ISWFACE Presents....

1. ISWFACE Presents.... • because our lives matter..... International Sex Worker Foundation for Art, Culture and Education www.iswface.org a non-profit 501 (c)3 organization

2. “Thank God I’ve been rescued!” Why Do You Want To Put a Nice Girl Like Me In Jail For My Own Good? The Absurdity of American Prostitution Laws in 2005

3. Text, graphics and narration by Norma Jean Almodovar edited by McKenzie Zeiss please give author and our organization source credit if you use any material from this presentation. thank you.

4. The more you know... the more you will support Decriminalization Because the right to “choose” means the right to choose something for oneself that others disagree with or that they find morally objectionable... Warning: contains some graphic images which may not be appropriate for all people. Please do not continue if you are easily offended by sexually explicit images or are under the age of 18.

5. What is prostitution anyway? • California defines it as a “lewd act for money or other consideration” Other states vary on the specific language, but essentially it is the same everywhere but Nevada, where it is legal in some counties but not others.

6. What is a “lewd act”? • The touching of breasts, buttocks or genitals for the purpose of sexual gratification OR arousal

7. What is “other consideration”? • The California State Supreme Court ruled that “other consideration” can be something as innocuous as someone mowing your lawn..... and then coming inside and touching your breasts..... buttocks or genitals and becoming aroused - but not necessarily having sex......

8. and then there is: • Going out to dinner • Or just having drinks • Buying you a present • Helping you pay the rent ... Remember- you don’t have to actually have SEX for you to break the law!

9. So, are you a prostitute???? • Most likely the cops won’t come after you if you don’t earn a living this way, but that doesn’t mean you aren’t one....... according to the law, anyway..... But should you go to jail if you do get “caught”?

10. Why is prostitution against the law, anyway? Here are some of the reasons the politicians give: • Selling one’s body is immoral • It exploits women and children • It’s degrading to sell one’s body • Prostitutes spreads sexually transmitted diseases • Prostitution lowers the quality of life • It disrespects society

11. Prostitutes have low self-esteem • Most prostitutes are run- aways and drug addicts • The mob is involved in prostitution • Prostitutes don’t pay taxes • Prostitutes are beaten by their pimps and clients • Prostitution hurts marriages • Prostitution can only be a short term career • Not all prostitutes can earn the big bucks

12. What is the purpose of a law? • To protect life and property • To punish those who violate other people’s rights through the use of force, the threat of force, fraud or coercion • Punishment usually includes the restriction of movement (through incarceration) and the loss of one’s civil rights for the duration of the punishment

13. what is the purpose of a law? continued.... • to prohibit certain actions which harm others and to which those others have not consented to have said harm inflicted upon them • to coerce individuals or groups to engage in or not to engage in particular behavior or actions, as decided by other groups or individuals who are able to persuade law makers to pass legislation which reflects the wishes of the groups or individuals who have the power to impose their will on others

14. Remember: no matter what the stated purpose of a law may be, enforcement of the law is always ultimately done at the point of a gun... for if the person who is “violating” the law (even if that person is the“victim”) does not voluntarily agree to go with the police officers who are there to apprehend the person who is breaking the law, the police can use LETHAL force or the threat of lethal force to subdue the suspect and gain his or her cooperation... and while this may appropriate for apprehending someone who has committed one of the following crimes, is this appropriate for assisting someone whom we claim is a “victim of exploitation”?

15. Actions which violate the life and property of others (and for which laws prohibiting these actions are appropriate): • *Robbery, burglary, auto theft, petty theft (or the taking of ANYTHING- without permission of the owner- that isn’t yours) • *Homicide, assault, battery, torture, using force or threatening to use force against another for any reason • *Kidnapping, child molesting, child abandonment *Rape or sexual assault- statutory rape, domestic violence *Obtaining something from another using fraudulent or deceitful methods (scams, identity theft, computer fraud)

16. Let’s carefully examine each of the justifications given for the continued prohibition of prostitution: • “Selling one’s body is immoral”: First of all, “morality” is an individual value system based on one’s belief in a supreme being. In a free society, people have the right NOT to share or live by the same “moral values” as the “majority” in a community, without forfeiting their freedom. It is not an infringement upon anyone else’s “life or property” rights for someone to fail to act or behave according to the “moral values” of the majority.

