Feminist views on the sex industry

Feminist perspectives on sex markets vary widely, depending on the type of feminism being applied. The sex market is defined as the system of supply and demand which is generated by the existence of sex work as a commodity.^[1]^[2] The sex market can further be segregated into the direct sex market, which mainly applies to prostitution, and the indirect sex market, which applies to sexual businesses which provide services such as lap dancing. The final component of the sex market lies in the production and selling of pornography.^[3] With the distinctions between feminist perspectives, there are many documented instances from feminist authors of both explicit and implied feminist standpoints that provide coverage on the sex market in regards to both "autonomous" and "non-autonomous" sex trades. The quotations are added since some feminist ideologies believe the commodification of women's bodies is never autonomous and therefore subversive or misleading by terminology.^[4]

There exists a diversity of feminist views on prostitution. Many of these positions can be loosely arranged into an overarching standpoint that is generally either critical or supportive of prostitution and sex work.^[5] The discourse surrounding prostitution is often discussed assuming sex workers are women, but those in the field of sex work and prostitution are not always women.

Anti-prostitution feminists hold that prostitution is a form of exploitation of women and of male dominance over women, and the result of the existing patriarchal societal order. These feminists argue that prostitution has a very negative effect, both on the prostitutes themselves and on society as a whole, as it reinforces stereotypical views about women, who are seen as sex objects to be used and abused by men.

Pro-prostitution feminists hold that prostitution and other forms of sex work can be valid choices for women and men who choose to engage in it. In this view, prostitution must be differentiated from forced prostitution, and feminists should support sex worker activism against abuses by both the sex industry and the legal system.

The disagreement between these two feminist stances has proven particularly contentious, and may be comparable to the feminist sex wars (acrimonious debates on sex issues) of the late twentieth century.^[6]

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^ Meyers, Diana Tietjens (2013-11-12). "Feminism and Sex Trafficking: Rethinking Some Aspects of Autonomy and Paternalism". Ethical Theory and Moral Practice. 17 (3): 427–441. doi:10.1007/s10677-013-9452-1. ISSN 1386-2820. S2CID 144976105.
^ O’Neill, Maggie (2001). Prostitution and Feminism. Cambridge: Polity Press. pp. 14–16. ISBN 978-0-7456-1204-1.
^ Alexander, Priscilla (1997). "Feminism, Sex Workers and Human Rights". In Nagle, Jill (ed.). Whores and Other Feminists. New York: Routledge. pp. 83–90. ISBN 978-0-415-91821-3.

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[:3-4] Meyers, Diana Tietjens (2013-11-12). "Feminism and Sex Trafficking: Rethinking Some Aspects of Autonomy and Paternalism". Ethical Theory and Moral Practice. 17 (3): 427–441. doi:10.1007/s10677-013-9452-1. ISSN 1386-2820. S2CID 144976105.

[5] O’Neill, Maggie (2001). Prostitution and Feminism. Cambridge: Polity Press. pp. 14–16. ISBN 978-0-7456-1204-1.

[6] Alexander, Priscilla (1997). "Feminism, Sex Workers and Human Rights". In Nagle, Jill (ed.). Whores and Other Feminists. New York: Routledge. pp. 83–90. ISBN 978-0-415-91821-3.

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