Paying For It

[docbrite]

The sins of Amsterdam were still a recent surprise
And we were flying over Scandinavian skies ...Not much surprises me there anymore except rudeness: some tourists, of course, and the portion of the large expat community that seems to believe Amsterdam would be a much nicer place without all those uppity Dutch people. (This is seriously a thing.

Comments

[limbomonkey]

I used to think a lot about this when I was a student, but that was a long time ago. If I remember correctly, this is what I thought: Making something illegal doesn't make it go away, it just makes it more dangerous. Decriminalizing prostitution would help address a lot of the dangers associated with it. (I also think there is a fine line between dating and prostitution, but that is the cynic in me.)

(As an aside, my experience with the people in Amsterdam was that they were either ridiculously rude or ridiculously nice. There was no middle ground.)

[strangelover]

I live in Greece where prostitution is legal, though there are still (far too) many illegal brothels and sex workers. I own a business in the red light district (not a brothel, but an erotic art gallery and bar), so I see a lot of what's going on. Plus, two of my (female) partners have registered and worked as prostitutes, so I've heard their side of the story too.

I think so long as it's consenting adults, it shouldn't be an issue. I've never felt any desire to visit a prostitute, but I have a number of friends who go to them, for various reasons and I think it's good that the option is there.

[clandestiny]

If Prositution were legal, it would hopefully be more regulated in the US. I think the worst part about it is that not all the Johns are vetted. You don't know what diseases people have and being a prostitute can be dangerous for that reason. I'm totally for regulation of it, because it is a tough job that can be fun, and, is important. It was even tolerated during the Middle Ages!

[phalcomb]

Yeah, I'm of the opinion many here have, in that the right to earn money with your body should be preserved. Directly trading favors / money / gifts for sex is not something that should in any way be criminalized.

[suzycat]

It's legal here in NZ. I think there needs to be a stronger regulatory structure; technically you can legally be employed in a brothel if you are 18 (age of consent here is 16) but that seems to put a lot of screwed-up girls on the streets, and I don't think the choice is healthy for them.

What I find most disconcerting of all is that now it's legal, escorts can advertise their prices in the newspaper. It is cheaper for a straight guy to go to a hooker for half an hour than to buy a good bottle of wine. I MEAN GOD. There's something wrong there.

I looked up male escorts recently and notice that they appear to charge a GREAT DEAL MORE, interestingly enough. Hmm.

[docbrite]

I looked up male escorts recently and notice that they appear to charge a GREAT DEAL MORE, interestingly enough. Hmm.

This seems to be the case in Amsterdam as well. The RLD district girls charge about €60 for half an hour, while male escorts seem to start around €160 for an hour, their minimum time. I didn't look into private female escorts, though, and imagine they probably charge more than the window ladies.

[lysystratae]

Well, hell... as a window lady, I could work one hour a day and make more than I do working 8 hours a day.

[bart_calendar]

There are reasons why male escorts cost more.

1. While a female escort can have sex as many times a day as she likes, a male escort can only do it so many times if his client wants him to ejaculate.

2. Even if the male escort is a total bottom and their clients are total tops, anal sex leads to soreness much more quickly than vaginal sex does, which also limits the amount of money they can make in a day.

3. The "shelf life" of a male escort is shorter than that of a female escort so they have to make their money over a shorter period of time. Women can command high end prices into their 30s, but gay men hiring escorts for the most part tend to want them to be 25 or under.

4. There are fewer male escorts in the marketplace and supply and demand dictates they can charge more.