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San Francisco divided over measure to legalize prostitution
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The Golden Gate Bridge, the Haight-Ashbury district, Alcatraz Island.... and now, as if you needed another reason to visit San Francisco, legalized prostitution!
Well, maybe.
A November 4th ballot initiative called Proposition K will allow San Franciscans to decide whether to decriminalize the world's oldest profession. The initiative was introduced by groups of sex workers and health officials, as well as the Democratic County Central Committee, all of whom worked together to gather 12,000 signatures to allow the measure to be put to a vote.
But even in the famously liberal San Francisco, not everyone is behind the measure. Mayor Gavin Newsom, District Attorney Kamala Harris, and a large portion of the business community are opposed to the initiative, worried that legalized prostitution will bring more criminal elements to the city.
So how 'bout it, readers? Are you with the mayor or the sex workers? (I know who I'm with!)
More here.
Reader Comments (Page 5 of 11)
R Sep 19th 2008 10:33PM
I hope they hurry, I'm getting old and going to Nevada or Europe is too far.
Terry Sep 19th 2008 10:37PM
Go ahead and legalize it...I need a good reason to visit San Francisco anyway...
Big Jake Sep 19th 2008 10:41PM
Have a certain area that deals with this type of activity...regulate it, tax it. Test the prostitutes....have legalized brothels like they do in Nevada. Free up law enforcement to do other work other than policing personal behavior. If it's legal to have have sex and it's legal to buy...why should buying sex be illegal...immoral to some yes...tax it...control it and move on to other criminal activities other than what goes on between two consenting adults
Leo Sep 19th 2008 10:41PM
Listen people, San Francisco is known for it's gay population. Don't you realize that legalizing prostitution would also increase the chance of spreading the HIV because not only will women be selling themselves but gay dudes will be out there too.
Then we would have to vote to rename the city to San Fransexco.
Michael Sep 19th 2008 10:45PM
What's next? Legalizing public nudity?
southern84style Sep 19th 2008 10:44PM
Hmmm.. some good posts here!!!
Actually, the downfall of america will be the misinformation campaign set in place to keep people separated and divided in beliefs and practices(prevention of "People shouldn't fear the Govt, the Govt. should fear the people".) One could speculate the planned surgical removal of God and truth is one reason the country went downhill in the last 20 years.. but hey, who am I but a person with an opinion. America these days is based on deceit, smoke and mirrors and the only ones who can really see it are those who have not subscribed to and been sold out to relativistic thinking and a mindset of requiring evidence and proof to believe.
lemongrasshore Sep 19th 2008 10:45PM
Prostitution is a victimless crime. It should be legalized, regulated and taxed like any other professional service. That would help control a lot of the other criminal elements associated with it (pimps, violence, drugs).
Kent Sep 19th 2008 10:49PM
Vegas took the opposite direction by making prostitution illegal to clean up the city by changing it into a tourist mecca some 20 years ago. The nearest cathouse to Vegas is 90 miles out of town in Parumph. The city remake was more than successful with new casino's built and becoming the largest convention center in the nation. I hear Marconi Center isn't doing well. It's SF's call how they want their city envisioned. It grabs me that it appears to be making a retrogressive move back to the old Forty-Niner gold rush days. It'll probably become a focal point for attracting sex tours for Asians replacing Thailand and Taiwan. So, if that's kind of business SF wants on their brochure, fine with me. I was a former resident of that city.
david Sep 19th 2008 10:54PM
prostitution should be legal in america
otrpu Sep 19th 2008 10:53PM
From the land of the fruits and nuts. . .
Brenda SFO Sep 19th 2008 11:00PM
And what land are you from? Please do answer! I look forward to your intelligent response.
kingpdx Sep 19th 2008 10:56PM
Just because it has been around since the beginning of time is not a reason to legalize prostitution. Murder was around before that and you don't condone killing people do you. If you do go San Francisco after its legalized to get yourself a whore, just don't try and smoke a cigarette. That they have outlawed. I am sure the kids of these working women will be proud to go to school and brag about mommy's job.
VICKIE Sep 19th 2008 11:04PM
THEN YOU BETTER TAX THE BIOOOOOTCHES
james Sep 19th 2008 11:07PM
did you ever think that over half the men and women in this county are not married nore do they wish to be married. many weak minded people get marred just to have sex. bad bad bad bring childreninto it with no love for them. prosatution is a very good thing it will save many marrages people will not get married to get sex. but for love
hugs4ever2002 Sep 19th 2008 11:07PM
Good for San Francisco its about time. The state makes $$$ STD are control better and there is less crime. Wifes, and girlfriends better get with it and have great sex for your man or he will be renting a happy hooker and you will be out of a job!!
hugs4ever2002 Sep 19th 2008 11:07PM
Good for San Francisco its about time. The state makes $$$ STD are control better and there is less crime. Wifes, and girlfriends better get with it and have great sex for your man or he will be renting a happy hooker and you will be out of a job!!
sandra weisz Sep 19th 2008 11:08PM
i have been homeless living in whore motels up and down the west coast. and prostitution is not a victimless crime. and it should be outlawed . it destroys neighborhoods. there are harmful illegal drugs involved and a lot of other crime too. and the blight and the filth. it makes the motels really expensive and dangerous, and nowhere to go if you can't find a place to rent. there is a lot of murder and al kinds of death ,disease and suffering, and danger lurking everywhere. hookers, whether legal or not legal have very low self esteem.
Mick Sep 19th 2008 11:21PM
Really? So you know all the prostitutes in the world? You are their spokesperson? No, not all of them have low self esteem. Many realize sex for what it is...a meaningless act unless you attach a meaning to it...and make a living doing it. Hell, most of us are prostitutes and don't even know it. I get screwed everytime I turn around at my job. Economy is bad...no raises. SCREWED! Economy is bad, we have to raise your health insurance rates. SCREWED!
starsinger Sep 19th 2008 11:54PM
I think that has more to do with the drugs than the prostitution...
Brenda SFO Sep 20th 2008 12:15AM
Sandra, I agree with much of what you say. I too, believe that a woman who sells herself into a life of degradation is sad. I'd much rather see those women working here in Silicon Valley, using their brains and creativity, which I'm sure many of them possess, but for whatever reason (including self-esteem) they were not presented with that opportunity.
As you pointed out, you have lived up and down the West Coast, homeless, in filth, and whore motels. You lived this way under a system where prostitution has been illegal - obviously that hasn't worked for you, or the prostitutes, or society. The prostitutes and sex workers argue that if their trade is made legal and regulated, their lives will be more safe and healthy, and that it will empower their lives more. I suppose that a study of Amsterdam might flesh that argument out a bit more - I really don't know.
One thing that I found interesting - when I was in college studying computer science here in the Bay Area, I had a classmate in one class who was a sex worker at night. She shared with me that most of her clientele were " hypocritical, conservative men, who preached family values, but obviously didn't live them, and who treated her like dirt, while they had debutante wives at home"
I despise prostitution of any sort, but as pointed out previously by many who have posted - it's been with us forever, and probably will continue to be for some time. The dialogue now - needs to be about how to deal with it here in the US, and how to deal with sexual slavery, and prostitution, internationally. Does legalization and regulation help, or hinder our humanity?