I understand that some of the criticism comes from conservatives but the sentiment seems to extend far beyond thst. Of course, I understand it when it’s forced or when someone only does it to survive against their will. But if people genuinely want to do it, why do people hate on them?
And obviously neither do you. But I do know men women and enbys still doing and enjoying sex work at the age you specifically picked as the age where they “can’t” do it anymore and their life will be over for having done sex work. Which was my point, and one you’ve utterly failed to engage with since you now know you were very wrong.
No, it’s a quote, and I apparently misremembered it, since the original word was “moralistic” not “puritanical”.
To be clear: sex work is as bad as any other form of labor coerced by capitalism, it just isn’t worse than any other form of labor coerced by capitalism. Only the kind of magical thinking that says sex is some special sphere of human activity that should be considered sacred would ever tell you otherwise.
And the pimps, Epsteins, and human traffickers of the world benefit directly from moralistic views of sex. If we treated sex exactly the same as any other full contact sport, there would be far less danger for sex workers who report bad behavior from clients or employers, and there would be far less demand from creeps who want to buy children, because there is a definite correlation (even if no proven causal link) between heavily moralistic views of sex and CSA. This is why religious leaders so often wind up being child rapists.
Finally if you think there’s anything strawman or whataboutism in comparing sex work to any other form of work under capitalism, then you do not understand the point I’m making at all, which is that there is no moral difference between the sex worker and the coal miner in a capitalist society. In a socialist society there’s a discussion to be had about whether sex work is socially necessary labor, but there is no question it is labor.
But it is worse.
That’s my whole point backed up with research.
And it specifically makes the world more hostile for women and girls.
It perpetuates the very systems that harm us under the guise of “sexual empowerment”.
Please think about who benefits the most from sexual objectification of women and girls.
It is not women and girls. No matter how you spin it as “empowerment” or anything else.
I think you are missing the forest for the trees here, a capitalist society is by design hostile to any “second class” person (women, disabled, POC).
You need to ground these ideas and think what policies would work on this. If you try to abolish sexwork the only think you will accomplish it even worse conditions for any informal worker. Any person that was willing to perform that kind of work would be out of any protection.
So what are your policies?
Would people still do ‘sexwork’ in a socialist society? If they have no need to work for shelter or food, would people still do it?