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Do You Still Care About Eliot Spitzer's Call Girl Ashley Dupré?

LibertySugar — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 15:00:27 -0800

Reformed call girl Ashley "Kristen" Dupré has finally opened up about her experience with "Client No. 9," or as you may know him, former New York Governor Eliot Spitzer. While involvement with an illegal prostitution ring didn't result in any federal charges for the governor with a tough-on-crime reputation, it did cost Spitzer his job.

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Taking us beyond her MySpace page, Ms. Dupré opened up to Diane Sawyer about her painful experience. The now 23-year-old says she didn't know Spitzer was the governor until the scandal broke on TV, that escorts differ from prostitutes because they offer more than sex, and that she felt connected to Eliot Spitzer's wife more than the man she slept with. The full interview airs tonight on ABC's 20/20 at 10 p.m. (EST). Since the sordid downfall of Governor Spitzer happened way back in March, do you still wonder what his call girl has to say? Source

Do You Still Care About Eliot Spitzer's Call Girl Ashley Dupré?

Yay! I want to hear her side of the story and find out what made her do it.

Nay. This old news bores me now.

Other. I'll tell you in the comments.

Seeking Prudes: Craigslist Cracks Down on Sex Ads

LibertySugar — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 09:30:00 -0800

After coming under fire from 40 different state attorney generals, Craigslist has agreed to crack down on those advertising sex for sale. The classified website will more effectively rid its erotic services section of ads law enforcers deem to be illegal. Perhaps staying true to its name, the erotic marketplace has notoriously been plagued with pornography and prostitution.

Vendors will now have to provide valid identification before they post a sexy ad, thanks to the new agreement between the state officials and the company. In addition, ad posters must pay a $10 fee, using a credit card. Craigslist will donate the fee to charities that combat child exploitation and human trafficking.

Offline sex for sale is usually associated with seedy neighborhoods and other crime, like drugs and violence. Is prostitution all right with you, so long as it stays on the Internet and on private property, or do officials have a duty to uphold the prohibition online, too?

Source

Three-Day Roundup Rescues 47 Children From Prostitution

LibertySugar — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 03:00:31 -0700

Federal, state, and local agents in 29 US cities recently joined forces to uproot 12 child-prostitution rings. The three-day operation was part of a larger five-year plan to stop sex trafficking of children. Minor sex trafficking is on the rise as the Internet has created a market for underage sex workers.

Forty-seven children were rescued, and a total of 642 people were arrested, including 73 pimps and 575 adult prostitutes. Apparently police took in no "johns."

The Department of Justice estimates that 293,000 youth in America are at risk of becoming victims of commercial sexual exploitation. The at-risk children come from abusive homes, or have run from or been abandoned by their families. Others children might end up in the situation after abduction, pressure from parents, or deceptive agreements between families and traffickers.

Now that these 47 children have been rescued, let's hope an effective healing process can begin. Do you think it's fair to treat prostitutes as victims when they're minors, but criminals after they turn 18?

Source

SF May Decriminalize Prostitution: How Would You Vote?

LibertySugar — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 10:00:41 -0700

On election day, San Franciscans will be able to vote on Proposition K — which would forbid local authorities from investigating, arresting, or prosecuting anyone for selling sex. Opponents most likely loath the idea of giving the government's stamp of approval to a depraved practice that leaves much harm in its wake. Others figure it could solve nearby Oakland's prostitution problem, since they would all move to SF.Still some say outlawing prostitution could be compared to abstinence-only education: because something is considered "wrong" authorities ignore solutions, allowing the risks to spiral. Plus, the biggest victims of prostitution are most likely the women selling themselves for sex, who have few-to-zero alternatives. To avoid trouble with the law or other criminals they turn to pimps. And jail time and a criminal record only makes their situation more bleak. The strictly fiscally minded note that the measure will save the city $11 million spent on arresting and prosecuting prostitutes.You all gave me some great feedback about the California ballot initiative to require parental notification for teen abortions. So tell me — how should I vote on this measure? Source

SF May Decriminalize Prostitution: How Would You Vote?

Yes! Police should not be enforcing morality.

Yes. Arresting prostitutes only hurts them more, and clogs the legal system.

No way! Morals aside, legalizing it in a small area means prostitutes will flock to SF.

No! Decriminalizing it would increase crime, and make it hard to end sex trafficking.

Other. I'll tell you in the comments.

Virginity For Sale

DearSugar — Fri, 12 Sep 2008 09:00:00 -0700

In controversial news, a 22-year-old woman is making headlines everywhere by offering her virginity to the highest bidder in the hopes of earning money for grad school. Commenting on the scandal this is causing, an article in Reuters notes that many who've weighed in on this strange scenario think it's just a desperate attempt at fame, while others consider such an act synonymous with prostitution. The woman offered her own insight:

I don't think auctioning my virginity will solve all my problems but it will create some financial stability. I'm ready for the controversy, I know it will come along. I'm ready to do this . . . We live in a capitalist society. Why shouldn't I be allowed to capitalize on my virginity?

