Washington DC Massage Parlors: The misfit student accused of murdering prostitutes
Written on May 29, 2010 – 2:48 am | by rubmedownthere
The final draft of the Act was a watered-down version of what Ms Smith and her allies had planned. They had hoped for strict kerb-crawling bans based on similar legislation in Sweden and the Netherlands, while Harriet Harman wanted an outright ban on any payment for sex.
Instead, the emphasis was on criminalising people who had sex with trafficked women — and increasing police powers to arrest sex workers and close down brothels. For those who wanted a clampdown on prostitution, it was a welcome piece of legislation. But sex workers themselves will tell you a very different story.
Brothels may not be the most salubrious places in the world to work. But compared with the street, a well-run massage parlour provides a much greater level of safety and security for the women (or men) who work there.