies for the women. Given the lack of viable alternatives for women entrenched in prostitution, it is a gross distortion to present it as a career choice.
> Darlene Rigo / Vancouver
Referring to prostitution as the "oldest profession", apart from being false, normalizes prostitution, which is why I suspect that expression persists. Yet prostitution has been anything but normal in humanity's history. It is mostly found in the last five to six thousand years in societies where women are economically, socially, and politically disempowered.
> Kathleen Barrett / Vancouver
I was appalled to see the cover of the Georgia Straight featuring a picture of a body with long legs and high heels next to the caption "The oldest profession". I would have liked to hear more about the views of Rape Relief in the article in this issue in order to have a truly compassionate approach toward the issue of prostitution.
In the article by Stephen Smysnuik, he concludes that Vancouverites need to become more willing to dialogue about sensitive issues like prostitution. Well, I don't see him really taking seriously feminist perspectives on prostitution. He makes a good comparison between having a safe-injection site for drug users and having safer conditions for prostitutes. But he doesn't follow through with this comparison.
The injection site is provided for drug users who can't quit. Nobody is going to argue that drug use is good. Similarly, safer conditions for prostitutes are needed because prostitution is itself bad, and as long as sexism persists in our society without much opposition, men will continue to prey on vulnerable women without much reproof.
> Nicole Andreas / Vancouver
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