Liberal feminists/sex work is work proponents....

[BertrandRussell]

.....do you think the DWP should be able to sanction a person who refuses to earn money as a prostitute when applying for benefits? If not, why not?

Either "sex work" is work - in which case it falls in with legislation about taxation, national insurance, health and safety at work and welfare requirements - or it is not work.
And this is why it's so important to look at Germany. A tiny proportion of prostituted women are registered and paying tax etc. The sources vary but it looks like less than 5%. What has happened is that brothel owners have continued to push the boundaries of what is acceptable (flat rate all you can fuck deals), demand has shot up, and there seems to be no reduction in harm to women at all. In fact, it could be worse, but now the police are unable to gain access to the brothels at all.
Emotion aside - their deregulation and legalisation of the sex trade has not achieved what they intended it to at all, and logically speaking should be rescinded. Logically speaking.

I don't really want to say too much as it may out me but I have worked in the sex industry for a long time (8 years). At the moment I am trying to wind it down and only do minor porn work. But previously I was earning the majority of my income from (in order) solo cams, chat line, visits, cams with others and live shows with other girls. My personal visits provided a fetish service that doesn't involve fucking however I know some clients did use other girls for that.

I have to say I am enraged by people claiming it is just another job. Others involved should know better than that. It is not. It is "Just work" to me and all the other women I personally knew with exception of some cam-only workers who think its a laugh. But to say they considered it the same as accountancy or cleaning? Of course not. I certainly do not.

All of my acquaintances started because they needed money. Even the ones who like the job started because of the money. And most if them quit or are planning to when they've saved enough. Girls who worked in brothels ALL had stories about aggressive and/or disgusting men. I've personally been locked in a guys house and one decided to strangle me with tights on and off for 10 minutes because I wouldn't 'upgrade'. He thought it was hilarious.

Talking to these men online/phone was certainly enlightening. They don't see you as a full human. They just do not. Not the really shitty ones who like awful degrading things, not the ones who used me specifally because I look very young and liked to elaborate on that, not even the ones who wanted to send gifts and worship me and "rescue " me. You are a thing. To wank over or in. That's all. It's completely not OK to pretend it's just like another job. I've had other jobs I disliked more but I think this was the worst overall.
I started because I was desperate for money while waiting for JSA. So no I wasn't enslaved or trafficked but I cant say i just decided on that career path because strange men masturbating over me is somehow empowering. Spoiler; it isnt and its wrecked my view of my body and of rekationships with men. I can't trust ANY of them now. If it's just like any other job then where would the incentive be to help people out of it? I see no specific support for people wanting to get out of stressful ,low paid work like retail...

So basicly, these sex positive "sex work is work" types can just do one. You could support women - support ME - without normalising men's shitty behaviour and warped attitudes towards women's bodies. I don't want prostitution criminalized but brothels should not be the norm. None of this should be the norm.

I believe a woman who chooses to be a sex worker (and there are a lot of us) should not be stigmatized socially

This issue of stigma is very much linked to the horrible patriarchal norm of blaming victims of specifically male abuses of power.

Victims of child sex abuse, rape, domestic violence and sexual exploitation are stigmatised as 'soiled' or 'damaged' in a way that victims of robbery, burglary or GBH are not. Because of this completely unjust but pervasive transfer of blame and shame from male perpetrator to (usually) female victim, the victims have to be referred to as 'survivors' to retain dignity and evade shame. No one refers to 'survivors' of robbery or physical assault.

So it is with prostitution. Let's refer to the sexual abused and exploited (usually) women in prostitution as 'workers' to afford them dignity and evade the shame and stigma of being victims of male power abuse.

The stigma of prostitution is not an issue of 'workers' rights, it falls into victim blaming. Challenging that stigma can only happen by acknowledging the patriachal context and challenging the pattern of blaming victims in such a way that allows males to abuse with impunity.

Including commie Labour types, who would be up in arms at the abuse suffered by other types of workers if they were expected to work in such unsafe conditions, with such a high risk of infection / mortality, and for such small pay (far more prostitutes are getting a tenner for a blow job in a car than £1000 for two hours in a hotel)

Oh my god this is so true!

great post UnicornFarmer

this bit especially made sense to me

If it's just like any other job then where would the incentive be to help people out of it?

yes. help to get women out of prostitution will melt away if sex work is work

Obviously this sex work is work scenario applies to only those women aged 18 and over, women being adult human females. I say women because, let's face it, sex work doesn't apply to men, adult human males.

Obviously given the nature of this work both client and worker would be tested for STDs. Safeguarding is also an issue as is a proper union, like everyone else. Though there are some places of work where this doesn't matter.

stories.swns.com/news/care-home-brought-prostitutes-sex-elderly-residents-30713/

Of course sex work is seen as a 'caring role' so is obviously for women.

www.theguardian.com/society/2015/feb/27/most-sex-workers-jobs-health-education-charities-survey