Recently, especially among feminist circles, it has been frequently repeated that prostitution and modeling are the only two jobs in which women make as much or more than men. A majority of feminists, however, oppose prostitution on principle. Prostitutes themselves nearly unanimously support the decriminalization of prostitution, as is to be expected. Most are not trying to leave their profession, and in many countries, they make a decent, legal living off of prostitution. These people want prostitution to be

There are also a significant number of prostitutes who support this hypothesis. The major legalized-prostitution opposition group is WHISPER (Women Hurt in Systems of Prostitution Engaged in Revolt). WHISPER was created in 1985 in response to a number of prostitute's rights groups. They reject the claim that women "freely" choose prostitution. They agree with Catharine MacKinnon and others that women are limited in opportunities by the male-dominated society, and thus are forced into prostitution to service the sex-starved male (Flowers 45). Prostitution is female slavery, they argue, and decriminalization will provoke an already horrendous social injustice and cause more women to degrade themselves by entering into legal prostitution.

itution in their city in whatever way they please. Prostitutes in Germany appear not to suffer the degradation that prostitutes in other more repressive nations feel, but they do seem to suffer some disgrace when they register. Overall, it appears that civil controls in Germany have proven much more effective in the regulation of prostitution than criminal sanctions. State regulation has reduced prostitution-related crime and venereal disease, and it has even increased state revenues, as prostitutes now have to pay income taxes. Sociologists in Australia, however, tell a much different story. Australia has had legalized prostitution for a number of years. Legal reforms, however, have not reduced the violence experienced by prostitutes in paid sexual encounters, nor have they reduced the other hazards of the prostitution profession. Reforms have also not affected the social perception of prostitutes as willing or legitimate victims of abuse. In cases of rape or assault, the dec!

able of these groups is COYOTE (Call Off Your Old Tired Ethics), formed in the early 1970s. Led by Nancy Vicqua, COYOTE argues that prostitution is work, not crime. In their view, prostitutes choose to sell their bodies and this empowers women in terms of self-determination. They want prostitution to be respected and legitimized like any other service organization.

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Pettiway, Leon E. Honey, Honey, Miss Thang. Philedelphia: Temple University, 1996.

one point: prostitutes are generally treated like outsiders in their own communities, and little thought is usually given to their civil rights. However, Winnick and Kinsie treat prostitution in Nevada as accepted, desired and respected while Hobson tends to argue that prostitution in Nevada is looked down upon and the epitome of female sexploitation.

Gillikin, Jason and Reinstein, Rick. "Should prostitution be legalized in America?" Ed. Chris Springsteen. Kalamazoo, Michigan: 2001.

Views on the legalized prostitution in Nevada differ widely, even among the simple facts of the situation. Here is how one feminist describes the situation: In Lyon County [Nevada], for example, brothels must be located in uninhabited areas at least five miles from a city, town, mobile home park, or where people generally reside. A local sheriff can limit the work hours, days of business, number of prostitutes in a house and size of the building. Prostitutes are often confined to certain sections of the town and permitted out only at certain times of the day. One town prevents prostitutes from leaving brothels on Sundays. This town limits when prostitutes can shop and the establishments they can frequent. Although prostitution is defined as legal entertainment and perceived by residents to be a local business, prostitutes are pariahs in these communities, an untouchable caste kept apart from the institutions and daily life of the permanent residents.

Many opponents of decriminalization point to studies that show that prostitutes have lower self-esteem and are more vulnerable to victimization than other women (Kempadoo 87). These studies show that prostitutes learned more about sex from p

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