Things only seem to be getting worse for the folks over RentBoy. On Tuesday, the company’s headquarters were raided by Homeland Security and the NYPD, who arrested CEO Jeffrey Hurant and six others for allegedly running an “internet brothel.”
Related: RentBoy CEO And Six Others Arrested In Prostitution Ring Bust
Tuesday morning’s sting operation came just days after an announcement by several major LGBT rights advocacy organizations–Transgender Law Center, Gay & Lesbian Advocates & Defenders (GLAD), Lambda Legal, National Center for Lesbian Rights, and National Center for Transgender Equality–would be joining Amnesty International in calling for decriminalization of sex work.
With the website officially shut down, it remains to be seen what will to happen to the men who relied on RentBoy as a way of making a living–or paying their way through school.
How about we take this to the next level?
Our newsletter is like a refreshing cocktail (or mocktail) of LGBTQ+ entertainment and pop culture, served up with a side of eye-candy.
All this begs the question: Isn’t sex work the classic victimless crime? Should sex work still be considered a crime? Sound off in the comments below…
Lewis Kinslayer
If it is between 2 consenting adults? No.
Floyd Martin
No
minddenizen
Nope. It’s crazy that people still think it’s their business to police the bedrooms of other people. If it’s consensual sex between consenting adults, no one should care.
Rod Watkins
No, there’s a reason it’s the oldest profession in the book! …. and it always will be! When you have a good product – market it! lol ð??
Nickolas A Lovero
Nope, no reason to be
Tomoe Hotaru
This talk about decriminalizing sex work is a double edged sword. If Amnesty International were to pull this off (God only knows how), there should be a multi-faceted approach that doesn’t center itself around only one or two highly visible demographics. Several people who are sex workers aren’t workers so much as they are slaves and groomed to be such from a young age. Decriminalization can have dire effects that make marginalized groups even more susceptible to rape and slavery while on the other hand, not decriminalizing it has equally dire consequences in terms of people getting the help and support they need from their community – even basic healthcare.
Unfortunately, the voices at the bottom of the totem pole, who are most at risk will probably not be heard. Instead you have vapid, inarticulate, vacuous escorts who stir controversy by highlighting the part of this very large situation that applies only to them in some anecdotal tirade.
There should be a thorough round table discussion involving this matter as it intersects with different socio-economic groups, genders, orientations, cultures, governments, etc. Human trafficking needs to be addressed also as these things usually run together in a parallel fashion.
It’s definitely not a 2 dimensional situation that can be solved by calling out the actresses who signed a petition for Amnesty International to stop their decriminalization quest (looking at you Rent boy). There must be regulations, sanctions, curated laws that pertain to and compensate for each government and culture.
But idk if ya’ll ready for a real dimensional analysis. lmao.
Harold Powell
The only reason sex work is crime is because of religion; and we know what else they do not like!
Carlos Zuniga
The only reason is illegal is because they don’t have to pay taxes. It’s all about money, ironic, ain’t it?
CJones01
It’s kind of bizarre. An adult can fuck every other consenting adult down one side of a street and up the other, and it’s peachy. An adult can do the same thing, for money, but on camera for consumption, and it’s good as gold. But take the camera out of the equation, and you’re a criminal.
@Tomoe Hotaru: I don’t think decriminalization would have too many ill side effects, especially if it becomes legalized. Persons or establishments would be held to standards for health and safety, as well as having access to health care. This should help curtail human trafficking and sexual slavery: willing men and women trained (sex ed, basically) and licensed to practice, and at brothel contracted for a set period of time.
Zuri Williams
If its with two consenting adults then no
Randy W Stevens
The sex police need to get the hell out of grown adults bedrooms unless they are gonna make and appointment and bring money with them.
Anthony Martini
No
Mykaels
That would only happen in Europe CJones where most people have universal access to healthcare. Here in the U.S., healthcare is a privaledge of the upper middle class, wealthy, and old.
On the one hand, its dumb that prostitution is illegal. I could boink ten guys this weekend, no one cares. I do it for money, people lose their minds. It’s illogical.
That said, human sex trafficking is a very real, very serious, out of control problem that is not being addressed properly. And until it is shown that legalized prostitution will hurt the sex trafficking trade (all studies are mixed on this), or that new efforts and standards would be initiated to combat the rise in sex slavery, I cannot support legalization.
Rick Fowlie
No
Rosalynn D'Angela
homeland secruiy, what the hell is that about, gay boys are that be a threat to the christian nation… oh wait all those bigot politicans trickin’ with young boys that might be a national threat
Jesse Hatfield
they can’t tax it thats why sex work thats why it’s a Crime
notevenwrong
@Mykaels, let’s make an analogy to show how much sense you make with that last sentence: “Until it can be shown that doing so will hurt pedophiles, I cannot support legalizing consensual homosexual relations.”
