Proposition K is coming up for a vote in San Francisco. So what is Proposition K and why should you care? Well, in a forward-thinking and trend-setting place like California, Proposition K could change the legal landscape on the world’s oldest profession. Yes, that’s right, Proposition K seeks to legalize prostitution. There is heated debate on both sides of this issue. The reason the rest of the country should be concerned? Well, as the old saying goes, “As California goes, so goes the country.” The meaning, of course, is clear: progressive and liberal ideas that gain a foothold on the west coast often find their way throughout the nation over a period of years. So let’s take a closer look at this proposition to legalize prostitution and see what it’s all about.
The history of various efforts to legalize prostitution in this fabled city go back to 1996 when a city task force actually recommended the change. The reaction was swift and heated. The democratic and green parties were split on the issue, with the mayor opposing the change. The main concern revolved around the fact that San Francisco is already a major hub in the global sex trafficking industry, which has grown to an estimated $8 billion industry world-wide.
On the other hand, supporters of the idea say that it would provide a more secure environment for women who were victims of sex crimes to go to police with their reports, rather than fear them because of their profession. The bill falls short however, because it simply prohibits the police from investigating or prosecuting those who work as prostitutes. Even supporters criticize this aspect of the bill, because it doesn’t provide mandatory HIV testing, locations for brothels and other such regulation that would “clean up” the profession while legalizing it.
In addition to these issues, Proposition K also would deny funds for the first-time offenders program known as the “john school”, obviously because what the “johns” are doing would no longer be illegal. In addition it would prohibit the use of state and federal funds for any type of racial profiling to help identify victims of human trafficking. This time around however, there are many groups supporting the movement, such as the Erotic Service Providers Union, La Raza Centro Legal, Harvey Milk Democratic Club and the San Francisco Democratic Party. Opponents of the measure include Mayor Gavin Newsom, District Attorney Kamala Harris and the Alice B. Toklas LGBT Democratic Club (this last one is interesting to me because of the irony of their support of other oft-berated groups of people).
So, whether you are for or against this bill in San Francisco, one thing is certain: it will go before the public for a vote. As someone who has witnessed the effects legalized prostitution in European countries such as Germany and the Netherlands, I can tell you that the bill definitely falls way short in its protection of such workers. In the long run, I will make a difference in the way people perceive the industry as a whole. And I believe the old saying is true … so the results will be much farther reaching down the road than just San Francisco.
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