Sex work would be broadly legalized in New York state under a first-of-its-kind bill introduced by state legislators on Monday.
A group of lawmakers first called for legislation in February, but on Monday they finally came forward with a 13-page bill that would bring dramatic changes to the sex trade in the state.
The bill, written with advocacy group DecrimNY, would make it legal to both buy and sell sex under certain circumstances and modifies laws around facilities that are used as places of prostitution.
"For us, this is a bodily autonomy issue — our bodies, our choice — but more than that, it’s an economic issue. And it’s personal," Jessica Raven, one of Decrim NY's organizers, wrote in a Daily News op-ed Monday.
Two of the bill's sponsors, state senators Jessica Ramos and Julia Salazar, have said that 9 out of 10 people arrested in sex-work-related massage parlor raids are immigrants, with most being undocumented Asians.
.@DickGottfried reminds us that once upon a time, sex outside of marriage was criminalized, and not long ago, marriage between two people of the same gender was criminalized. Decriminalization of sex work is next! #decrimNY
LGBTQ youth, who often run away from home seeking acceptance, trade sex at 7 to 8 times the rate of other youth in New York City, Ramos and Salazar say.
A companion bill was also introduced in the Assembly on Monday, with five sponsors.
Nevada is right now the only U.S. state where prostitution is legal in some counties.
Sounds good to me.
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last commentNever thought I'd agree wirh NY politicians but ...
Hopefully it'll be the start of something way overdo
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Maybe it’s time to head back home.
The fact that it’s started to at least be brought to the table is a huge win. Honestly NYC should be on the cutting edge of the sex industry in America, with so many foreigners that come from places where sex is not the devil. It is not. I hope it goes far to at least start more conversations on this issue. To lock somebody up for to consenting adults to have sex is so unbelievably wrong. Stop the madness.
Thanks SC.
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Interesting that the two politicians introducing the bill are female.
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Would this make prices go up or down. Bunny Ranch costs a fortune for legal vjay.
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I assume Nevada prices are high in large-part bc they are the only place in the US where it's legal so they sorta have a monopoly - but could also be that the gov taxes & fees the hell out of those places
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I’m sure you’re right IceyLoco, but what was the experience with those same issues when Rhode Island discovered that their prostitution laws were only applicable out doors. Strip clubs became de facto brothels for four years. And coincidently sexual assault and STI rates decreased.
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^^^ He's not wrong.
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It should be legal and thee should be regulations to make sure it’s safe and consentual. That being said I’d be shocked if prostitution were legalized in New York. It could have happened at one time but the sex trafficking myth was created to offset the fact that people were more relaxed about sex than they used to be. Sex trafficking does exist but it’s not what most anti-prostitution people are really concerned about. It’s about controlling behavior they find immoral or distasteful.
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I don't think that contradicting federal labor laws, laws that aren't in the constitution itself, make something unconstitutional. I don't mean to say it will pass, or the feds won't challenge it, but it won't be on constitutional grounds.
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It all sounds interesting, need to look into it.
SJG
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Icey, I've actually read the proposed bill and there is nothing about licensing, checkups or any of that other stuff, nor has any agency named to regulate it in any way. The bill is a simple decriminalization effort. Maybe that's all coming at a later date through a separate bill, but it's not there now.
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assuming that this bill does get approved and becomes officially legal, how will "providers" be advertising their services?
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IceyLoco said "The decriminalization of indoor prostitution in Rhode Island was a huge boost for organized crime and the drug trade."
No, it wasn't.
"Hence why the interpretation of the state's prostitution laws was quickly altered."
Quickly as in the 29 years from decriminalization in 1980 to 2009? And the first attempt to overturn decriminalization started in 2003 and failed every year until 2009.
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Sure. Also, exactly like how the federal government quickly cracked down on the 33 states where medicinal pot is legal, including 10 states where recreational pot is legal, even though that contradicts federal law.
Wait... what...
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Icey you're talking out of your ass. There is no federal law against prostitution. Also, there is not a single comment in any press release where any lawmaker has raised those issues. If it doesn't get passed, it will be far more likely due to a lack of political coverage from legislators representing more socially conservative parts of the state.
