http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/nyc-crime/slain-man-brother-shocked-escort-site-operate-article-1.2342808
Two minds on this one.
Yes, the site is predominantly for sex, though most of the escorts are careful enough to declare ‘officially’ that they are not selling sex. Yes, they do list their own sexual proclivities, but the RentBoy lawyers should be able to deal with that as a simple declaration of each individuals likes and dislikes, much as one would find on any social network profile, and not what the prosecution presumes to be a menu of the sex acts they are offering for money. So in that respect, NO, the site is not technically involved in prostitution.
The poor man who lost his brother seems to be ignoring some facts about his brother’s sexuality. Only one living man knows for certain how his brother’s death came about. Yet, heartlessly, a business should not have to be forcibly shut down after a murder. Obviously, precautions and new rules should be evaluated and implemented, but would we expect Disneyland to shut down if one of their employees murdered a child on a ride? We don’t even expect prisons to be shut down when one of the inmates kills another inmate. (Though this argument is taking things to extremes.)
So, should a company that is carefully avoiding acts of providing prostitution be held accountable under the Law for prostitution? Well, a jury will have to decide whether the Letter of the Law is more importnt the the Spirit of the Law.
Now, should prostitution be legalised?
I have always been surprised that there is even an American Porn Industry at all. Free speech…?
But don’t get me wrong. While I hear a lot of people question whether ANY woman ever dreamt of getting into porn when they were children, I do hear over and over again tales of Men having dreamt of getting into (at least) Gay Porn since they were kids (Note: not ‘as’ kids performing sex, but wanting to get into porn AFTER they came of legal age). And perhaps there are a lot of women who are just as extroverted and sexually proud and experimental who do want to grow up to become porn stars. Woudn’t surprise me.
Will America ever legalise prostitution? Will sex workers ever unionise?
For myself, growing up, feeling ashamed, full of self-loathing for being different, rushing into Christianity for salvation from my genetics, and being tempted by gay sex mags and vids for over two decades, when I finally did accept my own sexuality, it was this same porn that helped me overcome self-constructed prejudices against the entirity of the gay community. It was porn that also helped me overcome my ridiculous sense of machismo, of understanding sexual pleasure derived from either side of the sex equation without feeling emasculated. And, of course, porn demonstrated technique. It also promoted false expectations, but those were soon revealed to be what they truly were. Finally, porn helped me get off on me own when I was on me todd. For that I’m thankful.
But I do worry about the performers. There are always casualties in Life, and in every occupation: from Jesuit Priest to child actor, from bus driver to president, from itinerant labourer to CEOs. Physical and mental health issues are always with us, from professional wrestlers to porn stars. So while I hope such issues are brought to the fore, I do not wish to see pornography shut down in America.