|
Aswad -> RE: Sex workers in the BDSM and D/s lifestyles (8/8/2007 3:29:35 PM)
|
ChainsandFreedom,
First, as to what you said about where the negative views are from...
Looking at some traditional views, from way back when nobody knew jack about the STD problem, the jews seem to identify the prostitute with the Lilith archetype on some level: the woman who would not submit to her man. Without spending too much time on the details, this is pretty much what was already said about it being a tool of control: an unerasable brand that incurs scorn from society. Simply put, a way to control women.
Sure, someone knew about STDs, in some way, as the cleanliness commandments and so forth were the best tools for managing diseases of pretty much any sort up until very recently. But that does not appear to have been common knowledge in any way. Thus, it appears like there was already condescension, or- if not- that it was applied to those women who were more like Lilith than Eve, once it was established as having a negative connotation.
Just think about it. A lot of men are vagina-addicts who not only think about little else, but also seem to think of the rest of the woman as something that comes along with it, rather than appreciating them and according them respect. There will always be much demand for sex work, unless we're genetically reengineered to suppress that trait.
It is the one way any woman could have supported herself, and supported herself well, regardless of any other attributes and qualities. Financial independence, no need to have some husband support her and take charge of her life, and so forth. Can you even begin to comprehend how threatening that must have seemed to the patriarchy?
I mean, just look at how many men are threatened by successful women today.
Then, let's address a couple of points more specifically:
quote:
The more sex work is acceptable, the more young women will use sex for money instead of rising above their 'holes' and actually making something of their lives.
That's pretty judgmental and condescending...
quote:
Prostitution only encourages the kind of sex-divorced-from-emotion attitude which leads to men who hate and/or abuse of women
Those I know with the healthiest relationships to- and the most respect for- women, do seperate sex and emotion, leading me to think you have the causal order wrong. It's too simple. It's like vanilla icecream with chocolate sauce: icecream is nice, and chocolate is nice, too, while together, they have a synergy that leads to something more than the sum of the parts. This doesn't mean you can't have icecream or chocolate by itself, or that it is wrong to eat them seperately. Same thing with sex and the attachment/emotion.
Best wishes,
al-Aswad.
|
|
|
|
