(In)decency: the crossroads between slavery and liberty in sexual work

Abstract

Indecency is the lack of observance of socially established moral norms, with sexual work considered a transgressor of public morality. Given this, within feminism two positions regarding sex work became polarized: radicals openly opposed to the sex market and the exercise of prostitution, especially because it is considered a practice that objectifies women and perpetuates patriarchy; while, the anti-moralists argued that the exercise of prostitution and the immersion in the sex market claim female sexual liberation under the principle of freedom and autonomy of decision. Of the aforementioned, this article addresses the particularities of the sex market inside and outside of feminist polarizations, since apart from political dichotomies there are human realities that deserve a recognition and reflection beyond the couch.