Wolfenden’s Women: Prostitution In Post-War Britain

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Written in 1954 to address the crimes of prostitution and homosexuality in Britain, the Wolfenden Report has been lauded as a liberalising document because it helped decriminalise homosexual sex, but it was quite repressive towards prostitution. Wolfenden’s writers argue it had greater implications than just public attitudes toward prostitution. The report liberalised the private sphere (by decriminalising gay sex) in exchange for greater government control in the public sphere (where prostitution largely operated). The book also tackles how maintaining public order is more important than ensuring the safety of prostitutes. Read full article here

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