It sticks me that people punters and escorts alike view the new laws in a variety of ways. Most escorts who post here and the ones I talk to are in the "your over reacting lads camp calm down for gods sake calm down" camp and from their perspectiveOriginally Posted by SophieX
get your brakes checked out, stress head, you're not breaking the law.
they are probably spot on. They can point to their own experience of a relatively hassle free environment and with justification argue that it is highly unlikely that should a client pay a visit that they will be raided by the cops and busted named and shamed. After all it is not that easy to arrange all the legal documents and garner the resources to be raiding apartment's all over the country on a regular basis. It is therefore perfectly sensible to -as some punters seem to be advocating-take a calculated risk visiting an escort as in all liklihood your are very unlikely to fall foul of the law. However, some guys with equal justification are now considering their options and are for now at least contemplating early retirement. They no they will probably get away with it but deep down they fear the consequences of been arrested. The humiliation and shame for many would be too much to bear and the spin off ramifications in terms of damage to personal relationships and potential reputational damage at work make the risk no matter how small not worth it. On balance my own personal response is likely be to carry on my merry way but be more cautious that previously has been the case but this is largely dictated by my current circumstances. I also unlike many have the option of heading off to sunnier climes an option which I may yet exercise.
However, it is important to step outside the confines of our cosy little club here on EI and reflect upon the wider socio-cultural effects that will flow from these new rules. There is now widespread evidence that laws inspired by the so called Swedish Model have done little to curb the growth of prostitution and have in the main impacted negatively upon sex workers in a wide variety of ways in terms of health and safety. Michael Lynn SC has published a paper which outlines the evidence in detail. Whether I and other punters decide to punt on or retire or whether Sophie X stays or heads off somewhere else the impact of this wide ranging piece of social engineering will be felt in a negative way by many participants in the sex industry for years to come. There will be victims from the poor defenceless woman who will now be more likely to be raped or murdered to the unfortunate john who loses his wife and job and whose children are mocked and ridiculed at school. This abnoxious piece of legislation has the potential to further poison the public perception of sex workers and johns as pieces of filth that belong in the same category as sexual deviants and sociopaths. If your not convinced about that point seek out the U-tube video of the confrontation between local residents and sex workers in Belfast. Quite often on my way walking back from an appointment from a regular of mine I pass two locations where sex workers have lost their lives over the years while no law can ever stop these terrible tragedies from happening certain laws can and will make this sort of thing more likely to occur.The bottom line is that this is a very serious matter and I would mind contributors to bear in mind the sensitivity of the matter when posting or replying to other contributors.
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