Brian Johnson-Frazier
Nope. It’s a valid profession just like any other. If they can bottle and sell water, one should be allowed to sell the services of his or her own body.
Btw I didn’t read the article, this was just a thought that the article made me think about.
Atrius
No.
Nathaniel McManus
The Catholic Church has been doing it for 2,000 years
Atrius
@Jesse Hatfield: They can tax it. Saying they can’t tax it is like saying they can’t tax pot simply because you can grow it yourself. Colorado proves that’s untrue. Germany and the Netherlands prove you can tax sex workers.
juliansorl
If it were taxed heavily like other all cash businesses, then perhaps it wouldn’t be as lucrative a field to be in anymore. The Netherlands seems to make it work. I’m all for Freedom, but I just think this “industry” feeds on the poor, dumb, and mentally ill. I wouldn’t want anyone I care about involved in this industry. No, it’s illegal for a reason. Do we need to go backwards?
Stephen Meeks
No
JessPH
Legalize it so that the government can regulate it and stop exploration, sex trafficking and child prostitution.
Louis Goodrich
I’m 53. If I wanna buy a 21 year old twink for a night…dammit! This is America!
I can’t afford to, but I like having the option. 😉
Michael Cuipa
No.
Me2
Yes, it’s the “forbidden fruit” aspect of it that makes it so alluring. No, I’m kidding!!! I absolutely believe that it should be legalized, or at the very least, decriminalized.
Janus Ourma
Sex workers should be licensed, legal and require regular STD testing and pay taxes on their income. It is work people. America is just as prudish as Iran when it comes to sex. Land of the free includes sex. Legalize brothels now.
sportyguy1983
It is one of the dumbest career choices people can make, but it is a choice stupid people should be able to freely make. Just add it to the stream of tax revenue.
Sidney Davies
No.
Bauhaus
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=cUbMGsN0jjA
Ladbrook
It should not be illegal as long as sex-workers are willing participants and they are “listed” as such for tax purposes. It happens anyway, so we might as well collect taxes on it and make it safer for all involved. And with over 90 million Americans out of the workforce at the moment, it would help with unemployment. 😉
Example: If I get hit on by a guy on A4A and accept his offer for anonymous sex, no harm no foul. However, if I say no, and he comes back with an offer of 100 dollars, which makes me say “ok,” then the two of us have now committed a crime. In some states that crime might even land the two of us on a list of registered sex-offenders. The hypocrisy is absolute insanity.
Michael Clifford
Nope. Prostitution should be legal. “Selling is legal. Fucking is legal. Why isn’t selling fucking legal??” – George Carlin
glennmcbride
This is not an issue in most Latin American countries, including Mexico where prostitution between consenting adults is legal. Brothels, pimps or anyone receiving the earnings of a prostitute is illegal. All Mexican towns and cities have red light districts where prostitution is tolerated and sex workers are registered, pay taxes and have health care. There is still abuse and exploitation but there is protection for sex workers that seek it and no one is thrown in jail for selling or offering to sell their sexual services.
J.T.
Yes, in the end a whore is still a whore.
Bauhaus
@J.T.:
Lady of Temperance.
Captain Obvious
I think all the people who want to legalize “sex work” aka sex trafficking are the same people who voted that they didn’t want to know what was in their food.
You think people want to be whores? Most are forced into it, many are kept drugged out of their minds so they can’t fight back, and the rest were brought in early so they feel they have no other way out.
Most prostitutes have been raped and molested at some point in their lives and continue to live in that hell because they don’t know how else to cope or move past it.
But hey as long as you get an easy lay who looks “pretty” who cares how they got there right? Sex slavery is awesome!
Nevermind that drugs and guns are never too far behind prostitution. They usually go hand in hand.
Lets go ahead and make America a full fledged 3rd world country. Legalize “sex work”! Go, Merica!
Can’t wait for every lazy American sob with an even slightly pretty face to label himself a professional “sex worker” and lay on his back for $50 because desk jobs are too haaaaaaarrrrd.
1 step forward, 3 steps back.
Christopher R Leserra
N O
Billy Budd
Here in Brazil it is NOT a crime. And that is how it should be. Prostitution is good, it is great. It is awesome.
Christopher Hayward
Nope.
Kevin J Desmond
Politics should be a crime .. after all look at all those criminals in any public office
Damon Robbins
Get some real job skills and have some self respect.
