Lusty Ladies

Over the last few years, there has been a debate, on the Left, in Britain, about attitudes to sex work. Some argue on the basis of opposing the objectication of women against sex work per se. Others argue that although clearly many women engage in sex work out of necessity, others do not. There is an implicit notion that women should not enjoy sex for the sake of sex in this idea that women would only engage in such activities if they were forced to either physically or out of economic necessity. Although, sex workers themselves have recognised the element of necessity many have argued that all wage-labour implies necessity.

A further point has been the extent of danger faced by those working in the industry - violent clients, danger of infection and so on. Many organised sex workers have argued that the answers to that lie in the same soluiton as that applied by other workers i.e. unionisation, and the enforcement of regulations to protect those involved. Of course, as Marx and Engels argued ultimately for all workers what can be achieved by Trade Union action, and by the introduction of State regulation is severely limited by the needs of Capital accumulation, and within that struggle, workers can never win in the long run. A look at the lack of success of Equal Pay and anti-discrimination laws over the last 40 years demonstrates that, as does the continued high toll of workers deatsh and serious injuries in industry.

A better solution is demonstrated by this post about a new Co-op of Sex Workers established in San Francisco. Lusty Ladies Its a lap dance theatre that was the first to be unionised, and has now been taken over by its workers, some of whom are doctors and lawyers and who you would imagine, therefore, are not lap-dancing because they need the money.