Prostitution and Hypocrisy

Maisonneuve urban issues columnist Christopher DeWolf condemns the current state of sex work in Canadian cities, accusing the government of turning its back on a vast grey-market, off-street sex trade while letting on-street prostitutes suffer abuse, rape and murder.

"Prostitution will never go away," writes DeWolf. "Legalizing and regulating it like any other profession would drastically reduce the potential for abuse, violence and disease, with the added bonus of taking control of the industry away from exploitative pimps and organized crime. ... Striking down the laws against prostitution and re-establishing brothels in areas such as Montreal’s old red-light district will guarantee a standard of health and safety that no sex worker in Canada currently enjoys."