Legalizing Prostitution Will Increase Sex Trafficking

California Governor, Gavin Newsom (aka Nancy Pelosi's nephew), just signed a pro-sex work bill. This bill bars police from making arrests for loitering for prostitution. Simply put, "loitering for prostitution" is anyone who has the intent of engaging in prostitution (i.e. buying a prostitute or acting as a prostitute). For example, a man who has the intent of having sex with a female prostitute? Neither will be charged for engaging in prostitution, Similar legislation exists in New York, and Nevada is the only state where prostitution is legal in several counties. By legalizing prostitution, this will lead to an increase in sex trafficking. (Image credit: Sex Trafficking Rogers)

Supporters of prostitution and sex work claim by legalizing this crime, human trafficking (specifically sex trafficking) will actually decrease. That is a false statement. Prostitution doesn't lower sex trafficking rates. A 2012 Study entitled "Does Legalized Prostitution Increase Human Trafficking?" conducted by Seo-Yeong Cho of the German Institute for Economic Research, Axel Dreher of the University of Heidelberg and Eric Neumayer of the London School of Economics and Political Science, found that sex trafficking does increase when prostitution is legal. In the conclusion of the study, the authors shared, "On average, countries with legalized prostitution experience a larger degree of reported human trafficking inflows." Compare this with countries that have criminalized prostitution, they have lower rates of sex trafficking. Without the temptation to purchase sex, there won't be a need to sell sex (either legally or illegally).

Prostitution isn't a safe industry. The same way pornography isn't a safe industry. Prostitutes have a high homicide rate. One study found that 36% of prostitutes interviewed stated their customer was violent or abusive. Gavin Newsom claims that this bill will no longer make transgenders and minority women wouldn't be targets, yet that is who is mainly hurt in prostitution. Without laws criminalizing this issue, now prostitutes are in more danger of being targeted, hurt, trafficked, or even murdered. This is a legitimate issue, yet not many are willing to look at it. "Governments that have legalized prostitution are thus able to continue profiting off of the sexual exploitation of women and children at the same time that they cooperate with international efforts to curb human trafficking," states the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs. Of all the issues plaguing California, Gavin Newsom (as most Democrats do) chose to do the woke and least helpful thing to help Californians.

What does human trafficking come down to? Economics. Supply and demand. Many women, men, and even children turn to selling their body for money. Traffickers understand how many people are desperate to feed themselves and their families. They'll tell the victim that there is a promise for opportunity and money, only to coerce and threaten them into prostitution. There's really no difference between traffickers and pimps. Both prey on the vulnerable for their own benefits. People will always demand sex. People will always have certain necessities in life (i.e. food, water, clothes, someplace to sleep). As long as there are vulnerable people in terrible situations beyond their control, traffickers will always have business. By legalizing prostitution, traffickers have the green light to continue their evil practices, while victims are ignored. 

The National Center on Sexual Exploitation stated that, "Many officers rely on the loitering laws to initiate trafficking investigations that have led to serious convictions for traffickers and pimps." California is one of the worst states for human trafficking. Signing this bill is a terrible mistake, but apparently this doesn't matter to the woke mob. We shouldn't criminalize prostitutes, because many are victims. That's a big problem. Legalizing prostitution will not lead to a decrease in sex trafficking cases. Instead, it's the opposite effect. Please, continue to educate your family, friends, coworkers, and anyone else you know of on the importance of recognizing human trafficking. This fight cannot be left up to the lawmakers and politicians. It's up to us.