What would decriminalization of prostitution mean for our communities?
A progressive response to a community’s concerns about prostitution.
Myths and facts.

What would decriminalization of prostitution mean for our communities?

Decriminalization of prostitution means that all laws regarding prostitution would be removed. In other words, buying a woman would be socially and legally equivalent to buying cigarettes. Prostitution in all its forms - street, brothel, escort, massage - would be legally welcomed. Pimps the world over would become our communities’ new businessmen.

Decriminalization of prostitution would increase legal, illegal, semi-legal and all prostitution. Decriminalization will make no difference in the physical and the emotional safety of women in prostitution. Regardless of its legal status, prostitution is extremely harmful to those in it.

There is little difference for the prostitute between legalized and decriminalized prostitution. They are both state-sponsored prostitution. In legal prostitution, the state is the pimp, collecting taxes. In decriminalized prostitution, the pimps remain in control, whether they are bar pimps, stripclub pimps, taxi driver pimps, or street pimps. In both legalized and decriminalized prostitution, the john is welcomed as legitimate consumer. Decriminalization of the pimping of women and the buying of women is in effect the promotion of and profiting from childhood sexual abuse, rape and sex trafficking.

There is no way of making prostitution “a little bit better