In Montana, former cathouses and bordellos are now tourist attractions , where, according to the Economist , Big Sky Country enthusiasts can dream of the notorious Madam Ida, who "distributed gilt neckties to favoured customers. Americans harbor "enduring fondness for the turbulent world of unfettered freedom and vice," the Economist reasons, and prostitutes are a pivotal part of that fantasy world.
Brags the cable channel: " But according to Professor Roger Matthews , the life of a prostitute is anything but glamorous. Matthews has been studying street prostitution for almost two decades and has just published a book called Prostitution, Politics and Policy , outlining his arguments against so-called "liberal" approaches to the sex trade. The "liberal" approach, explalins the the Guardian , "is to think of the trade as simply another form of work, to be 'non-judgmental' in dealing with it, and to set up areas, such as 'tolerance zones', where women can work without fear of arrest.
If the term 'victimisation' is to have any meaning, then those involved in prostitution must be prime candidates," he argues. He's even against brothels like the Bunny Ranch, because, "When governments are seen to be endorsing prostitution, it leads to a massive expansion of the trade, both legal and illegal. So what does Matthews suggest governments do in order to help prostitutes? He wants to decriminalize prostitution for the women, make consequences worse for the johns, and fund programs to help women find jobs so they can leave hooking behind altogether.
He also wants to start studying the men who pay for sex, about whom very little is known. Regardless of the available research, I have a hard time believing that prostitution will disappear, no matter what kinds of legislation is passed.
While decidedly unglamorous in its gritty reality, prostitution still retains that odd patina of glamor, and sometimes people [men and women alike] want no-strings-attached nookie.
