Well I think we all would agree that all human beings deserve respect. The question is, do "prossies" deserve respect? Am I suggesting they are not human?? Or that they should be treated badly?? No, I am suggesting they should be treated with politeness. Using the term 'respect' towards a specific, anonymous group of people that you do not know might sound nice but is fundamentally flawed. When it is used generally by punters towards prostitutes, rather than the term 'politeness', it is creating a mindset that works against punters' interests.
Let's take the 'respect' idea and put it under the microscope for a minute.
When you meet a prostitute, do you get to know her as a person, find out about her family, her life outside her job, her history and hopes and aspirations, the way she is developing her life and her character? In other words, do you really know her? Of course you do not. Not only is it not any of your business, but it is totally against the ethos of your reasons for being there. You may have the illusion that you 'respect' her, but actually you do not have enough information to build such an opinion - that is, unless you give away respect very lightly, in which case it becomes meaningless.
What happens if you do actually know her as a person?
Let us take the two examples that I think mutualrespect mentioned.
Firstly there is the ex-girlfriend. You actually know something of this person, including her values. And it is a person's values upon which we largely discover feelings of respect. But in this instance, he did not respect her decision to become a prostitute. He might still have respect for her as a person deep down, but he does not respect her as a prostitute.
The second example is whether one can respect the decision of a member of one's family to become a prostitute. Again, the answer was "no." You might respect the person, but you do not respect her as a prostitute.
It is clear that most people do not 'respect' prostitutes even if they are nice to them, wish them well, appreciate their services and differentiate between varying levels of service, support their rights and so on. It does not make them vicious horrible people. Neither does it mean they are direspectful.
The truth is people like to think they respect prostitutes because a) in theory they believe all human beings deserve respect; b) they are nice to people, including prostitutes when they buy their services, and c) it makes them feel better about themselves. It is also a quick holier-than-thou response as soon as some sisterhood wench copmplains about punters' 'attitudes.' In other words, it feels great all round, burt it is fundamentally dishonest.
The only adjustment needed is to remember to treat prostitutes with politeness - this is what you owe any stranger by the way. Given th nature of their work, you should also demonstrate discretion, hygeine, gentleness (probably), honesty, a reasonable concern for her safety and well-being while in your employment, and other qualities one might expect of a reasonable punter. "Respect" and "disrespect" should not need to come into the equation.
Having established the facts, let's examine the downsides of ignoring them.
The mindset of "respect" is one which the sisterhood actively encourage and it is not hard to see why. Politeness, honesty, gentleness and all the qualities that might reasonably be expected of a prospec tive employer are not enough for them. Nay, they want an elevated status that puts the employee at least on the same level as the employer. Given the downtrodden position of prostitutes in society, it is quite understandable that they should do this, but also incorrect. They should be seeking the same sort of rights that any other temporary employee is entitled to. The more honest of the prostitutes support groups are indeed seeking exactly that. It is mostly the more vitriolic, chip-on-the-shoulder, internet-savvy pro$$ies that tend to be making a fuss about the word "respect." They claim that if you do not give them "respect" then you are "disrespectful" or "disrspectful to women" or a "dodgy punter" or a "danger" and so on. The last poster immediately took the bait and labelled the alternative to respecting prostitutes as 'viciousness.' How ridiculous. The correct alternative is, as I have suggested, politeness.
Respect has many meanings but to go back to the mindset it easily creates, thin of the other sections of society that demand respect. The police, for instance, demand respect. Like it or not, they are in a position of authority. Your professor at college demands respect. If you don't respect, you probably won't learn much. As a child, your parents demand respect. If you don't respect, they will probably kick your butt, or make you go to your room, or take it out of your pocket money.
This is the sort of 'respect' the sisterhood long after. They want to be in a position of authority. Exactly the situation they have on Prossienet!
Respect is earned. It is not a right. If someone has not earned that respect in your eyes, that does not mean you are disrespecting them. It simply means the situation has not arisen to determine whether they have earned your respect yet. The artificial nature of the relationship between punter and prostitute means (and should mean, in nearly all cases) that you never reach the situation where you know them so well that they have earned such an accolade. You should not be getting to know them that well and they in turn should not be laying their personhood on the line to you for such an appraisal.
Using the language of 'respect' towards an unnamed, unknown group of individuals is incorrect and potentially harmful. Treat your prossie with politeness, consideration and all those other things I have mentioned. If you "call" those things "respect" you are both fooling yourself and creating an unstable situation.