Clark35
@Captain Obvious: Well said. I agree with everything you posted. People who are pro-legalization/decriminalization of prostitution completely ignore that pretty much everyone that is a prostitute was forced/cocerced into doing it. Even the term “sex work” or “sex worker” glosses over and ignores the fact that people who are forced into prostitution are trafficked.
mujerado
@Tomoe Hotaru: The difference between sex work and slavery is obvious. Increase the penalties for slavery, commensurate with murder, and de-criminalize self-chosen sex work.
Realitycheck
No, and lets make it clean with weekly screen tests for VDs and lets collect taxes, it
is a win win situation for everyone.
Stache99
@Clark35: @Captain Obvious: You’re both idiots as usual. Way to go using outdated “pull em out of your ass” statistics. Every single time a country has legalized prostitution sex trafficking has gone down by a third or more.
DJPerezMA
NO!!! Decriminalize sex work and get Homeland Security back to what they’re supposed to be doing…..Better yet, let’s get RENTBOY back in business, and shut down Homeland Security. Let the FBI deal with terrorism.
L David Wolfe
Religious peeps are proving to be the worst offenders of elicit activities
Kenny Jones
No, but it IS… and Whining About It On Facebook (as if that is Meaningful Debate That Will Change Anything) isn’t going to change ANYTHING.
If the rentboy.com NON-scandal bothers you, then ORGANIZE and get ACTIVE to force y/our elected officials to change laws vis-a-vis prostitution.
Shane Patrick Stines
No
Ron Russell
Sex should not be criminalized between consenting adults.
Chris
No; next question.
jwtraveler
@Captain Obvious: You seem to be confusing consensual activity with slavery and exploitation. They’re not at all the same thing. Most farm workers in this country are underpaid and exploited. Let’s outlaw agriculture.
youarekiddingme
@Captain Obvious:
There you go again “thinking” instead of getting the facts!
“I think all the people who want to legalize “sex work” aka sex trafficking are the same people who voted that they didn’t want to know what was in their food.”
*Equating sex work with sex trafficking—NOT THE SAME
*Equating people who want to vote in favor of legalizing prostitution (sex work) with those who don’t want to know what is in their food–WHERE DID YOU PULL THAT ANALOGY OUT OF? URANUS?
“You think people want to be whores? Most are forced into it, many are kept drugged out of their minds, so they can’t fight back…” blah, blah, blah. ALL BULLSHIT! You have no facts or data to support any of your argument. Are you sure that you’re not drugged out of your mind right now as your writing this nonsense?
“Most prostitutes have been raped…” Pull your head out! That’s utter nonsense! If you’re talking about a street prostitute that may be true (although I would have to look into that to be sure). That’s not what we’re talking about here Captain.
FYI, you’ve been paying for sex (or your partner has) your entire life. Go out for dinner? Movie? Go out to a bar for drinks (or have some at home)? Put gas in the car? Add up the numbers. Try out that for an analogy!
captainburrito
@Harold Powell: There’s actually been times when some christian leaders actually felt prostitution was a necessary evil as it preserved the virginity of the rest of the girls before marriage in society.
And even in cultures which are not overtly religious there are some which frown upon sex work.
martinbakman
Wow, the sweeping generalizations take my breath away. Half you guys must be watching Fox news.
dustashed
OnLy downside if it’s legalized is that prices/rates will soar given taxations registrations etc
That will be tough especially for the elderly retired clientele.
Clark35
@JessPH: Trafficking is not going to stop if it’s legalized. If anything trafficking will increase and basically become legal as it has in countries where prostitution is legalised.
Brian JC Kneeland
Not any more. BUT – should be legally an adult!
Roger Honeycutt
No
Tommy Ogletree
Honestly, no…………but I have absolutely 0 respect for them.
Dana Lee
No.
garyrj
This nonsense of legislate morality is ridiculous!
The countries and states that have legalized prostitution, have control on disease and have more tax money coming in.
Legalize it, issue licenses, tax numbers and bust the people that don’t play by the rules.
James Kelley
Wth is sex work, being a ho?
Michael Feather
James Kelley, please next time just use Google instead of airing your ignorance for all to see.
Mikah
It’s absurd that adults who choose to have sex for money are targeted by law enforcement.This is a waste of time and tax money as well as an intrusion in people’s lives.A form of prostitution is already legal,it’s called pornography.Sex sells and it always will.
Damon Robbins
No,have some self respect!
Russell Mccullough
No.
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Brandon Humphries
Your link is broken queerty
Peter McKinney
People should be allowed to get paid for sex. I wish I could charge retroactively for all the sex I had before I got married.
