What we must not know to keep prostitution going.

Melissa Farley produced a paper for the Yale Journal of Law and Feminism in 2006 on the harm to prostitutes and those involved in pornography and prostitution. She puts forward that in order for prostitution and pornography to continue the following information has to be culturally, psychologically, and legally denied because to know it would interfere with the business of sexual exploitation.

1. In order to view prostitution as a job, and in order to keep the business of sexual exploitation running smoothly, we can not know that prostitution is extremely violent.

2. In order to consider prostitution a job, and in order to keep the business of sexual exploitation running smoothly, we can not know that racism and class prejudice, like sexism, are intrinsic to prostitution.

3. In order to consider prostitution a job, and in order to keep the business of sexual exploitation running smoothly, we can not know that prostitution, pornography and trafficking meet or exceed legal definitions of torture.

4. In order to consider prostitution a job, and in order to keep the business of sexual exploitation running smoothly we can not know that pornography is action taken against real women, that it is advertising for prostitution, and that pornography is one way to traffic women.

5. In order to consider prostitution a job, and in order to keep the business of sexual exploitation running smoothly, we can never talk about johns or tricks.

6. In order to normalise prostitution in everybody’s culture, postmodern theory helps to keep the real harms of prostitution, pornography, and trafficking invisible.

7. In order to view prostitution as a job, and in order to keep the business of sexual exploitation running smoothly, we can not know that when prostitution is legalized or decriminalised, it gets worse. And we can not know that there are some excellent laws that are aimed squarely at abolishing the institution of prostitution while at the same time supporting the women in it to escape.

To see the entire article in pdf format click here.

To read more about Mellissa Farley's research click here

See video "Not for Sale" from The European Women's Commission click here

To read Cat's other blog check out http://www.anotherwitchtoburn.blogspot.com/