On Prostitution

One of the things I sometimes get asked about is prostitution.  How I feel about it and whether I would go to a prostitute to lose my virginity.

Prostitution should be legal.  There are all kinds of reasons why it should be, from the moral to the practical.  For one thing, if it's legal to have sex with someone for free, why should anything change just because money or some other tangible good was exchanged?  I don't want to hear about how so many prostitutes are addicted to drugs or alcohol or have psychological issues.  How many people with psychological issues or addictions do you think have sex (casual hookups, flings, and the like) everyday who aren't prostitutes?  Shall we lock them or the people they have sex with up along with all the prostitutes and johns?  I'm pretty sure the jails would have a lot more overcrowding than they do already if that were to happen.

Morally you can't make a case in favor of prohibition either.  If you own nothing else in this world, you own the body you were born with and carry around with you until the day you die.  You should be free to do with it what you want.  Get a tattoo, eat junk food, do drugs, drink alcohol, play extreme sports, and yes, have sex with people who want to have sex with you, and yes, even make money on it.  It's not my place to tell you what to do with your own body, even if I think you're making bad choices.

Now, I'm ok with groups who wish to end prostitution as long as they are using voluntary methods to do so.  Talking to prostitutes, talking to people who go to prostitutes, etc.  Using the power of persuasion and free speech to spread ideas you think are right.  It's the same deal with people who want to convince people that having sex before marriage is bad.  Yeah you should be free to express that if you want and people should be free to ignore you if they want.

What does this mean for me personally?  Would I go to a prostitute?  My short answer to this is no.  I don't think I'd want to have sex with a prostitute.  Not only when it comes to my first time, but pretty much any time.  It's not sex that I crave as much as I crave companionship.  Someone to go to ballgames with me or day trips to cool places or to movies with or any number of things.  Sex of course is an important part of that but it definitely takes a backseat to general companionship.  I will point out though that I'm only 26.  I have no idea how I'd answer this question if I were 35 or 40 in my same predicament.  And to be honest I would pay someone to kiss me, or perhaps give me kissing lessons.  Because I think that's something I definitely need help with.  I'd probably pay 100-200 dollars for an hour's worth of kissing lessons.  I don't know, I don't think anyone offers that kind of service so it's probably not a big deal to worry about.

So there you go. my thoughts on prostitution.  I wouldn't go to a prostitute for sex, but I think it should be legal.  Hopefully that's not a very controversial opinion.