Several global advocacy groups, including the World Health Organization, Amnesty International, and Human Rights Watch, are calling for the decriminalization of prostitution, but many are fighting to keep the practice illegal, citing the moral, ethical, and practical concerns of condoning the sale of sex. Here are the pros and cons of legalizing prostitution:
PRO
Creates additional tax revenue to be withheld from women’s health care
Bold new frontier of Yelp reviews
Politicians caught soliciting prostitutes can boast about supporting small businesses
Would free up law enforcement agents to finally win that war on drugs
Saves us from any chance of a modern reimagining of Risky Business
Probably a little easier than convincing everyone to stop
CON
Sex is wrong
One more group we’re forced to acknowledge as human beings
Commodifies women without the benefit of a two-year contract from Maybelline
With legalization of marijuana and gay marriage, news outlets can’t afford to lose another source of endless debate
Clients will still be terrible people
If we let consenting adults have sex, who knows what else they’ll want permission to do?
