I recently made a post about this topic but it caused a lot of controversy. I did not specify and used the broad term of sex work which probably made the interpretations so varied. For the purposes of this conversation, I want to focus on work that is consensual because obviously human trafficking or coercive sex is inherently wrong and exploitative. Some people even said that sex work is not valid labor which I personally found strange. I’m personally not a fanboy of the sex industry at all, but most people involved would say that the illegality of it exacerbates the bad situation that they find themselves in, and I cannot personally find a reason to be going against what the people involved are saying. And yeah it probably wouldn’t exist under socialism but at the same time, I think it is a huge mistake to go in with an iron fist and just say “I’m going to make everyone stop sex work right this instant because it’s not socialist” because this does not treat the underlying causes of it, which will only make it spring back up anyway.
And I’m not just expecting one type of answer but if I am making an error in applying dialectical materialism or Marxism-Leninism please let me know.
This has been one of the best explanations of the issue that i have ever read and honestly should be made into its own post and pinned somewhere for everyone to read who is still confused on this subject!
Thank you so much! It means a lot to hear this from you as you’ve made so many insightful posts yourself that I enjoy and feel enlightened by.
Aw. That’s sweet of you to say. Thanks comrade!
By the way if you or anyone else ever wants to appropriate my writing for any reason, please feel free. I’ve been thinking lately that prolewiki could use a page on and against prostitution and sex work (but of course delineating the situation under capitalism and solidarity with members of the proletariat). I do not think what I’ve written is quite it. If someone wants to steal it and post it as an essay there in that section they can though it could probably use some clean-up. What stops me from trying to do such an article is that I’m busy, don’t have the written works presently on-hand I’d need to cite and overall it’s very intimidating and frankly I expect a shit-storm out of it from among other places hexbear. And I’m not sure I want to deal with that. I just do not know that I want my mental health to be impacted by these frankly vicious people and their slanderous attacks, accusations, etc.
Unfortunately this is not a subject that i feel remotely qualified to write about, as i am still just trying to learn as much as i can (and i really do try to apply to myself the principle: no investigation, no right to speak), which is why i find comments like yours so valuable. But i do know that listening to what you and other comrades have had to say on this has helped me see things more clearly and unlearn some of my own liberal misconceptions. I can only agree with you, and say that what you wrote in this short essay makes more sense than all of the radlib, pseudo-marxist commentaries on the subject i have ever read/heard.
Your term “prostitution aristocracy” in particular captures perfectly one of the main gripes i have always had with those on the left who point to the statements made by some of some of the most prominent and financially successful persons in the industry in order to defend it.
I look forward to reading yours or others’ contributions to prolewiki if you ever do get around to writing that article.