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They do it because it\u2019s sex. They do it because it\u2019s convenient. They do it because it\u2019s fast. They do it because it\u2019s hassle-free. At least, until you\u2019re caught.<\/p>\n
Ever since New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft was charged last week with two\u00a0counts of solicitation of prostitution<\/a> after the police\u00a0obtained<\/a> video evidence of him allegedly engaging in sex acts at a strip-mall massage parlor in Florida, people have been scratching their heads and wondering: Why would a man with wealth, power\u00a0and prestige, who likely has women throwing themselves at him on a daily basis, go to a massage parlor? If he wanted sex, shouldn\u2019t he have a madam\u00a0\u2014\u00a0like me \u2014 or a number of beautiful women at his disposal?<\/p>\n People are overthinking it. Kraft, 77, allegedly went to a massage parlor because it was uncomplicated. The only problems are:<\/p>\n \u25baIt happens to be illegal.<\/p>\n \u25baThe women there were reportedly victims of sex trafficking.<\/p>\n \u25baThe two points above are closely linked.\u00a0<\/p>\n There\u2019s a problem that has\u00a0led to this problem. We are a society tied in knots around sexuality and sexual pleasure. We all love it, but we have such specific, archaic rules around where and when we are allowed to feel it. If we had\u00a0the same rules around happiness, there would be a revolution.<\/p>\n For much of human history, men went not to illicit massage parlors for sexual pleasure\u00a0but to temples. Prostitution was condoned <\/a>by many religions. But as soon as religion became anti-sexuality and pro-chastity, prostitution became a sin rather than a service.\u00a0<\/p>\n The point is, there is a cultural disagreement on whether prostitution is sacred or sinful. The more we repress something as a culture, the more it comes out sideways in individuals.<\/p>\n However, when it comes to sexual trafficking, we are all in agreement: It is morally reprehensible and a violation of basic human rights to force an unwilling person into sex.<\/p>\n Given that there always has been and always will be a demand for sexual services, we need to decide: At what cost are we making transactional sex illegal?<\/p>\n When you make something that is in demand illegal, you create an opportunity for people who live outside the code of law to make money out of it. Some choose to do this by subjugating others.<\/p>\n Read more commentary: <\/strong><\/p>\n When rich men like Robert Kraft get charged with soliciting prostitutes, we forget so fast<\/a><\/p>\n Who buys a trafficked child for sex? Otherwise ordinary men.<\/a><\/p>\n Robert Kraft prostitution scandal exposes depth of modern slavery, sex trafficking industry<\/a><\/p>\n The laws\u00a0in place now to supposedly protect people\u00a0are hurting us\u00a0and creating a bigger black market for sex. We have to change the law so there\u2019s a substantial reduction in human trafficking. Here in Nevada<\/a>, legal brothels do\u00a0the community a service and they are\u00a0regulated, inspected\u00a0and taxed.<\/p>\n There are people who have a passion for the job, who consider themselves healers, who make high\u00a0salaries\u00a0<\/a>and who have healthy relationships with themselves and others.<\/p>\n I was the Match.com, Tinder and\u00a0Grinder of my day.\u00a0I made the transaction\u00a0easy by cutting directly to everyone\u2019s goals, without any of them having to endure the long and often dishonest song and dance that people do when dating. Among the people who were in my personal world at that time, I saw a\u00a0lot\u00a0more men and women hurt from dysfunctional relationships than from transactional sex.\u00a0<\/p>\n And there is evidence<\/a> that legalizing prostitution can reduce sex trafficking. For instance,\u00a0New Zealand legalized prostitution in 2003. In a 2008 study, the New Zealand Ministry of Justice found no incidence<\/a> of trafficking over the previous five years. Sex worker advocates also say the law\u00a0made it easier for them to report abuse, and for law enforcement to make arrests for crimes committed against sex workers.<\/p>\n Human rights organizations like Amnesty International, the United Nations\u00a0and Human Rights Watch have all advocated <\/a>decriminalizing prostitution.<\/p>\n For those who are against prostitution, just like those who are against pornography, it\u2019s fine to hold that opinion. Just don\u2019t participate in it or pay for it. But don\u2019t impose your rules and values on the rest of us. There are 7 billion people on this planet. And a certain percentage of them are always going to be willing to pay for sex.<\/p>\n So the reason why Robert Kraft went to a Florida massage parlor allegedly for sex is because he wanted to. It was there. Sometimes you want to eat a nice steak, and sometimes you want fast food. It was the fast-food equivalent of sex.\u00a0<\/p>\n None of this diminishes or discounts his character. A person is not a fraud or a liar because he wants sex. Many people do, and that\u2019s never going to change. What can change is the way we, as a society, police, regulate\u00a0and legislate sexual pleasure.<\/p>\n Heidi Fleiss is the former Hollywood Madam and currently runs a macaw rescue<\/a> in Nevada.<\/em><\/p>\n You can read diverse opinions from our Board of Contributors<\/a> and other writers on the Opinion front page<\/a>, on Twitter @usatodayopinion<\/a> and in our daily Opinion newsletter<\/a>. To respond to a column, submit a comment to letters@usatoday.com.<\/i><\/p>\n This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Hollywood Madam: Want to stop human trafficking? Legalize consensual sex for money.<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\nProstitution is illegal\u00a0\u2014 but at what cost?<\/h3>\n
Protect sex workers, trafficking victims<\/h3>\n