17. Many people in our society believe that homosexuality and abortion are immoral- still others believe that any sexual relationship outside of marriage is immoral. And there are people who believe that interracial marriages are immoral. People who believe these behaviors are immoral have a right to their belief..... they just don’t have a right to impose their moral values on others. When we impose our personal values or beliefs on others- at the point of a gun (which is how laws are ultimately enforced)- we cease being a free society and become no better than a theocracy or dictatorship. “Choice” means choice, doesn’t it, even if others don’t approve?

18. People who believe they have a right to impose their moral values on others through laws certainly have a contemptuous disregard of other people’s freedom! Not to mention, a cavalier attitude toward other people’s money, too, because enforcement of those moral values costs money- billions of dollars as a matter of fact. Do-gooders may truly believe they are acting in society’s best interest when they insist that their own personal moral values be given the weight of the law. But every adult has a right to choose to engage in private behavior that others might find morally reprehensible, as long as no force, threat of force, fraud or coercion is involved in one’s interactions with others. That’s what freedom is about. Carrie Nation believed she was doing God’s work …

19. Another problem with the argument for prohibiting prostitution on the grounds that “selling of one’s body” is immoral is that anyone who uses their body to earn a living is also “selling their body.” That includes athletes, who sell their bodies by engaging in sports activity for money; construction workers, dancers, actors, models- all these workers are “selling their body.” So should we arrest all the people who “sell their body” or just prostitutes?

20. Okay, so what about the argument that prostitution “exploits women and children...” First, it is illegal to have sex with children and underage people under any circumstances. So laws which prohibit sex with minors should continue to be enforced -whether or not money is involved. When applied to adult women, “exploitation” is a subjective argument. The dictionary defines exploitation as “an act of employing to the greatest possible advantage” or “the utilization of another person or group for selfish purposes,” and according to some political philosophies, the entire capitalistic system “exploits the workers.” So should we outlaw labor altogether to prevent anyone from being “exploited” by another? How would we get anything produced? Or is it only the poor who can be exploited? And why would we make such assumptions unless we believed that the poor are inherently stupid and incapable of self- determination... which is an extremely bigoted point of view, isn’t it?

21. What do I mean by ‘subjective’? When someone other than the individual(s) involved in a particular activity projects his or her own unsolicited opinion onto the actions or behaviors of another, and there are no rational or objective reasons that a behavior or action is prevented- that is, reasons which are uninfluenced by personal prejudices- then the argument is subjective. Laws which are based on subjective premises will inevitably cause serious problems in law enforcement- especially for the “victims” who “violate” the law. Words like “exploitation” and “degradation” are used by those who wish to evoke an emotional response in their audience, without regard to the actual experience of those who are said to be “exploited” or “degraded.” It is an elitist philosophy indeed which postulates that any group of people (in this case prostitutes) is incapable of speaking on their own behalf!

22. Sex worker activists do not claim that there are NO women and girls who are forced into prostitution. Indeed, forced labor, sexual slavery and domestic violence are serious problems which need to be addressed by the global community. Forced labor includes garment manufacturing and other factory work, domestic service, picking crops and construction work, to name a few. There are young girls who are forced into arranged marriages and become the sexual slaves of their husbands. There are wives who are beaten and even murdered by their husbands. These are terrible situations and are rightfully prohibited. However, not a single sex slave child bride will be saved or helped by prohibiting adult women from marrying, or by arresting those who marry regardless of the risk. And not a single victim of sex trafficking will be helped by arresting any consenting adults who engage in commercial sex.

23. For almost any type of labor, it is possible for someone to force children and adults to perform the labor- against their will or without compensation, or for insufficient wages, in substandard working conditions, or when they aren’t physically capable of performing such labor. Such coerced situations are very wrong and perpetrators ought to be punished.... but would anyone suggest that the victims be arrested.... to protect them “for their own good”? So why do we arrest prostitutes if they are VICTIMS?

