Lacey Sloan

Lacey Sloan is a professor in the Graduate School of Social Work at the University of Houston. In the following viewpoint, Sloan presents an argument supporting the decriminalization of prostitution. In her view, women in the sex- trade industry are entrepreneurs who should be granted the same rights as workers in other fields. Fully legalizing prostitution would help protect sex workers from the abuse and exploitation that permeates the illegal sex-trade industry. Moreover, contends Sloan, sex work can be empowering because it enables women to assert their sexuality for their own purposes.

As you read, consider the following questions:

1. According to Sloan, what two groups have set the terms of the current debate over the status of prostitutes"

2. What happened in 1973 that raised awareness about the abuse of sex workers by civil authorities"

3. For what reasons does the...