Sex Workers
For some time now, certain media outlets of a
particular orientation have been using the term “sex workers” to refer to those
commonly known as prostitutes.
Let us clarify that we are referring specifically to those who have sex
professionally in exchange for immediate monetary compensation — a different
case from that of a slut (a loose
woman, whore), who goes from man to man without following moral rules, solely
for her own insatiable pleasure. The prostitute, on the other hand, does not
seek pleasure but only profit.
One might think that changing the term changes nothing — the reality remains the same. However, words often carry an important connotation, as is precisely the case here. “Sex worker” suggests one of the many types of jobs a person might perform, while “prostitute” inherently carries a strong sense of disapproval and contempt.
Yet legal crime and social disapproval do not always align. Prostitutes do not commit a crime, but they do face general social disapproval, and consequently, the term “sex worker” does not seem to gain much traction.
Men and women can do many things, but that doesn’t mean society as a whole approves of them. Moreover, only a small portion of actions that society deems reprehensible actually become crimes and are punished by law.
No one boasts that their daughter is a prostitute — even though it can be a fairly lucrative profession — because of the moral and social disapproval attached to it. It seems evident that our society condemns prostitution.
Some call this hypocrisy, but hypocrisy means recognizing the validity of a rule while not wishing to follow it — in some sense, it is an acknowledgment of its correctness. To violate a rule is different from challenging it: the former is hidden, the latter openly declared.
It’s not, as is sometimes said, merely a
religious view — and “sin” has long been distinct from “crime.”
The fact that both positivism and communist ideology supported strict sexual
morality shows that such morality is not the exclusive domain of Catholicism. Of
course, not everyone in society adheres to moral principles, but that doesn’t
mean those principles don’t exist, or that they are necessarily being contested.
Let’s remember that even saints consider themselves, and are considered, sinners.
In society, laws are not absolute as in physics: every rule has its exception if we examine a large enough number of cases. For example, it’s true that maternal love is the strongest force in nature, and yet there are mothers who kill their children.
It is simplistic to say that if prostitution is a social ill, it should simply be banned. The issue is that if a phenomenon (like drug use) cannot be eradicated, then it is better to regulate it, preventing it from falling into the hands of organized crime (as with Prohibition in 1920s America).
In reality, if we cannot eliminate it, we might at least think about regulating it — the same issue arises with (at least soft) drugs.
But the real issue, I believe, is another: are prostitutes themselves to be condemned?
Many believe that they are simply victims of poverty, oppression, and social injustice. On the other hand, we might imagine that these women could have been excellent mothers, wives, and compassionate, kind women — as often portrayed in literature (think of Filumena Marturano).
The case of a woman who freely chooses to become a prostitute (a “sex worker”) instead of an office worker or teacher is rare, perhaps purely theoretical. Prostitutes are generally coerced through violence or blackmail, or they do it out of extreme necessity.
It is interesting that in Sweden, the client — not the prostitute — is punished, based on the idea that the act is inherently a form of male violence against women. Without delving into the problematic aspects of this notion, I would say the key issue — as with drugs — is whether this law is actually effective in eliminating prostitution.
As a side note: it is not at all true that prostitution is “as old as the world,” as the saying goes. Rather, it is a product of civilizational systems. In primitive societies, every girl was married off as soon as she reached puberty, and polygamy was common; there was no space for prostitution.
With civilization came a different social structure: the unavailability of women, the need to satisfy men without partners, and women without husbands.