France may make it illegal to pay for sex

[JessinAvalon]

Guardian article here:

www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/apr/13/france-illegal-pay-sex

Good for Sweden! I think we need to get some more campaigning going, so we can try and get our government to do the same thing... surely if it were proposed, it would be quite hard to argue against?

LOL at driving it underground. We now have trafficked women and children being prostituted in UK. It doesn't operate openly because it's already illegal therefore already 'underground'. Research by Eaves/Poppy project (just lost funding) shows punters being asked for help and continuing regardless. Is it really credible any man in this country hasn't heard of sex trafficking? But they still go to prostitutes.
Do they really believe none of the women they use are controlled by pimps/drug addiction? I'm guessing not.

I think it's a bit presumptuous to assume that suddenly the men of Sweden are healed of their "need" for prostitutes. They will be getting it from somewhere.

I don't think that is the presumption, LOTM. There is evidence to suggest fewer men are using prostitutes. Not that they are suddenly "healed". I suspect many of the more casual users, if you like, have decided it's too risky/much trouble etc. I imagine the more hardcore user goes ahead anyway (but that is another presumption).

"They will be getting it from somewhere" however, is also a bit presumptuous.

That's the point, LOTM. It's about changing attitudes. Do men actually 'need' prostitutes? Will they suddenly fall apart if they can't use prostitutes anymore? Of course not. The Swedish model encourages men to see women as full human beings and not just as sex toys. If you make something unacceptable it forces people to rethink their attitudes.