24. “According to government reports, many victims of human trafficking are forced to work in prostitution or the sex entertainment industry. But trafficking also involves labor exploitation, such as domestic, restaurant, janitorial, sweatshop factory, and migrant agricultural work.Some traffickers keep victims locked up; other traffickers instill fear in victims using methods such as debt bondage, threats of violence, confiscation of passports or other identification documents, isolation from family and friends, and telling victims they will be imprisoned or deported for immigration violations if they contact authorities. Trafficking of humans is estimated to be the second-largest criminal industry in the world after drug dealing, and the fastest growing. The U.S. State Department estimates human trafficking to be a $13 billion-per-year global industry.” BY SANDRA BLACKMER, news editor for the Adventist Review, 2004 http://www.adventistreview.org/2004-1548/story5.html

25. “What is the United States doing for trafficked persons in the U.S.? It is estimated that between 40 - 50,000 people (mostly women and children) are trafficked to the U.S. each year.” February 12, 2004, US Embassy in Thailand http://bangkok.usembassy.gov/services/docs/reports/humanfacts02.htm “Trafficking in persons is a modern-day form of slavery, involving victims who are typically forced, defrauded or coerced into sexual or labor exploitation. It is among the fastest growing criminal activities, occurring both worldwide and in individual countries. Annually, at least 600,000 - 800,000 people, mostly women and children, are trafficked across borders worldwide, including 14,500 - 17,500 persons into the United States.” U.S. Department of State 2004 http://www.state.gov/g/tip/ We won’t get into the conflicting numbers that are given by various government agencies- although we wonder where they get these figures… But does anyone suggest we outlaw ALL work in the domestic, restaurant, janitorial, garment factory, and migrant agricultural labor fields to “protect” these trafficked persons from exploitation?

26. Who is being protected when a prostitute is arrested for selling something she can legally give away.... to as many men as she wants to have sex with, as long as it is for free? If she has sex with hundreds of men but it is for free, is she being exploited? Condom buyers line up to get free demonstration Some may believe that she is being exploited (and others think she is a slut) but she won’t be arrested or face jail time as long as she doesn’t accept money or gifts for her sexual favors.... why do we want to rescue her against her will?

27. The “rescue and reformation” of prostitutes has always been a big business. In the late 19th century, “fallen women” (prostitutes) had literally hundreds of Rescue Organizations vying for their souls and the money that went with their “salvation.” Most of those prostitutes unlucky enough to be so rescued could count on a life of slavery as inmates in the laundries, asylums and penitentiaries built by “faith based” organizations who raised thousands of dollars from the church-going public, horrified by the stories of the “poor, betrayed and fallen women” of the streets. It wasn’t until the mid 1990’s when an inadvertent act of greed* uncovered the scandal in Ireland of the Magdalen laundresses - “Maggies” as they were called- whose slave labor in the laundries had enriched the coffers of the local Catholic Churches there for well over 100 years. *In 1993 when property held by the Sisters of Charity in Dublin was to be sold, unmarked graves of 133 women were discovered. The shameful history of the Magdalene Laundries can be found on the web at: http://www.magdalenelaundries.com/

28. In the later part of the twentieth century, a curious phenomenon occurred: the far left radical feminists, who had been for many years preaching the gospel of prostitution as a violation of human rights and sexual exploitation- got in bed with religious conservatives who were all too happy to accept the new wording for their age-old moral crusade against prostitution. The religious conservatives had, for the most part, lost the public’s sympathy with their crusade against personal moral choices such as homosexuality and abortion, and needed a new holy war to inspire their congregations. But to reach the general populace, the wording needed to be altered so as not to be perceived as just another “moral” campaign. The radical feminists had the jargon already constructed- based on the century old crusade against “sexual trafficking.” With the feminists involved, this was a fight Parents were warned not to let their daughters go to ice cream parlors where they would meet up with evil foreigners against the sexual degradation of women and children- not a fight against immoral behavior, and thus could the public be persuaded it was imperative to pass new laws and spend of millions of dollars to “rescue” the “sexually exploited.” Whose heart strings aren’t stirred at the thought of young children and women forced to perform sex acts upon evil, lust-filled men? Who wouldn’t be justifiably disturbed at the thought of greedy pimps making billions of dollars off the sale of those poor, exploited persons? Don’t these people worry about the exploitation of poor, young athletes of color whose white agents are making a fortune off them?

