I see sex work as somewhat analogous to coal mining. It’s not that it isn’t real work, or that those who work in that capacity don’t deserve rights, dignity, or a society that works for them. The problem, of course, is the ever-present exploitation of the workers coupled with the severe unpleasantness of the occupation which ensures that the people who do work these jobs are those with few other options. That isn’t to say that all sex workers and/or coal miners are miserable. Even so, the patterns around this kind of work are unmistakable.
Given these facts, I think most reasonable people understand that sex work should go extinct. That isn’t to say that you can’t make pornography or have sex with strangers. However, it’s impossible to gauge enthusiastic consent when money is changing hands, and enthusiastic consent is a vital component for an ethical sexual encounter.
My question for the community is how exactly this is meant to be accomplished. How can sex work be abolished without harming the very people it’s meant to protect? The number one problem western sex workers face, more so than creepy clients, is the cops, who profile them, steal their wages, and arrest them on a whim. Clearly, criminalizing sex work hasn’t done much for sex workers. What are some alternatives?
I think that’s the crux of the issue that is often missing in so many conversations about the validity of sex work as work. Humans should be free to embrace all of the positives that come out of sexual relationships. And that includes things like erotica and sexual release as a form of therapy. These things can add value to society.
But like, you said, society would have to be fundamentally different to even begin having that conversation. Because our cultural perspectives on sex are all part of the superstructure rooted in our economic base. And under capitalism, it’s all coercive. And if sex work is coercive, like all other work under capitalism, then what we’re talking about is rape and rape glorification. We can’t seriously have the conversation about the validity of sex work, etc. if we can’t tear down this system first.
Yeah, no one is calling the Kama Sutra pornography. We know the difference.