Exploitation?
Among the arguments advanced by those who believe prostitution should be prohibited is that it constitutes the exploitation of women and men by those who purchase sex. According to this perspective no one would voluntarily choose to sell their body,consequently prostitution is conflated with sex slavery. In some countries this has given rise to a ban on the selling of sexual services (although of course prostitution still persists) while in other nations, for example Sweden the selling of sex remains legal while the purchasers are subject to a fine and/or imprisonment. Underlying the Swedish Law on Prostitution is the view that those who purchase sex have no right to buy the bodies of prostituted persons. The prostitute is the victim so should not be punished while the sex buyer who is fueling the industry must be deterred by criminal sanctions.
As a writer I am interested in the subject of prostitution. My latest book, Samantha (http://www.amazon.com/Samantha-ebook/dp/B00BL3CNHI/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1364109422&sr=8-2&keywords=samantha+k+morris) tells the story of a young girl forced into the sex industry in Liverpool (a city in the north-west of England). Sam is drugged, compelled to participate in sex acts and then blackmailed into becoming a sex worker. Consequently Sam’s experience fits into the view of prostitution as the exploitation of the prostitute by selfish pimps and sex buyers. Sam’s experience is horrendous and her pimp, Barry richly deserves his grizly end, however Samantha’s experience of prostitution should not be taken as constituting the experiences of all sex workers.
In my story, The First Time (http://www.amazon.com/The-First-Time-ebook/dp/B00AIK0DD6/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1364111659&sr=8-2&keywords=the+first+time+kevin+morris) we meet Becky a young graduate with a degree in English literature who enters the world of prostitution, as a professional escort in order to clear a credit card debt. Unlike Sam Becky’s entry into prostitution is a choice (there is no pimp to use and abuse her, only her fellow escort and friend, Julie who tries to discourage Becky from becoming a prostitute). Is Becky exploited by her clients? Becky visits her client’s of her own free will. She doesn’t want to have sex with her first customer, Mike. She wants to return the money and leave. However Becky chooses not to do so due to her need for cash. At no point during her encounter with Mike is Becky threatened in any way, indeed Mike offers her wine and knowing that it is her first time does his best to put Becky at ease.
The First Time does not gloss over the emotional and psychological effects of prostitution. Becky gets drunk in order to cope with her first encounter with a client. After the appointment she is violently ill from a combination of over indulgence in alcohol but, more importantly as a result of her feeling of worthlessness. She feels that she is “not a mere receptacle for men to pour themselves into”, but despite this she is minded to continue as a prostitute until her debts are cleared.
Becky is a free agent who chooses her path in life. One may (and certainly should) have sympathy for Becky however, in the final analysis responsibility for her situation (unlike with Samantha) rests with Becky. Mike does not exploit her. Becky is an adult and makes a conscious decision to enter sex work. Her dire financial position places great pressure on Becky to obtain money fast, however other people in similar positions do not make the same choices as Becky.
In my short story, Rent (http://newauthoronline.com/2013/03/15/rent/) Leah becomes the mistress of a wealthy stockbroker in order to escape from her life of poverty on a rough council estate in East London’s Tower Hamlets. On one level Leah’s rich partner is exploiting her as he knows that she only stays with him due to the financial stability which he can provide. He feeds Leah money as a drug pusher feeds an addict drugs. On the other hand Leah is an adult and relishes the luxurious lifestyle which her relationship with Ian allows her to lead. She exploits Ian as she stays with him not out of love but due to her liking for the expensive gifts he showers on her. Both Leah and Ian are exploiting one another, they are mutually dependent, each gaining something from the connection however unpleasant that may appear to some people.
The issue of prostitution is highly complex. While exploitation does take place this is by no means the whole story. Of course to acknowledge that not all prostitution is, necessarily based on exploitation is not the same as saying that sex work is desirable or the same as any other job.
