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Natalie Dylan, a Women's Studies scholar, says selling her virginity doesn't harm women, but it does. Dylan says: "I know that a lot of people will condemn me for this because it's so taboo but I really don't have a problem with that." However, prostitution isn't wrong because it's taboo, it's wrong because people are not objects to be rented like furniture. Prostitution is an obstacle to women and girls getting equality because when men treat women like objects it lowers their view of them. That's because objects are less than human, so obviously treating women and girls as less than human trains men to think women are inferior to them.
The facts speak the truth. Nicholas Kristof of the NY Times reported that almost half of prostitutes have attempted suicide. The Swedish government determined that prostitution is an obstacle to women's equality with men. The NY Times published a study that found that 2/3 of prostitutes suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Less than 5% of the general population suffers from PTSD. The study director Dr. Melissa Farley stated that prostitution should be viewed “as a traumatic stressor”.
Thus, it is feminist to end prostitution because prostitution causes a lot of damage to women and girls and has relegated us to inferior status to men. For more information I suggest reading "10 Reasons for Not Legalizing Prostitution" by Janice G. Raymond. To be equal to men in society, we must increase our power, not decrease it.
As I went to check my AOL account tonight I was caught off guard by a blog AOL featured in their "specials" section. It is a link to a history lesson of sexist vintage ads. I have to say, I am impressed with AOL.
