On at least one other blog this topic has been discussed recently.

I would like to know what OLO posters think about it and sex work as an occupation.

I think this raises many questions and not many answers

Do we have a need for foreign sex workers? would it actually reduce human trafficing and more open competition reduce the prices of services sold?

Are we hypocritical in that we now have legal brothels but generally don't see prostitution as a legitimate occupation?

What if one of your kids wanted to become involved in the sex industry? Would you have moral issues with that or safety concerns?

Dear Banjo,

Should visas be issued to foreign sex workers? That is a question that only someone in the industry or with knowledge of the industry,
could answer...

Would I object to any of my children being a sex-worker? Of course.

People enter prostitution because their only economic resource is their sexual availability. Not only are they trapped in a dead-end job - for youth and beauty are assets that fade quickly - but the work is dangerous, stigmatized, and often criminal. And when the police crack down on this 'crime,' it is the prostitutes who get arrested, not their 'respectable clients.

As Kingley Davis (1996) points out, prostitution cannot be completely eliminated in a sexually restrictive society (Our Judeo-Christian moral tradition), for it arises in response to those very restrictions.

The tittle is incorrect, it should read '457 Visas' Should they be issued to foreign sex workers?

I don't know how the error occured as I thought I typed 457, but I supose I could have made the mistake. It wouldn't be the first time I've made a typing error.

Dear Banjo,

I just realized that I didn't answer your question as to why prostitution is not respected as a profession?

Since early Christian times the occupation of prostitute in the West has been anything but a respected one. Although she/he may consort on the most intimate terms with politicians and judges, bishops and bankers, the prostitute's status is very low.

The reason can again be traced to the Judeo-Christian moral tradition. Prostitutes are used for pleasure alone, and neither they nor the client have any intention that the relationship should lead, in the case of females - to reproduction. By definition, prostitution takes place only outside the context of marriage. In further violation of social norms, the prostitute in Western cultures offers their services for money in a society that regards love as a pre-requisite for legitimate sex. And to make matters worse still, the prostitute flouts her/his promiscuity.

They don't need 457 visas. As long as they get caught, they are given bridging visas and generally allowed to stay here. It's just another way to gain illegal entry and be rewarded for it.

*Since early Christian times the occupation of prostitute in the West has been anything but a respected one.*

Hey, females swapping sex for resources goes back to eons of history,
it happens in various species. To deny it is to deny what happens
in the natural world.

Yup, Christians have a problem with it, but Christians have a problem
with sex, period.

If we look at the Spitzer case, where high class call girls were
charging 1000-5000$ an hour, she went on to become highly popular
on Myspace for her musical talents, with over a million hits, he
lost his career overnight!

So clearly the Christian opinion is not really so valid anymore.

Personally I don't take a moral standpoint, its really up to the
individual and is very much their business, not the business of the
rest of society or my business. Perhaps I'm just a little more tolerant then
your average Christian :)