The Real Faces of Prostitution

by Amanda Kloer · 2009-03-17 11:00:00 UTC
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In 2007, Prism Magazine published an article called "Portrait of Exploitation" by Laura Coulter.  Throughout the article, Laura features series of photographs of women arrested for prostitution, showing their rapid decline in physical health and their faces contorted in pain and misery.  All of these series show the same woman, some over several years and some over just a few.  These are the real faces of prostitution, what the future holds for the thousands of young girls who enter the industry.

I would ask those folks who claim that prostitution is empowering to women, do these women look empowered?  Or do they look like victims of a system which has turned them into nothing more than their bodies and then turned their bodies into nothing more than commodities to be sold at market price?  Do they look like women in control, celebrating their life's choices? Or so they look like women out of control of their livelihood, their safety, and their lives?

The legalization of prostitution argument isn't about politics or religion or who's right or wrong.  It's about these women, and seeking a way to destroy the system which seeks to destroy them.

Images from esa-online.org

Amanda Kloer is a Change.org Editor and has been a full-time abolitionist in several capacities for seven years. Follow her on Twitter @endhumantraffic
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