Marx Engels Lenin Institute
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Is "sex work" really work?
🕑 Added 2021-07-20 23:49:01 +0000 UTCWe look at the claim that prostitution is wage labour like any other, and decide whether or not the claim stands up to Marxist scrutiny.
Articles mentioned:
Prostitution and ways of fighting it (Kollontai)
Lenin on the Women’s Question (Zetkin)
Socialists Should Support Sex Workers’ Rights (Liza Featherstone for Jacobin Magazine)
Leila's article on the topic in the Bellows: The Folly of Sex Work Advocacy
Comments
William Mckay
Exactly — they never consider the situation for the vast majority of prostitute, just the privileged minority
Felicity
I especially love the unrealistic view of prostitution coming from middle class activists, who seem to think that “sex work” is something that you do in between lectures and often involves webcams. Most of the world’s prostitutes conduct there business in somewhat less benign circumstances. Just for one example, go ask some 12 year old Thai prostitutes about how empowered they are!
David Green
Marx's greatest strength was being able to define his terms, something that the idealists are incapable of by their very nature.
