I also think banning strip clubs obfuscates the sort of morality that a country is trying to uphold.
A regulated system that also supports unionization helps clear up the boundaries (I am not saying it would make boundaries crystal clear). I fear that by making certain aspects of the sex trade illegal (such as prostitution and stripping) government creates for itself an unexpected barrier. Suddenly there is extra underground illegal activity taking place that takes resources away from combating forced sex trade such as human trafficking and child pornography.
When I worked with women leaving prostitution I noticed that their reasons for involvement in the sex trade changed all the time. I should also note that I have only ever talked with one man in the service side of the sex trade.
One of the repeat things that I heard expressed was that prostitution was a means of taking control of their lives. It held the allure of fast money and power, flipping burgers meant certain death. Whether or not it was accurate, some of the women I worked with felt as if they had no choice. Sometimes, by the time a person wants out they feel trapped in a vicious cycle they can’t escape. I think many of us can identify with that feeling. As many of the women aged out of their profession they came to see their work as debasing, life crushing, and no longer a path of empowerment. There is often no retirement plan. Some were fortunate to still have their youth when they become disillusioned.
I think the level of one’s privilege and poverty directly affects one’s reasons for working in the sex trade. While some see it as the best way to make a living, some see it as their only choice. As a person living outside the life of someone who works in the sex industry it is easy for me to say that there are other choices. I suspect that for many this is simply not true and for some even the concept of having a choice remains unknown.
If a government wants to start empowering women, banning strip clubs seems a feeble way of opening up the doors of opportunity.
end rant and repeat of what many have already said