Clark35
@James Kelley: LOL yes, “sex work” is the new ultra PC term for being a whore/ho.
SteveDenver
There’s a great documentary from 1994 called SEX, DRUGS & DEMOCRACY. Government officials from The Netherlands speak out saying that decriminalization of prostitution has resulted in diminishing mafia activity, increasing tax revenues, creating a safe environment, and allowing to happen what happens whether it is legal or not. Sex workers talk about their goals and their outlook on what they do for a living.
stranded
I think we should legalize it and regulate it. W-2s, health insurance options. Maybe even licences. Like a whore needs to pass an STI/HIV examination to renew their prostitution license.
Billy Budd
@stranded: I agree. Regulation, control and protection.
Rachel Leonardo
What is Sex Work?
Henry Benavidez
This is not always victimless. Human trafficking is real. Men have been victims as well as women and children. Predators are everywhere.
Doughosier
Someone must be making money by keeping it illegal or it wouldn’t be kept illegal. There’s no logical argument for it being illegal. As for the idiot who posted that no one wants to work as a sex worker but are forced into it, I’m sure no one wants to work at McDonalds either but you do what you have to do. It actually gives young people who don’t come from money or have proper education a way to make a decent living.
Cole Cross
No
youarekiddingme
@Doughosier:
The IDIOT who said that most sex workers were FORCED into it was: CAPTAIN OBVIOUS!
Clark35
@youarekiddingme: What he wrote about most people who are prostitutes being forced into it was true. Look it up…even in countries where prostitution is legal or tolerated and basically legal people are still trafficked and forced into it, in larger numbers than they are in countries where prostitution is illegal.
youarekiddingme
@Clark35:
You are a fucking idiot! You are an anti-gay, right-wing republican who uses nothing but metaphors and generalizations and has no business posting on this site. You have been shut down numerous times in the past for your idiot posts so go hide back under that rock you came from and shut up.
Clark35
@SteveDenver: That’s a completely outdated documentary, and it’s not true that legalization/decriminalization of prostitution in the Netherlands resulted in less crime, and a safe environment
Visit the Red Light District in Amsterdam and other major Dutch cities and you’ll see how there’s still a lot of trafficking, and crime associated with prostitution. The Dutch people do not like how their country is basically associated with legal/decriminalized prostitution.
orcanyc
Nooooo
youarekiddingme
@SteveDenver: You bring up a documentary and Clark35 talks about how outdated it is. He then throws out “generalizations” about: “there’s still a lot of trafficking (, bad use of comma) and crime associated with prostitution”. Quantify “a lot”. Has the trafficking gone up, down or remained the same? He has no statistical data to back up his argument–ever. You offered a documentary. He offers nothing but bullshit commentary.
He then tries to speak for the entire Dutch population by saying: “The Dutch people do not like how their country is basically associated with legal/decriminalized (means the same thing–duh) prostitution”.
Try to disregard his comments as utter nonsense.
Russell Mccullough
No
Clark35
I’ve been looking at the issue of legalizion of protitution in the Netherlands for over two decades.
It is hard to believe, but the centuries old flourishing prostitution sector in the Netherlands was actually illegal until the year 2000 when it was legalized. and then a strange thing happened.
The problems surrounding paid sex got worse. Far worse.
The new laws made it possible for city councils to crack down on brothels that were previously tollerated, and they did this with a vengeance. Only brothels with a lot of (criminal) money were able to defend against this kind of bureaucratic onslaught. To make matters worse sex workers now had to register openly by law, forcing many into the anonymous underground.
There are now far more criminals involved in the (illegal) sex trade than during the times that it was banned, but tolerated.
Clark35
@youarekiddingme: Legalization of something be it prostitution or drugs, and decriminalization of something such as prostitution and drugs, are not the same thing.
Clark35
@youarekiddingme: Nope, not anti-gay, I’m not a Republican, right wing, etc. But you however are all of these things and a troll.
youarekiddingme
@Clark35:
You have been “looking at”… for two decades. Means NOTHING!
Your generalizations go on and on…just like you on your knees to the right wing republicans…on and on!
You ARE ANTI-GAY and republican and RIGHT WING. You proved it on your post sticking up for that fat bitch clerk from Kentucky (Davis). You are a lying ass!!
Willyam Firth
Nope
Clark35
@youarekiddingme: What sort of nonsense are you going on about now? I did not stick up for that clerk in Kentucky, and no I’m not right wing. You have me confused with someone else. You are delusional.
youarekiddingme
@Clark35: ok, ass clown
Clark35
@youarekiddingme: Whatever troll and hater. LMAO you’re the only one on your knees for Republicans and male whores.
youarekiddingme
@Clark35: Ok, ok…you got me….
