okay, but this thread is missing out on a lot of intersectionality in my opinion, so here's a thread on why i (personally) think sex work should be decriminalized.

sex work is stigmatized and villified as a consequence of patriarchy, misogyny and capitalism. + https://twitter.com/iamClaricePalce/status/1386638059093913605

to expound: sex work is claimed by many leftists, liberals, conservatives, and feminists to be exploitative of women's bodies. which, in most aspects, is very true. sex work is often a very dangerous course of life, as sex workers are vulnerable to all sorts of sexual violence.

there is a notion that sex work is an act of desperation, villifying it to the very bottom of careers. the argument here is "why would you sell your body and dignity just for money?", which is exactly where the argument falls apart, if you have even a cursory knowledge on+

the nature of capitalism and its relationship with class and labor. capitalism is designed to prioritize the rich and their greed, and relies on the labor of the working class to fund and produce the luxuries of the bourgeoisie. it is, by nature, exploitative of workers, who +

sell their labor for less than its worth, so the capitalist can profit.

all labor under capitalism is exploitative. there is no ethical consumption under capitalism, because the products of your consumption was made with the unfair wage of a laborer.

now, enter sex work.

given that all labor is exploitative, sex work is no more different. the only difference is that it's now primarily exploitative of WOMEN'S bodies, since women disproportionately are not only more likely to, but already pursue sex work as a source of income.

women sell their bodies the same as any other laborer, hand the only reason it is stigmatized is because of the patriarchy. which seeks to strip women of their socio-political autonomy through the ingraining of misogyny into culture.

we can see that in play nowhere better than

here in the philippines. where conservative and traditional views of the family still hold MASSIVE precedence over anything else (and that also contributes to issues of familial abuse and mental health but that's not the topic right now.)

in the philippines,

we are only now coming to terms with women's autonomy and equity, when it has been trapped in colonially-imposed familial and religious conservatism for centuries.

even so, the view that sex work is a valid profession is ineffable in philippine society.

sex workers are stereotyped in a sexist and classist manner, condemning them as often sub-human and as pariah, when they are no less victims of objectification and commodification as any other woman.

the only difference is that sex workers have found a way to

use this objectification to their advantage, and thus their work is in turn stigmatized.

tl;dr : the stigma against sex work is rooted in the commodification of human bodies under capitalism, and the objectification of women under the patriarchy. sex work is work, and to say otherwise is to ignore the nature of labor and to enable the societal subjugation of women.

wait international comrades are starting to see this thread CAN YOU EVEN READ THE ORIGINAL POST????? LET ME GET A TRANSLATION FOR Y'ALL