If a man - or a woman - made a choice to become a prostitute, a stripper or a porn star even though there are other options, then it’s none of my business. As long as he knows he can quit what he’s doing, as long as he’s an adult, as long as he consents to everything and as long as he’s not doing this out of desperation. He’s still degrading himself. Yes, it was his choice, but he is treating himself as a commodity for sex. And if he’s a porn star, there’s the added problem that people will know that he’s sold his body for sexual purposes, and this could affect his ability to get certain jobs or raise a child. Not to mention the risk of STDs he will have to worry about.

Unfortunately, most people in the sex industry did not have a choice. A lot of rentboys, porn stars and strippers have drug addictions, are homeless or are deeply in debt. They’re desperate. They’re being exploited. They would never have worked in the industry if they had other options, or if they knew they had other options, or if they weren’t impoverished, addicted to drugs or running from the mafia. Other than the fact that sex work is mentally scarring, it can also be extremely dangerous. A rent boy could get raped or beaten by his client. And a lot of prostitutes are in the country they work in illegally. Not blaming them, some were told they’d get a job in construction in the new country, only to emigrate and then find out they were lied to.

If prostitution is to be legalised, there should be strict regulations in place to ensure the safety of the prostitutes. But I still don’t want it promoted. And there should be organisations that help sex workers quit the sex industry for good. Counselling services should also be available, because a lot of sex workers are broken people, and are therefore easily taken advantage of.