We all know there is a demand for casual sex work here in Ireland. We have argued for many years that this is the best and safest way to control the industry and are supported by voices like Amnesty International. However, there are indeed many myths about this scheme, spread in the press and on social media by groups opposed to casual sex work. Whether they do this out of ignorance or to instigate a targeted disinformation campaign is debatable.
Today we are going to look at these myths and debunk them for the benefit of everyone reading this.
Casual sex leads to increased human trafficking
Hell no. The laws against human trafficking will not change, and by choosing this path, we will be able to fight human trafficking more effectively.
By removing the risk of arrest, prostitutes become allies in the fight against trafficking, and more trafficking victims are likely to come forward knowing they won’t be persecuted.
Casual prostitutes would attract more people
The same applies here. No. People do it anyway, and the current system doesn’t stop it. Criminalizing prostitutes would keep some in the industry longer than they would like because they would have to put their conviction on their resume. This would reduce their chances of getting another job.
Casual prostitutes would encourage pimps
If women knew they wouldn’t get in trouble, they would be encouraged to run their businesses because everything would be exposed. Pushing it underground could lead to nefarious characters getting involved who wouldn’t have been involved otherwise.
Casual sex increases customer demand
The demand is there anyway, so there won’t be a magical rush. Customers already know where the escort sites are and where the local brothels are, so this measure is not necessary.
What will happen if it is pushed underground is that some of these customers will take advantage of the secrecy and abuse the temporary sex workers. By offering casual sex, better safety measures can be put in place to help the women affected.
By practicing casual sex, you are saying, “It’s okay.”
This couldn’t be further from the truth. You’re free to think casual sex is gross. It’s a human right. By taking this step, you’re simply acknowledging that it’s happening and finding the best way to protect those who choose to do it anyway. You can achieve this by making everything clear and explicit.
The other option is to push it underground and make the vulnerable even more vulnerable. I’ve always felt that anti-casual sex organizations see attacks on casual sex workers as a necessary evil to deter people from working in the industry. Whatever the motivation, the result is the same: the number of attacks is increasing, but the number being reported is decreasing.
