I agree with you. Whenever I hear sth. about the prohibition, I immediately think of the fact that prostitution is forbidden in the USA. In the so-called "land of the free" you are not even free to have consensual sex (for money). That's really contradictory.

Now, I'd like to put in my two cents on why prostitution should be legal:

The thing is, whether you legalize prostitution or not, it exists anyway. And in this case, it's better to allow it, because only then you can regulate it. And regulations are absolutely necessary to combat exploitation. Workers who don't have any rights are much easier to exploit, because they have no legal claim to proper payment and proper working conditions, e.g. a clean and safe workplace. Therefore, even if you can't make yourself accept prostitution as a useful service, you should at the very least tolerate it as necessary evil.

Prostitution consists of two things:

1. having consensual sex, and
2. demanding money in exchange for a service.

Both things are legal in the USA. Therefore, when you combine them, it must be legal, too.

Prostitute is a service occupation. That's why prostitutes deserve the same respect and the same rights as all other working people. It's a matter of equal rights. Isn't the USA supposed to be big on equal rights? Apparently, that's just empty words.

Another thing: Most prostitutes are women. Therefore, prostitutes' rights are not just workers' rights but also women's rights. And as a (true) feminist I am all for women's rights. A woman's body is her property. That's why she deserves the right or the freedom to do with it whatever she wants. And this includes things like having abortions and having consensual sex for free or for money ... however she likes. Also, people have a right to sexual self-determination. So clearly, there's a lack of freedom in the self-proclaimed "land of the free".

Some people oppose prostitution because of the objectification of women. I can kind of understand that. However, have you ever watched TV or looked at a magazine? The way that women are depicted there contributes much more to their objectification than prostitution. Therefore, if you want to fight the objectification of women, then you should do that by reprimanding the media and not by taking away workers' rights. Furthermore, legalizing prostitution will make it less visible, because prostitutes would work in brothels instead of trolling the streets. Also, men objectify women anyway. So why not allow women to benefit from the situation and make money with it? I think that men who oppose prostitution are only against it, because they want to save money and get all the fun for free.

Some people oppose prostitution because they think that the prostitutes are pressured into sex work. There are indeed many people who do sex work involuntary. However, this has absolutely nothing to do with legalizing prostitution. It is very, very important not to mix up prostitution and forced prostitution. These are two essentially different things. You need to distinguish between prostitution and forced prostitution in the same way you differentiate between marriage and forced marriage. The word "prostitution", just like the word "marriage", implies consent. Therefore, prostitution must be legal. However, forced prostitution, just like forced marriage, is rightly forbidden. No person with a properly working brain would want to legalize forced prostitution. I think we all agree that it is necessary to fight non-consensual acts. However, you don't reduce non-consensual acts by criminalizing consensual acts. Forbidding prostitution to fight forced prostitution would be kind of like forbidding sex entirely in order to prevent rape. That's moronic. Instead of arresting people for having consensual sex, law enforcement officials should concentrate on prosecuting actual criminals, you know, the kind of people who do harm.

Now, you may say that you really can't imagine that a person would do sex work voluntarily. Well, whether you can imagine it or not is totally irrelevant. There are a lot of professions whose appeal I don't understand. For example, I don't get why someone would want to work as a surgeon and open people's bodies and mess about with their organs and bones and there's also all the blood. So, does that mean that being a surgeon should be illegal just because I am unable to understand why other people want to pursue this profession? Clearly no. Also, you might as well say, "I don't understand why other people believe in god. Therefore, let's forbid religion." or "I don't understand why other people are attracted to the same sex. So, let's forbid homosexuality." The thing is, all people are different and entitled to live their lives the way they want. And what does it bother you if other people engage in consensual activities? It is not okay to impose your personal likes and dislikes on other people and thereby dictate their lives. Subjective views must be irrelevant when it comes to legislation. When making law you have to be objective, realistic, rational, and take the interests of all people into account, not just your own. And objectively, there's absolutely nothing that speaks against legalizing prostitution.

There are even more aspects to consider, like taxation and stuff, but I leave it at that right now.

I really wish that Rachel would do a segment on the importance of prostitutes' rights. It's kind of difficult for prostitutes in the USA to speak up for themselves, because sadly they are considered criminals.