Posted by TexasChic on November 20, 2005, at 19:21:10
In reply to Re: no girlfriend so I turned to prostition » TexasChic, posted by Tamar on November 18, 2005, at 19:21:26
> I was in Amsterdam 18 months ago and I was a bit shocked when I saw women behind huge windows, rather like mannequins in department store windows… They seemed to be arranged to appeal to various fantasies. There was an African woman behind one window; a Chinese woman behind another window; blonde women and brunette women behind other windows. Apparently men could go ‘window shopping’ and decide which woman they wanted.
Whoa! That's crazy! But I can't help but think how that mirrors the way women are treated everywhere. Its just more blatant.
> I honestly believe that prostitution could only be safe for women in a world where all men respect women as people and don’t judge them according to their sexual behaviour; where men could value prostitutes as good, kind, decent people and not as b*tches or wh*res. We don’t live in that world… yet. I hope one day we will.I guess that's what I think of in my head too. I know its not like that or likely to be anytime soon. But it makes me think maybe the negative conotations come from men's disrespect for women rather than the work itself. And that disrespect is rampant outside the sex industry as well. I just feel like our society is so hung up on the immorality of sex for hire, that it becomes the focus rather than one of many 'immoral' acts. Why aren't people so outraged about people cheating on their taxes, or embezzlement, or any of the 'lesser' immoral acts?
But mainly I don't understand why people care what 'other' people are doing sexually. I mean, I know prostitution isn't exactly the healthiest of professions (mentally or physically), and I would love to see every single one of them in therapy, but I think those issues should be separate from whether or not it is legal. I mean, people aren't causing a big uproar about infidelity. People who cheat aren't ostracised and arrested. Why is 'paying' for sex so stigmatized. I mean, you know there are women that do that under the guise of being a girlfriend. They're just in it for the money. But because its more under the table rather than just coming out and admitting what it really is, society doesn't view it the same.
There was a really cool series called Firefly (it only lasted one year). It was set in the future and one of the main characters was a 'Companion'. She was a prostitute, but treated like royalty. The women in her profession studied many years on how to help people with psycological problems and many other things as well as the sex stuff. The sex just seemed to be a small part of it. And of course, she chose her clients from the many, many who sent requests for her services. So she was able to choose only those who were decent, upstanding citizens. I just think, why can't it be like that? And if someone wanted to do that, who am I to pass judgement on them?
I know I don't know everything, I just like to try to think of things from different angles. Where I am now in good ole' boy country, nobody would even listen to a discussion like this (of course I'm generalizing, but it feels that way). So I'm really grateful that you did in spite the fact that our views are different.
-T
poster:TexasChic
thread:579342
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/relate/20051031/msgs/580690.html