29. Radical feminists and religious conservatives insist that no distinction be made between consenting adult commercial sex and true sexual slavery. Using skewed law enforcement statistics- which also do not differentiate between consenting adult prostitutes and those persons of any age who are coerced into sex slavery- the global community is duped into believing that there are possibly millions of trafficked victims worldwide who are nothing short of “modern day slaves.” Without clarification, these statistics are truly alarming and shocking- and certainly when there is force, fraud and underage persons involved, it is without a doubt a very serious problem. But isn’t it also a serious problem for those who are forced into sweat shops and mail order marriages?

30. In their “anti-trafficking” literature, these feminists accuse those of us in the sex industry who make a distinction between “forced vs. free choice” sex work, of supporting slavery and sexual exploitation- and yet it is the very lack of distinction between the two that causes women the greatest harm. What we want to know is, how would it possible to help those who are victims of rape if ALL consenting adult sex acts were considered rape? Wouldn’t it diminish the victimization of women who have been raped if those who vehemently assert that they are NOT victims were told that in fact, they really are victims? Why is a woman believed by these radical feminists if she claims to be a victim but not believed if she insists she isn’t? The (irrational) rationale behind this policy [to include those who freely choose to engage in sex work] is the illogical assertion that no one would willingly agree to be exploited and to engage in prostitution- therefore there is no difference between “forced” and “free choice” nor is there a difference between adult and child prostitution! These astonishing claims, made by these radical leftist feminists and religious conservatives, have persuaded our legislators, top law enforcement officials and the media that there is no difference, even as sex worker activists around the world desperately try to assert our voices to be heard. No one, it seems, want to hear from US!

31. Local governments spend much time and money investigating and setting up sting operations on individuals and small businesses which may or may not be involved in prostitution activities. The justification for the use of scarce and valuable resources is the “need to stop” the “trafficking in women.” The problem is that to law enforcement agents, “trafficking in women” is not limited in its scope to those young girls and women who are kidnapped and forced into prostitution against their will, but includes any and all adult women who have made an adult choice to engage in sex work as a way to (a) earn a living on their own, (b) earn a living working for someone else or (c) work to repay the fee for being transported into this country because they cannot get into the country any other way [the fear of the “white slave trade” caused the US to implement immigration and even visitation policies which make it almost impossible for young, single, attractive females to enter the country alone]. These self- published books of 1910 have led to almost one hundred years of a most hideous policy to lock women up “for their own good.”

32. Radical feminists offer a “solution” of decriminalizing the work of sex workers but then demand strong enforcement of laws which make the clients of prostitutes criminals. We don’t want you girls to go to jail, just the bad men who give you money to pay your rent! How brilliant is that? The cops now demand sex, money and information from prostitutes or threaten them with arrest... under such a system where the client is the criminal, the cops simply threaten to arrest the prostitute’s customers if she/ he doesn’t comply with the officer’s demands for sex, money or information... what has been accomplished? Absolutely nothing! Not to mention the fact that the client isn’t a criminal unless he pays (or offers to pay) the prostitute for her services... so if he demands those services for free, will the police still arrest him?

33. Let’s move on to the next “argument” against prostitution- that it should be prohibited because “prostitution spreads diseases.” To determine the validity of this argument, there are some questions which need answering: First, while health issues are definitely of concern to any society, should it be the duty of the police to enforce laws which rightfully fall within the purview of the Health Department? Do police departments have the resources to deal with health issues- such as testing prostitutes to see if they in fact have an STDs? Second, does it help the problem or make it worse to deny access for those who are supposedly infected with diseases and make it so that prostitutes are unable to seek medical care because they are outside the law?