I'll be honest, I find the notion of selling your virginity for anything, including higher education, extremely disconcerting. And while I advocate that women be both proud and in control of their sexuality, this seems like another thing entirely.

Regardless of whether it is or isn't prostitution or a try at fame, it troubles me to think that a woman would consciously put herself in this position. What do you think of this endeavor? Is capitalizing on our virginity akin to using our good looks to get ahead? Are there ways in which you use your sexuality as a tool to get what you need or want?

Source

New Study Finds Brothels Are All Over London and Spreading

CitizenSugar — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 08:05:17 -0700

Lots of sexy times in the UK? It appears that way, according to a new study compiled by the Poppy Project. The group, which educates about prostitution and assists victims of sex trafficking, found that brothels have spread to "every corner" of London — some charging as little as $30, or an extra $20 for unprotected sex. With 85 percent of the brothels in residential areas, all 33 of London's boroughs have them.

The project called 921 of the sex houses advertising in the paper and found 77 different ethnicities represented with the average age of the workers being 21. Details like these could point to trafficking. The co-author of the study says, "Multi-media misrepresentations of commercial sex as a glamorous, easy and fun career choice for girls and women further contribute to the ubiquity of London's brothel industry. However, for most women involved in prostitution, the reality is a cycle of violence and coercion, perpetuated by poverty and inequality."

But is it legal? To find out,

Will Impounding Johns' Cars Put Prostitution to Bed?

LibertySugar — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 11:00:00 -0700

Looking to punish demand, and not just supply, Easton, PA, is considering a law that would allow police to seize the cars of anyone seeking a prostitute. Any vehicle used to solicit or patronize sexual services would be subject to impounding. If a john gets convicted of soliciting a prostitute, the city could sell his car.Since officials usually target the workers, it's somewhat refreshing to see equivalent attention paid to the customer criminals. Even so, I'm not sure any law will help end the timeless sale of sex. Will this measure put the issue of prostitution to bed? Source

Will Impounding Johns' Cars Put Prostitution to Bed?

Yay! This will send the right message, and people will think twice before soliciting sex.

Nay. This extreme reaction does not fit the crime.

Maybe. But I don't think it would really deter someone looking for sex.

Other. I'll tell you in the comments.

Ashley Judd Speaks Up For Victims of Human Trafficking

LibertySugar — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 11:00:23 -0700

The UN General Assembly met yesterday to discuss human trafficking, an annually $32 billion illegal industry.

One star shined some light on the dark issue. Actress Ashley Judd, a board member of Population Services International, went to the UN headquarters in New York to speak about the cause she adopted after a 12-nation public health tour.

In her words to the General Assembly, Ashley explained:

I have been to 12 countries worldwide and spent a great deal of time in brothels, slums, hospices, youth drop-in centers, in both public hospitals as well as rural clinics. It is very difficult to leave behind people I know are victims of human trafficking. I defy anyone to walk out of a brothel or to walk out of an orphanage leaving those people behind. So I have been making a series of sacred promises: "I will never forget you" and "I will tell your story." I know that the unheard are helped when they are heard.

Right now about 2.5 million people face forced labor of sexual exploitation. Over 56 percent of these victims live in Asia and the Pacific. The UN estimates 1.2 million children are trafficked each year. When those with first-hand experience like Ashley share their stories, do you feel more connected to the victims and hope for a more urgent solution?

Source

Las Vegas Mayor Talks Legalizing Prostitution

DearSugar — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 11:50:00 -0700

Las Vegas Mayor Talks About Legalizing Prostitution
Yesterday the Pope praised America as a nation where strong faith and religious beliefs live harmoniously with secular society. Maybe the Pope should have started his trip in Las Vegas. The Sin City mayor just had this to say about legalizing prostitution.

Vegas to OK Prostitution — The Pope's "Secular Challenges?"

CitizenSugar — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 07:55:54 -0700

Yesterday the Pope praised America as a nation where strong faith and religious beliefs live harmoniously with secular society. His remarks, delivered at the White House as part of his first trip to the US, came with a caveat addressed later to the bishops: The US is battling a "subtle influence of secularism" that threatens to derail the righteous. He said:

Is it consistent for practicing Catholics to ignore or exploit the poor and the marginalized, to promote sexual behavior contrary to Catholic moral teaching or to adopt positions that contradict the right to life of every human being from conception to natural death?

Maybe the Pope should have started his trip in Las Vegas. The Sin City mayor just had this to say about legalizing prostitution:

It's disingenuous when people say they don't want to legalize it. Right now it's uncontrolled and unregulated. There's no check and balance as far as the women's health is concerned and legal brothels could be an important revenue-raising device for the city. When you speak about it intellectually, not morally, it makes sense.

Las Vegas exists in an odd bubble as much of the rest of the state allows and watches over the sex trade. To see the dilemma,