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fingers crossed
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No. In ESPLERP v. San Francisco, the 9th Circuit ruled:
“There is no constitutional right to engage in illegal employment, namely, prostitution,” - Judge Jane A. Restani.
But, if prostitution is deemed legal by state law, then the finding by the 9th Circuit becomes null, seeing the ruling hinges on the illegality of prostitution.
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Icey, that labor law argument is about the stupidest thing I've ever read on here, which given where we are is saying something. 😉
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The amount of stupid in this thread is monumental. Please cite the case(s) where prostitution "has been deemed unconstitutional because it violates labor laws."
You circular reasoning is dizzying.
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IceyLoco said "It won't be deemed legal by state law...."
We almost agree. It won't be deemed legal in NY, because the NY law won't pass. The reason it won't pass isn't based on labor laws or the Constitution, but simply because the political will isn't there.
But if it did pass, neither labor laws or the Constitution would stop it from being enacted. I mean, I'm sure it would be challenged in court by social conservatives using whatever they think might stick. But there is no federal, Constitutional, or labor basis that blocks it directly.
"NV's brothels were kinda grandfathered into the system."
NV state law is not relevant to NY state law.
"Which is why they have to mention the state law thing."
Who is 'they'?
Also, while there have been several threads where you've given off the whiff of being a woman, and possibly a stripper, the odor in this thread is particularly strong. No idea if it's true or not, but there you go.
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Icey, the illegal employment can only be illegal if the underlying act is illegal. If there is no federal or state law which prohibits a girl from willingly taking money to suck my dick, then no illegal act has occurred. You're misapplying a phantom labor law that doesn't exist.
If you disagree, please feel free to link a copy of the applicable federal labor statute which specifically addresses prostitution. Otherwise spare us this multi-month repetitive nonsense.
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Well, I guess we'll find out when a state eventually makes prostitution legal. Though there's no political will right now, it's being considered more often as time goes on.
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Icey, we were talking about once NY legalizes it. And no, prostitution is not prohibited anywhere other than in state law. Forcing someone to do it is, but the mere act itself is not a federal crime.
I'm starting to think that you are a bit retarded and that your brain is struggling to process simple concepts. And no, this is not one of those situation where all opinions are equally valid - you're twisting shit that doesn't exist into a weird alternate narrative that doesn't apply.
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No, he's not retarded. Well... not the way way you mean.
He's a troll perpetuating an endless argument for his own juvenile jollies. He fully understands the points being made (I suspect) but cogent debate is not on his list of motivations.
I don't always make the best time management choices, but a circular debate with someone who is being intentionally obtuse about legislation that isn't going to pass goes beyond the Pale even for me.
But keep at it if it's fun for you.
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As far as I can see federal laws do not address prostitution being legal or illegal just regulates interstate practices via trafficking statutes, and the Mann Act, the rest is state by state, no mention anywhere in the US criminal code for or against and as usual loco is talking out of his ass, with no knowledge of the issues involved just his usual uninformed opinions.
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Well, I'm still voting for retarded, but I may indeed be even more retarded than him for debating with him. 😉
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^ that’s a point you shouldn’t take lightly and neither should any of us here.
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And more of the same...
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lol
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Loco I’ll bet you pay prostitutes far more often than I ever have. I don’t need to I actually have a real relationship with a real woman, you only have those fat tatted up IG pics that you tape to a pillow every night and pretend she’s your gf, but irl even those ugly hos wouldn’t even give you the time of day.
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LOLZ
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Defending Sex Workers, from San Francisco streetsheet.org
SJG
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S. 6419 A. 8230
nextcity.org
theappeal.org
decrimny.org
Article says Andrew Cuomo will not sign it.
latest news: decrimny.org
I think we do need to decriminalize, and while there will be objections to this, I don't see there as being any real problems.
Interested to hear more about what when down in Rhode Island.
SJG
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DecrimNY celebrating Tiffany Caban victory:
decrimny.org
SJG
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