34. Then, we need to examine the incidence of STDs among prostitutes as compared to other sexually active groups.... and if we are going to prohibit commercial sexual encounters because of the possibility of the spread of STDs, shouldn’t we also prohibit sexual encounters which are the primary vectors of diseases? In the US, many health studies have been conducted on prostitutes- by the Center for Disease Control in Atlanta, GA, as well as local health departments and research organizations... Would it surprise you to learn that according to this research, the number one source of STDs in the US comes from high school and college age people who are not practicing safe sex, and that prostitutes are the least significant source of sexually transmitted diseases? To stop the spread of diseases, shall we arrest all students who have sex?

35. The Center for Disease Control studies found that the greatest source of STDs is from non- commercial encounters in the high school and college age group- not from prostitutes...... One night stands (non commercial) Prostitutes (commercial) So should we outlaw all non commercial sexual encounters outside of marriage, instead of just prostitution? High school and college age people (also non commercial)

36. The reason for the low rate of STD transmission among prostitutes is not only because they use condoms- but also the way they actually do their job..... Hand-jobs..... are very “safe sex” Fantasy sex- such as foot fetishes, cross dressing, and bondage do not spread diseases

37. Even street workers practice safe sex- at least much of the time- because the major complaint that residents have who live in areas where street prostitutes work, is that the prostitutes litter the ground with condoms.... So if the spread of STDs cannot be pinned primarily on prostitutes, why should that used as an argument against decriminalization? Well, doesn’t litter impact the quality of life for everyone? That is our next argument to examine. It should be noted that it is already against the law to litter- no matter what the discarded items (including beer cans and religious literature)- and we agree that it would be much better for everyone if those who litter would be a little more considerate. But is discarded litter a legitimate complaint against ALL prostitutes, for which society should prohibit our work altogether and put us in jail?

38. Street prostitutes are the most visible, so the media likes to portray all prostitution as street prostitution... yet the reality is that street workers represent a small portion of the sex industry. Estimates from many sources indicate that street prostitution comprises about 10% of all prostitution, meaning that about 90% of prostitutes work off the streets where they cannot be seen by the public and therefore do not interfere with anyone’s “quality of life.” As for street prostitution, there are more effective ways of resolving problems with residential street activity than a blanket prohibition against all prostitution. In countries where prostitution is not illegal, there are special areas- red light districts- where street prostitution is permitted. The women are safer (because they are not outlaws) and customers know where to go to find a sexual companion. Street workers Escorts Bar girls Call Girls Full body massage workers Brothel workers

39. But we must ask, should the standard for the “quality of life” of some citizens in the community be at the expense- and liberty- of others? How should the police determine whose “quality of life” matters more? Can there be a single standard for “quality of life” in a community? And which part of the community sets the standard? In Beverly Hills, California, the “quality of life” standard for citizens who live there is probably far higher than it is for its neighbors living in South Central Los Angeles, and the “quality of life” standard for residents of South Central Los Angeles is no doubt far higher than it is for citizens of, say, Calcutta India. There are the rich, the middle class, the poor and the desperately poor. So who decides what counts as “quality of life” for such disparate lifestyles? Who decides how to allocate scarce police resources to enforce these standards?

40. In some neighborhoods, it may be illegal to hold garage sales- while in other neighborhoods garage sales not only thrive, but the remnants of such weekly events remain on the lawns for months afterward... no one taking the time or trouble to clean up the trash left by bargain hunters.... On any given day in the San Fernando Valley area of Los Angeles, one can drive up and down the streets and find enough discarded furniture on the sidewalks to completely furnish a huge apartment complex... while junk strewn everywhere certainly diminishes the quality of life for most residents, there are no cops out setting up sting operations to catch the litterers in the act...

