Disclaimer: This is not a research thesis. I have done absolutely no research in this matter. All that is written here is a result of whatever I have seen and read for as long as I've been alive. Please take everything in good humour and drop a comment if you think you want to. Thank you.
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| Ancient European Frescoes |
The oldest profession in the world may probably have started off as a chance to make some money. And I am pretty sure it was a woman's idea. When men had all that they wanted, why would they resort to sex as a favour or a profession? Women did not hunt, they rarely were part of societal discussions, and they never held any jobs. They must have been bored of sitting at home and gossiping. I think there is an extent to which you can gossip. Most women draw that line when the rumour mills are about them. So, in this scenario, two situations seem plausible:
1. A smart woman noted that sex is a primal, powerful tool which soothes men, wins wars, and gets them expensive jewellery. So, rather than be bogged down by the tragedy of marriage, why not sell sex and make some money, soothe men, get expensive jewellery, and still win wars.
2. Some poor hapless woman(/en) must have sold sex to a man(/en), got money in return, and then after a "Eureka" moment--or after being ostracised from society--decided to make sex her career.
In either case, it is about a woman taking charge. No matter how hard I think and look for proof, I do not see men starting prostitution. They may have joined it as homosexuals first and then diversified, but they cannot be the pioneers of prostitution. There is no way.
Is there anything bad about sex? No, I can't see how. Procreating is our primal nature. We evolved and survived because our ancestor, bacteria, reproduced and replicated like crazy. The only tool to ensure one's survival was through tremendous procreation. There was no other way. God, or aliens (Jor-El, mainly), put only a handful of the ancient beings on this earth, and their job was to procreate and make the environment habitable for the future generations. They did it successfully only through bacterial sex. Yeah, I can't picture that either.
As we evolved into mammals that walk on hind legs, created languages, and left the forests, we still had the need to "do it like rabbits". I mean, look at our grandparents. Didn't they pop a child out every year? My maternal grandmother had six children and I can't think about the pain she endured. But I've heard of 11 or 12 children being the norm in those days. How is that even possible? 11 children from one mother? Ouch!
The reason why our parents probably stopped at 1, 2, or even 3 was because they realised their parents didn't remember their names all the time. And our parents didn't want that awkward situation with us. Also, think of the pain, the drama of an infant, and the money involved in raising a child. Which is why I'm thankful for both female and male empowerment. Both sexes finally have gotten out of the rut that surrounds childbearing.
However, notions of sex still remain the same. Who can explain how sex suddenly was derided in society? Why and when was premarital sex considered taboo? And who gave us the authority to judge a person who liked to have sex?
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| Art at Khajuraho, India |
Somewhere down the line, we changed our mindset and became guarded about sex. Sex became about ownership of the sexual organs and power was derived from it. Yet, we see art all over our cultures about kings, queens, and commoners enjoying sex and other pleasures of the flesh. If one ruler liked it, another hated it. Was it because religions and religious leaders kept changing their attitudes? Was it because women became too demanding after sex? Was it because men wanted to hurt women using sex as a tool?
These questions require a lot of studying of the past and reviewing each and every ruler and writer. Even then, the scope of knowing what the common man thought is beyond my reach. Any which ways, I only have a biased understanding of how sex worked over the years. That is simply not enough.
Today when I hear about prostitution, at least I know what I think. Legalising prostitution is not the answer. Our governments are so screwed up, that prostitutes will end up being more ridiculed, derided, and worse, taxed beyond the usual cut to the cop. What I do know is that just because they were forced into, or have chosen, prostitution doesn't mean that they waived off their rights to be human. Every Indian citizen has the right to life and a dignified one at that. Why can't we let prostitutes have a dignified life? Will they become dignified if they shift to desk jobs like us? How dignified are we? Aren't we being "ridden hard" at our work place?
So, what I started with comes back here after a full explanation. Like everything men do, they took ownership of prostitution and then screwed it up so much that what we have today is a shame. I have to be sexist here because my point is just that. The thing about sex is that it will never be mutual. Every person in the world knows the benefits, the gains, and the losses from sex. So everyone is at it like a game. It is a power tool now and this will not change. Women use it for their advantage. Prostitutes have to protect their sex like a diamond. Men are sadly victims and perpetrators at the same time. They get a double whammy deal here. And that's raw. Pun intended.
Whichever way prostitution started, we still have to deal with it and do something about it. I would start by stop calling prostitutes and sex workers "whores" or "sluts". I would use that on myself and give them the respect they deserve. I could be a slut for books. Or a movie whore. Why not? Let words not judge ones penis/vagina, the level of one's virginity, or the standard of one's dignity. Judging someone is so bad that even when I do it as a joke, I feel bad. So feel bad for a sex worker you may know or don't know. Think about the condition they are in, and feel their pain and suffering. And that is when you will make a change.
