Too Good To Be True; Streetwalkers of San Francisco
I just came across this video essay by Kol Marshall, depicting mugshots of women who were arrested for prostitution in the forties. Several of the women have black eyes, all of them look like they have suffered from frequent physical abuse. What really struck me was how easily I could imagine the images of many of the women I work with slipped in to the rotation.
People like to use the fact that many street prostitutes are in abusive situations as a reason for why prostitution should be illegal. The problem is that it is that very illegality that makes their lives so dangerous. How can a woman go to the cops for help if she is afraid she will be arrested? None of the women I know would- they tell me the cops wouldn’t help them anyways. Trust me, the Johns know this.
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Nothing makes me see red like the sight of an abused woman. Nothing will cause me to do harm to another human being, in particular a man, than seeing a man strike a woman. While there are those circumstances where hitting someone might be justifiable, it is usually a device to control someone. There is a picture circulating on Facebook that offends me to no end. It’s Glenn Ford slapping a woman, the actresses name is not known to me. But that self satisfied look on his face makes me boil inside. I’ve seen that in real life. It’s not funny or entertaining. With all that said though, this fact must be considered. Prostitutes often are thieves, which certainly shoots holes in that being one of the most honest professions, although it may be the oldest. I’ve nursed prostitutes who have come to my home badly beaten. Arranged for rides for them to hospitals. When I asked what happened, quite often the response was, “I got caught stealing his…” you can fill in the blank. Yeah, there was also the deal where the john wouldn’t pay and walloped a girl for kicks. I mean, they’re not people, right?
EC, I think everything you wrote is right on. Yes, many street prostitutes steal, I think you would agree that is connected to the high rate of drug abuse, which would also be better helped with decriminalization. You didn’t say this, but your comment made me think that there is probably dehumanization on both sides, that most subsistence level prostitutes likely have as much respect for their Johns as they do for them. Shoving the whole community under the rug does nothing to help. Making things illegal makes people feel worse about themselves, which leads to them treating others worse.
Thanks for writing such an easy-to-uednrstand article on this topic.
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