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Prostitution In Canada

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In June 2014, Canada passed new legislation in regards to sex work, Bill C-36 The Protection of Communities and Exploited Persons Act. This act was meant to protect sex workers by criminalizing the buying – not the selling – of sex, and reduce the demand for prostitution by discouraging entry into it. In fact, Bill C-36 impedes sex workers from organizing and protecting themselves, often leaving them to engage in riskier behaviour, imposing more danger to sex workers, criminalization and fewer safe options.
Introduction
Prostitution or sex work in Canada is a controversial topic among many Canadians which often leads to intense debates with radically opposing views. The definitions of what constitutes sex work often vary, and multiple views …show more content…
First, Section 213 (1)(c) prohibits communication in public for the purpose of prostitution in public spaces where youth under 18 years of age could potentially be present (Walters, 19). Second, Bill C-36 no longer criminalizes individuals who are in a legitimate living arrangement with the person whose sexual services the benefit is derived, or individuals with a legal or moral obligation with such person (Walters, 2015). Third, the bill no longer criminalizes the act of keeping a brothel and sex workers who sell their own sexual services, and since the bill does not state that prostitution is an indecent act, operating a brothel is no longer illegal (Walters, 2015). However, any indoor venue providing sexual services is unlikely to be able to operate legally. All clients will be criminalized, and “venue operators risk being prosecuted as parties to the criminal purchase of sexual services or for receiving a material benefit from sex work” (Clamen, 2). Under Bill C-36 sex workers are not guilty of a crime for selling their own sexual services, but any client who purchases sexual services can be charged with a crime. Bill C-36 is legislation that continues to impede the rights and freedoms of sex workers, with many scholars arguing that it perpetuates similar harms and constitutional violations, and invalidates any progress the Bedford ruling made in securing equality and safe working conditions for sex workers …show more content…
Most public opinions for prohibition hover around the ideas that we should criminalize both the buying and selling of sexual services and any third-party profit from prostitution (Lowman, 2012). Proponents for legalization, or decriminalizing prostitution entails regulating and licensing of consensual adult prostitution in brothels or other venues, and the removal of references to adult prostitution from the Criminal Code making it a regulated and legitimate business (Lowman, 2012). Some people support allowing prostitutes to work indoors, or in brothels, because they believe that this will make them safer and keep them from working on the streets. In an Angus Reid survey in 2009, 60% of those surveyed gave moderate or strong support to allowing indoor prostitution, while 30% were opposed (Lowman,

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