Prostitution is often assumed to be ‘victimless’. This is a prevalent theory which suggests that all individuals present are consenting. This opinion ultimately conceptualizes prostitutes as people who have chosen this life, who make profit from it and live glamorously. While it may be true that some individuals in the industry choose this line of work and are fulfilled by it, we must recognize that this is not the experience of all sex workers.
Read MoreWhen I streamed the 2002-2003 Joss Whedon series Firefly about ten years ago, I understood the spaceship crew that smuggled goods to maintain their independence from an inegalitarian interplanetary government, but I was uncomfortable with the presence of a sex worker among them. Inara Serra held the title of Companion: a state-licensed, guild-trained, freelancing sex worker. She leased a private shuttle on the ship Serenity and shared in the crew’s life on the outskirts of the realm. I was grateful to have my prejudice challenged and to learn to respect the basic human dignity of a woman whose chosen career path was not one I would choose for myself.
Read MoreThe terms human trafficking and prostitution are often used interchangeably with one another. When we do this, we make inappropriate distinctions between two similar, but very different, realities. While this seems insignificant on the surface, the consequences of using the wrong terminology can be detrimental.
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