Comments on: Sex Workers Parade Themselves

By: Laura Agustin

Laura Agustin — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 10:13:37 +0000

The laws that I know about in any country are really concerned only with that vague, elusive concept ‘prostitution’. And it’s only street work that the law definitely wants to affect, because that’s where societies’ fears lie.

By: Thaddeus Blanchette

Thaddeus Blanchette — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 18:25:13 +0000

Here in Brazil, I think we are learning that it’s not the purpose of laws to affect all sex work in the same way. Rather, sex work laws are almost always so flexible and contradictory that they can be interpreted as the situation warrants - and rarely in the interest of sex workers. A “good” law from the State’s viewpoint seems to be one that can be stretched any way it needs to be.

By: Laura Agustin

Laura Agustin — Sat, 01 Nov 2008 12:58:34 +0000

Thanks for coming back to me. Fortunately, ‘the sex industry’ is an abstract concept full of so many venues and businesses and jobs that no single law could possibly affect them all the same way. I’m sure you are right that some businesses would take a McDonald’s approach towards their workers, but not all would, and small businesses would be more likely to open.

By: FeministWriter

FeministWriter — Sat, 01 Nov 2008 00:49:24 +0000

Thanks for commenting on my post on sex “slaves.” Sometimes I feel like society’s criminalization of sex work contributes to the danger of those jobs, but it would be even worse if it was legalized. Because then the sex industry would be taken over by huge corporations that would give women minimum wage plus commissions for their work.

By: Laura Agustin

Laura Agustin — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 11:22:26 +0000

I haven’t done formal research in Tijuana and my personal memories of the place are pretty old. But as you’d expect, the sex industry there exhibits all border characteristics, mixing up tastes and values wildly. Both workers and clients cross south to use Tijuana venues, and a lot of workers are available near the border on the California side for migrants wanting to pay. The research done is mostly about HIV prevention, of course.

By: Anna

Anna — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 05:12:40 +0000

Interesting stuff, Laura. Have you spent anytime in your travels/research investigating the Tijuana sex trade and how that fits into border dynamics? Just curious. It’s not something that I’m really up to speed on, though I know it exists.