41. If we cannot agree which standards of “quality” should be imposed, how can we expect law enforcement officers to enforce such laws with any propriety? Such arbitrary rules can only be enforced arbitrarily and thus unfairly (and unconstitutionally). At the same time, we have laws that are supposed to prevent serious and real crimes against person and property which are not enforced because we don’t have sufficient police resources to do so! What should their priority be? Do you suppose the cops are able to pursue the perpetrators of every single act of domestic violence (surely a serious crime)? [Studies reveal that family violence occurs in two million families in the U.S. This figure, however, is a conservative one that substantially understates (because battering is usually not reported until it reaches life-threatening proportions) the actual number of families affected by domestic violence. In fact, some researches estimate that one of every two women will be battered at some time in their life.] http://www.actabuse.com/dvstats_2.html#1 Even though it is not politically correct to acknowledge it, men are also victims of domestic violence … since women are quite capable of fighting and men are often afraid to defend themselves against a smaller person. It is as though feminists want to portray all women (other than themselves) as incompetent, weak, lowly creatures who are as ignorant, innocent and incapable of violence as a lamb… which is totally at odds with their insistence that women be allowed to engage in battle combat in wars, and work out on patrol in police departments…

42. Do you think that the police follow up on every petty theft report? What percentage of stolen automobiles do you suppose the cops recover every month? All of them? Half of them? And how about purse snatching, pick-pockets, identity theft and other “minor” offenses? These are truly “crimes” and have “victims” and yet the police are told (by the city council and mayor whose financial backers insist on priority enforcement of such laws) that it is more important for them to pursue adult “victims of exploitation” because someone other than the “victim” believes that it is necessary for the “victim” to be “rescued” by being arrested and incarcerated! If you have ever been the victim of one of those “minor offenses,” you might be comforted to know that the police are too busy protecting women who do not wish to be protected to search for your criminal … And perhaps you might believe that you are much safer in your homes because of it!

43. Punishing someone by putting them in jail because they violate our sense of “quality of life” or because they “disrespect society” is not a legitimate use of the justice system, particularly not in a “free” country. It is not yet illegal to disrespect society nor to have low self-esteem. So then how can we justify punishing someone because we think they have low self- esteem? Shall we arrest everyone who suffers from low self-esteem? And how do we know that ALL prostitutes suffer low self- esteem? You might argue that you only want to keep prostitution illegal because some prostitutes might suffer low self- esteem, but does being arrested increase ANYONE’s self- esteem? Have you ever been arrested and spent time in jail? If so, you would KNOW for a fact that being arrested and sent to jail does NOT improve your sense of self- worth!

44. What about the argument that most prostitutes are run-aways and drug addicts? First, let’s examine the argument of the run-away prostitute... a “run-away” would be someone who is underage, as in a teenager or child who ran away from home. Remember, it is illegal to have sex with a minor- regardless- so keeping ADULT prostitution illegal does ABSOLUTELY NOTHING to protect children or run-aways, and in fact reduces the available resources that could be used to assist run-aways and victims of child sexual abuse. Considering how many adult women are actually arrested for prostitution, it is preposterous to suggest that MOST prostitutes are run-aways! Clearly they are NOT! Okay, but what about the drugs? Don’t women prostitute themselves to support their drug habit?

45. Yes, some women do. But not all prostitutes use drugs. Furthermore, although we could argue that keeping some drugs illegal while others are cheaply, freely and legally available (cigarettes and alcohol) is a bit hypocritical and that if you make foolish choices and drink or smoke, your body doesn’t know the difference whether it is a legal drug or not, and that dead is dead, whether from a drug overdose or lung cancer- we must point out the obvious and that is that there is rampant (illegal) drug use among athletes, actors, musicians, writers, lawyers, even cops- AND MANY OTHERS! Yet no one suggests that we criminalize those professions to stop drug use by those persons, nor do we require cops to arrest persons in those professions JUST IN CASE THEY MIGHT use drugs... for everyone except prostitutes, we wait until a person actually gets caught using drugs before we arrest them... and even then, if they are famous, rich or important, they often get to go to rehab and not to jail....

