PROSTITUTION DECRIMINALIZED

            I noticed in the newspaper the other day that the St. George City police arrested a half dozen men for soliciting, in other words, attempting to purchase sex.  Apparently what happened, the St. George police placed attractive, sexy looking decoys in a location where hookers are known to work.  You know the rest of the story.

            Over the years some important public officials along with notable religious leaders have been stung by these stings - destroying marriages and ruining careers. 

            Prostitution is what some in law enforcement call victimless crimes because both parties are usually consenting adults.  Polygamy and homosexuality often fit into that category.  They are crimes because a legislature made it so.  Law enforcement usually doesn’t crack down on these offenses unless they become a public nuisance, blatant and flagrant, it creates an environment for other crimes and women are oppressed.  It’s a known fact that women are recruited and coerced into prostitution and polygamy.   It is a known fact that homosexuals have taken over and trashed public restrooms not to mention, shamelessly hitting on straight people.  And yes, it’s a known fact that in some sections of cities it is the stomping grounds for prostitutes and organized crime.  But what interests me in all of this is the motivation of the men.

            From a business point of view a prostitute receives money in exchange for sexual gratification.  From a biological point of view there is always going to be a market for this kind of transaction, what historians say is the oldest profession in the world. 

            In the old west brothels were as common a fried bacon.  And in those horse and buggy days Salt Lake City was no exception.  Exactly two blocks south of Brigham Young’s Lion House and Beehive House was Commercial Street and Plumb Ally where all the brothels, pool halls and gambling dens in the “City of the Saints” were located. 

            Brigham cloistered his plural wives in the Beehive House.  No they were not locked in with a lock and key, the padlock that kept them around was Section 132, security from freedom, and the prestige of being part of the great man’s harem.   Each had her own bedroom.  In Plumb Ally each lady of the night had her own bedroom called a crib.  Commercial Street was the romping grounds of another famous man, Jack Dempsey, heavyweight champion of the world. (Several years ago I did an article for The Event Weekly on Jack Dempsey, his first wife, Commercial Street and Donna’s Ranch (Brothel) in Wells, Nevada. In case you are interested, you can Google Donna’s Ranch on the Internet.)

            Prostitution is legal in the State of Nevada as long as it is under state control.  Every few months the girls are required by State regulation to submit to an examination for venereal diseases.  It protects, and I hate for obvious reasons using this euphemism, the “Johns,” as well as the girls.  As strange as you might think, if a venereal disease found its way into a Nevada brothel it would be by way of a customer rather than the “lady of the night.” In the Nevada brothels the Madam requires the customer to use a prophylactic, “rubber” in case you don’t know what that means.

            There are male prostitutes that cater to gays, especially bisexuals who, when the propensity reaches the boiling point, search out a homosexual romp to release the tension.  This type of erotic liaison usually goes undetected by law enforcement and even if it came to their attention they would probably not be detoured from the many robberies and rapes to investigate it unless a juvenile was involved. 

            It is still common for married men to have girl friends or mistresses.  Some men even father children with their mistresses with the intent of providing for their necessities.  But seldom do they enjoy the prestige of the so called “legal” children of the publically proffered legal wife.  In the case of mistresses the legal wife has cause for civil action but no prosecutor is going to charge the man with adultery.  (Check out John Edwards.  John Kennedy and Bill Clinton came out of their cavorts smelling like roses.)

            Law enforcement turns a blind eye to Mormon polygamy unless an underage girl is involved.  What is the difference between the motivation of the guy with a mistress and the guy with the plural wives?  Not much, both are incited by the sex urge.  The difference is in how he goes about it and the attitude of the women.  But the driving force is the Y-chromosome.

            What does the guy with the mistress, the guy with the plural wives and guy soliciting prostitutes have in common.  Well it doesn’t take a psychologist to know that it is sex. Of the three, who is more apt to be arrested – the guy soliciting the hooker – rather unfair wouldn’t you say. 

            Women have sexual desires the same as men but the urge is not nearly as intense, aggressive and at times all-consuming as that programmed by the Y-chromosome – sex crimes are much more apt to be committed by men.  A woman may stray from the marriage covenant but the sanctions associated with unfaithfulness are much more severe with men than women.  A female school teacher having sex with a male student, unfortunately, should be more of a psychological problem than a crime.  In nearly every case it has not been the “victim” who has complained, it has been someone he confided in.  From the Y-chromosome’s point of view, why spoil a good thing.   

            I’m not advocating legalizing prostitution or defending school-marms teaching high school boys the intricacies of good sex.  What I’m doing is showing the inequity in how society treats sexual behavior between consenting adults.  Cogitating the reasons they are treated differently, and the hypocrisy resulting from the treatment, would make an excellent exercise in understanding human behavior.  A starting place would be the following proposition:

            A man is not apt to solicit the services of a prostitute, find a mistress or become a polygamist if he and his wife enjoy mutual respect, genuine love and an uninhibited sexual relationship.  Of course there are always exceptions - but they are very few.