You can tell by all my previous posts that I’m a republican. Everyone knows it. The secret is out. YOU BAFFOON!
You couldn’t get laid in a whore house with a fist full of fifties so I wouldn’t do much talking…Probably the reason you are so opposed to legalization anyway.
Clark35
@youarekiddingme: LMAO!!! Nice try troll I have never had to pay for sex with anyone, nor been a whore but you have been a whore and had to pay for lots of sex.
youarekiddingme
@Clark35: Ok, ok…let your record speak for itself…People have seen everything you have to say, and the majority disagree with your statements. Congrats on your wild, right-wing statements!
If you wish, I can easily go back and copy and paste some of your highlights…Or perhaps we can ask Giancarlo85 what his best picks from you have been…I’m sure he’s got quite the library on you!
Clark35
http://www.nytimes.com/roomfordebate/2012/04/19/is-legalized-prostitution-safer/legalizing-prostitution-leads-to-more-trafficking
Clark35
@youarekiddingme:What’s your point? Everyone reads your posts and knows you’re a troll and support anti LGBT right wing politicians. You and Giancarlo85 need to get help for your obsession about a total stranger on a website that posts their opinion that you do not like or agree with.
youarekiddingme
@Clark35: There you go again “everyone”…Logical Fallicy! NEVER LEARN
Rochelle Flores
No – as long as it is consensual between provider and client. Simply providing a service to fulfill a demand.
Joseph T.D. Anaya
As long as it is not being forced, regulate and tax.
jwtraveler
So many of you are invoking sex trafficking as a justification for cracking down on prostitution. You’re right; sex trafficking is a very serious problem. So why spend millions of dollars to bust Rentboy when there is absolutely no allegation that they were involved in sex trafficking?
It’s kind of like busting marijuana dealers to confront the problem of drug addiction.
Chris
@jwtraveler: Agreed.
I find that people who oppose legalization of prostitution on grounds of human sex trafficking do so on the basis of a few sensational stories. There is little objective evidence on the scale of such stories that, I will agree, are horrific.
Also, Nevada legalized prostitution long ago; and, to date, I’ve not seen allegations about human sex trafficking there.
Finally, there are laws on the books that forbid slavery and human trafficking, in general. It’s far from clear to me that adding in anti-sex-work laws makes the original, better targeted laws more effective. If anything, anti-prostitution laws have become a fall-back dragnet that are used when nothing else is available against a wider group of people who seem to have entered sex work willingly and are making money at it.
Legalize it, tax it, regulate it.
…..And for the record, no, I do not use sex workers; and I never have.
Antony Nguyen
Ok so the oldest profession in the world is reinvented throughout history, legal or not just depends on who is calling the shoots but one thing it has always existed. Maybe if its when sex work is covered as what its not it should be not allowed as in games of the heart, but hey up front you want to get off this is what it costs whats wrong with that only when the heart hurts is when it sucks
onthemark
Here’s a simple solution:
Every ho (female or male) should do the deed with a camera in the room.
That makes it officially “pornography” so it’s legal.
Clark35
@Chris: Don’t kid yourself, sex trafficking is a major problem and it increases in places where prostitution is tolerated, legalized, and decriminalized and happens a lot even in Nevada.
Chris
@Clark35: I agree that sex trafficking is a major problem. However, I do not believe that outlawing sex work is the best solution.
We know (or at least we think that we know), for example, that sex trafficking increases wherever there is legalized gambling (not just in the U.S.; but also throughout the world) and that it spikes wherever there are important (read playoff and/or championship) sporting events (like NBA final and Super Bowl). I never read any proposals to do away with those events as a means of reducing sex trafficking.
Also, I’ve met enough gay men who’ve made $$$ as escorts and the like. I’m not willing to throw out their means of livelihood on the hopes that we might have an impact on something that, to the best of my knowledge, there is little evidence that anti-prostitution laws do.
Indeed, I’ve gotten to the point where I think that anti-prostitution laws are little more than a cat’s paw to hide the fact that very rich and very powerful people have vested interests in keeping sex trafficking alive. Rather than prosecute the people who engage in such heinous activities, police and politicians engage in symbolic actions that deflect attention away from the real criminals and worst offenders and onto people who make their livings based on sex work.
So I agree that we have to better enforce existing laws; but until I see evidence that those laws are being enforced, I do not support anti-prostitution legislation.
Fergie
No. Not if it is between consenting adults. Churches say a lot about sex of all flavours and they should keep their noses out of the bedroom. To them, all sex is bad. Instead sex should be celebrated.