It's nice to see a reasonably balanced and rational piece on this topic. One thing I noticed is that the article asserts that "street sex work can never be tolerated." and that it in someway harms the community, however it doesn't appear to back that up with a view as to how it harms the community. I'm not saying I disagree, but there's a bit of a gap in the argument.

It seems such an approach bothers some close-minded religious people, such as Sells who yearns for some mythical time when humans were all morally identical.

"It is no longer possible to make a sober judgment about the good or evil of prostitution or anything else."

I don't think one intoxicated by myths and fantasies, or under the pressure of misguided social momentum would be able to make clear judgments on the matter. I think the article weighs up the "good [and] evil" of prostitution reasonable well.

Sex, like other social interactions, can be anything from a fun encounter between strangers (possibly for payment) to an intimate bonding between a loving couple, without one excluding the possibility of the other. Having personally known a few people across the spectrum of the 'adult' industry, I'd say that they're quite able to isolate the physical aspects of their job from the emotional and personal aspects of their relationships. Just because religious people see some unbreakable link between sex, love and spirituality doesn't mean that link exists for everyone.

Runner, I think you completely missed the point snake made about discouraging things that impinge on others, which is something pedophilia clearly does.

Pericles: "Nothing like a good dollop of sex-talk to bring out the God Squad, is there."

Given this 'sex-talk' is about as risque as they get, their eagerness is not all that surprising.

Amazing how many are in favour of prostitution until it comes to their own wives or daughters. The WA Premier who wants to legalize the whole slimy industry was greatly offended when asked whether he would like his own daughters involved in the legal trade. In fact he went beserk. This is fairly typical of those holding 'liberal' views on the issue.

Prohibiting street-based sex work does not protect those doing it. By diverting the workers into brothel houses, they are then exploited by some "pimp" operating under another name, ie "brothel management" and the new pimp cannot be prosecuted. Also, through the tax system now making an incursion to these houses, the Commonwealth becomes another Pimp.

The debate about those on the street is always unfortunately dominated either by the religious right or those residents close by who have an eye on the property market and probably bought in cheap and want the state, at public expense, to "clean out" the undesirables who are part of the community for longer than the property speculators and upper-middle class blow-ins who want to spoil all the fun. Police records also become a barrier to those on the street reintegrating into any kind of decent mainstream career in the future.

No representatives of religion should hold sway. Resident representation should be restricted so that it cannot outsway the carefully considered view of health and other qualified professionals. I have seen much of this industry and give my views as part of my direct knowledge.

Your conclusions never fail to bemuse me, runner. Some of your thought patterns are virtually indistinguishable from a ball of wool that the cat's been playing with for an hour.

>>Amazing how many are in favour of prostitution until it comes to their own wives or daughters. The WA Premier who wants to legalize the whole slimy industry was greatly offended when asked whether he would like his own daughters involved in the legal trade. In fact he went beserk.<<

If I follow your argument correctly, you are saying that if you support the legality of something, you automatically approve of it.

Well here's a thing. I strongly support the legality of the Christian church in Australia. I can see absolutely no reason, in a free country, why belonging to a church should be criminalized. People who want to worship in the privacy of their home, or in a facility set aside for that purpose, should absolutely be allowed do do so.

But I would be massively disappointed if a daughter of mine told me that she wanted to become a priest. I would use all possible arguments to dissuade her, on the basis that it might corrupt her mind, possibly even ruin her entire future by rendering her unfit for any other profession. I might even go "beserk", as you call it.

But at the end of the day, I still wouldn't propose that it is made illegal.

I am very disappointed that the vital requirements of a community friendly soltuion for brothels has not even been discussed.

I would suggest that some of these requirements are:

1. Noise.

Most people don't care at all what you do, (even eating aborted foetuses) AS LONG AS YOU ARE QUIET. This problem of noise is all embracing, and almost all of the oposition to brothels, hotels, shops, etc., is because they are NOISY.

2. Architecture.

It is very important that all brothels are single storey. (to keep down the f??king overhead).

I agree with leslie's conclusion...brothel based industry is an acceptable part of community life...while street based activity is to be avoided as it carries with it the difficulty of regulating and monitoring for benefit to all participants...

And I dont think anyone with a reasonable mind, living a 'usual' life, and whose views are within average range of most Australians would object/agree too strongly to the above...and find it acceptable...

and if I may add that I have know a number of prostitutes...and liked them all as people...and able to continue with a interesting conversation...and express more of our true self and this is when people truly become really interesting to each other...its funny how when issue of 'sex' is removed from the situation as a certainity for certain reasonable price...its easier to meet as 'people' than woman/man...

and to 'inner-Sydney based transsexual, indigent outcast progeny of merchant family'...boy that is giving your whole life in a sentence...and significant intelligence to boot...and what struggles you must have had to fit in your family and community...hide your true self for a while I expect...well done for having the courage to be you...

Sam