House Of Pleasures

Vancouver is full of dirty old men. Every time I return to my home city, I would frequently be approached by "friendly" elderly men. These men appear to be educated and intelligent, perhaps just a little lonely. Who would have thought that a conversation at the bus stop or in the park would almost always lead to molestation and even foreplay? They all claimed to be just flirting with no ulterior motives. As it turned out, these single pensioners targeted the "non-professionals" because they simply would not have the financial means to pay for sexual services to satisfy their strong libido.

I read about the Prostitution Law of Canada that was introduced by the Conservative government  in 2014. It is modeled after the Swedish Prostitution Law which is based on the view that prostitution is violence against women and a clear sign of inequality. Essentially, it is...illegal to purchase or advertise sexual services and illegal to live on the material benefits from sex work. Although it is legal to sell sexual services, in some cases it is illegal to solicit in public areas.

Canada, being famous for providing an excellent social welfare net to its citizens, should really consider setting up safe houses for sex workers where these male seniors could get sexual services at nominal prices. These houses of pleasures would serve several purposes:

• To provide a haven for sex workers who would otherwise be soliciting in public areas and living without proper health care.
• To reduce sexual assaults and/or domestic violence rates because the sex-hungry crowd would not have to force themselves on their unwilling partners.
• To improve public safety so that women could resume jogging in park or walking in the dark to and from their homes to bus stops.
• To minimize the spread of sexually transmitted diseases.

This proposition is not entirely outrageous since there are already safe injection sites in Vancouver. These injection sites are staffed with social workers and health care workers as a harm reduction measure for the narcotic drug users. Similarly, the houses of pleasures should be staffed with health care workers who would administer mood stabilizers and condoms to the users before they could enjoy the 5-minute service on each visit. Studies have shown that mood stabilizers and antidepressants are effective in decreasing libido over time. 

In terms of finances, the sex workers would be on duty no more than 40 hours a week in accordance to the provincial employment standards and be given an allowance equivalent to Income Assistance (BC Benefits). The cost of a pack of cigarettes is roughly $15.00 CAD in Vancouver so I would think the patrons would be able to pay $15 for the prescription drug and condom per visit. Just like the safe injection sites, these houses of pleasures should be unmarked but far away from schools. If run efficiently, these houses might generate net profit for the local governments. If not, it is the kind of social services that should be subsidized with tax dollars.

It is impossible to eliminate the oldest profession nor is it humane to arrest and castrate all these dirty old men. This alternative solution to a long standing social problem might just be what Vancouver needs to protect its women.