46. Well then, what about the argument that the mob is involved in running prostitution? Surely if there is any logical argument to keeping prostitution a crime, this would be it, wouldn’t it? I mean, we don’t want organized crime to control women, and after all, prohibition was so successful in eliminating unwanted alcohol consumption, wasn’t it? And of course, just because there is evidence to show that the mob (organized crime) is and has been involved in the music industry, construction, the garment industry and about every other area where there is money to be made, is no reason to criminalize those professions to keep out the mob... we should only be concerned about their possible involvement in prostitution....

47. Interestingly enough, there were government studies which stated that while organized crime may have some involvement in running strip clubs and other legal forms of sex work, prostitutes tended to be too independent for the mob to control. That’s not to say that there isn’t organized crime involved in prostitution activities, but if prostitution weren’t illegal in the first place, prostitutes could go to the police if anyone tried to coerce them into working for them, or if someone tried to make them pay for “protection”- which also wouldn’t be necessary if the prostitute wasn’t an outlaw! Keeping prostitution outside the law only protects those who can afford to pay off the police and who in turn offer protection services to those who wish to engage in commercial sexual activities. It is the illegal status of prostitution that allows the prostitute to be pressured into “cooperation” - whether that cooperation is with the mob or with a vice cop who offers the prostitute the opportunity to continue to work as long as she provides the cop with sex, money and information. This is discussed at length in the presentation entitled “ The Reality of Prostitution Law Enforcement- or Bad Laws Make Bad Cops.”

48. Okay, what about the argument that we ought to keep prostitution illegal because prostitutes don’t pay taxes? Even though many prostitutes do, in fact, pay taxes, let’s examine the logic of this argument. People believe that because prostitution is a cash business, prostitutes won’t pay taxes on this income. However, there are a number of other cash businesses which are not illegal and those who engage in these businesses do pay their taxes. Being outside the law is more of an incentive NOT to pay taxes than being paid in cash is! And because many women who work in prostitution earn a higher than average income, they want to be able to buy property such as cars and houses with their money. If they don’t have a tax base (provable income on which they pay taxes) they cannot do so. The IRS does NOT care how someone earns ones’ money, only that they pay taxes on their income. If you are concerned that someone is cheating on their taxes, it should be a matter for the IRS to investigate, not the police.

49. Well, you might say, then what about all that violence that occurs in prostitution? Don’t prostitutes get beaten up by their pimps and clients? And wouldn’t that be a legitimate reason to prohibit prostitution- to protect women from being the victims of violence? Okay, if prohibiting prostitution to protect women from violence is a viable solution, shouldn’t this solution also work for other relationships in which there is violence? Perhaps we ought to consider outlawing marriage to prevent spousal abuse and domestic violence? No, no, you might argue- that’s not necessary because domestic violence is not inherent in marriage- and not all marriages suffer from such abuse! But exactly how prevalent is domestic violence in the United States? According to victim's services: 6 million women are the victims of violence by a husband or live-in partner 1.8 million women are severely attacked in a year An act of domestic violence occurs every 15 seconds http://dl.mass.edu/stoptheviolence/pages/info.html

50. That’s a fairly significant number of cases of violence... so how shall we protect spouses and children from domestic violence if we don’t outlaw marriage? Should we arrest spouses and children when they are the victims of violence, or should we arrest the person who commits the violence against them? Should we arrest someone just in case they might commit violence against their partner, even if no threat has ever been made and they have never exhibited any violent tendencies? Why do we consider these the appropriate actions to take when prostitutes are the victims of violence? What if I told you that not all nor even most prostitutes are victims of violence at the hands of their clients or pimps (or that most prostitutes do not have pimps in the first place), and that when a prostitute IS the victim of violence, she cannot go to the police to file a complaint because the PROSTITUTE is an OUTLAW? How does prohibiting prostitution protect prostitutes from violence? The answer is that it does not protect them at all. Even in the worst case scenario where the prostitute is being forced to engage in prostitution against her will, she is still considered the outlaw and is arrested and goes to jail. And if this isn’t a solution to protecting women in marriage, it isn’t a solution to protect prostitutes either.