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Why are sex workers forced to wear a financial scarlet letter?

thewalrus.ca

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Re: Why are sex workers forced to wear a financial scarlet letter?

#31

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You can do the same with just cash.

But then cash becomes a storage issue. The same way marijuana shops are blocked from depositing their cash into banks, cash with sex workers becomes a problem. How to get it into the banking system without drawing the attention of the police? Even worse, try paying bills with cash. If you'll pardon me, I think cash deposite below $1,000 should be none of the government's business without a valid, specific warrant. If…

> someone wants to sell drugs, sex, or graphics cards on the side for cash, it's none of the government's business

This is a valid opinion. But it's clearly in the minority. (Counterfactual: there is broad support for drug policy reform [1].) Particularly when one considers the tax consequences.

[1] https://www.aclu.org/press-releases/50th-anniversary-war-dru...

Re: Why are sex workers forced to wear a financial scarlet letter?

#32

We're really seeing a counterrevolution around sex and sexuality. From Row vs Wade to crackdowns on pornography to this, America is getting back to its puritanical roots...

And with it a large part of the western world is following suit, sadly. Britain for example is regressing to the Victorian era. And the rest of Europe is heading the same way. Not having any serious competitors for VISA/MasterCard doesn't help.

Re: Why are sex workers forced to wear a financial scarlet letter?

#33
post #16

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Again with the denigrating of sex work. It's a pervasive and ancient part of human society, but it should not be studied, because? We study bookmaking and banking and families and art, but not this because, it's naughty? it's taboo? it makes some uncomfortable? All that is a clear sign to me, that we need more such scholars.

Quoted post unavailable.

Can you expand on why pornography is an unsuitable focus for a scholar?

Re: Why are sex workers forced to wear a financial scarlet letter?

#34
post #3

Crypto is an option here. Seems like a pretty good fit for what the sex workers need.

Crypto is not a good option for anything, as it’s lack of irl uses other than Ponzi schemes make clear.

This is a weird and easily disprovable objection. The numbers are not as high as the scammers for sure, but there are a not-insignificant amount of people using crypto to move real money for its exact intended purposes today.

Re: Why are sex workers forced to wear a financial scarlet letter?

#35

All this time, and technology hasn't solved this issue? Wasn't bitcoin supposed to be applicable here - anonymous transactions? Wasn't the internet supposed to enable humans to interact at will without censorship?

Technology can’t solve primarily cultural issues. The second bitcoin tries to perform the same financial services as a bank (mortgages, lending, checking, savings, interest, etc) that institution using bitcoin will need to do the same “know your customer” behavior that makes it hard for sex workers to get the same financial services.

Exchanges already do a decent amount of KYC.

Some do not, but they typically have issues interfacing with the traditional banking environment.

Re: Why are sex workers forced to wear a financial scarlet letter?

#36
post #4

Quoted post unavailable.

Again with the denigrating of sex work. It's a pervasive and ancient part of human society, but it should not be studied, because? We study bookmaking and banking and families and art, but not this because, it's naughty? it's taboo? it makes some uncomfortable? All that is a clear sign to me, that we need more such scholars.

I would imagine it's because classic family values are incompatible with "hookup culture" and unfettered access to sex for money, and it seems that society is sitting on the fence as to which they want for the long term.

Of course I could be totally wrong.

Re: Why are sex workers forced to wear a financial scarlet letter?

#37

All this time, and technology hasn't solved this issue? Wasn't bitcoin supposed to be applicable here - anonymous transactions? Wasn't the internet supposed to enable humans to interact at will without censorship?

Bitcoin actually does play a big role in the online sex industry. Many sex workers and businsses online accept bitcoin and even prefer it. But then there's the problem that the US, and other, government are actively trying to regulate the Bitcoin to fiat gateways out of existence and make it too honerous for them to run their businesses the same way that sex worker businesses are attacked by the payment processors. So once you start working in cryptocurrency not only are the payment processors attacking you now you have the government attacking you too.

Re: Why are sex workers forced to wear a financial scarlet letter?

#38

We're really seeing a counterrevolution around sex and sexuality. From Row vs Wade to crackdowns on pornography to this, America is getting back to its puritanical roots...

And with it a large part of the western world is following suit, sadly. Britain for example is regressing to the Victorian era. And the rest of Europe is heading the same way. Not having any serious competitors for VISA/MasterCard doesn't help.

The majority of the west isn't 'following' the US. Sex workers and their consumers have always been seen as 'lesser' or 'tainted', across most cultures.

It's never been easier to sell your body and find an audience to applaud you for it. It's just not the majority.

Re: Why are sex workers forced to wear a financial scarlet letter?

#40

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You can do the same with just cash.

But then cash becomes a storage issue. The same way marijuana shops are blocked from depositing their cash into banks, cash with sex workers becomes a problem. How to get it into the banking system without drawing the attention of the police? Even worse, try paying bills with cash. If you'll pardon me, I think cash deposite below $1,000 should be none of the government's business without a valid, specific warrant. If…

You have a cookie baking or massage business that covers enough to pay a modest mortgage and car. The rest you pay in cash. You give family members down payments to buy property or leases for you.
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