By Peter Berton
CALGARY, Canada – In the wake of Canada’s Supreme Court striking down prostitution laws, the City of Calgary has opened a poll seeking residents input on how the city should manage sex work.
“This is your opportunity to share the impacts, if any, that prostitution has had on your community, family and/or business,” the survey’s preamble states.
The complete survey is available here.
In addition to asking about prostitution’s direct and indirect impact on Calgarians, the questionnaire asks participants about their views on various prostitution management strategies. These include including helping sex workers to leave the trade, providing health and safety support for sex workers and prostitution prevention through an education campaign. Intriguingly, none of the options outlined suggest criminalizing sex workers or their clients.
Calgary City Counsellor Gian-Carlo Carra told the Calgary Herald newspaper government policy has to balance the dangers of the sex trade with the fact that some people willingly choose prostitution as a career.
“I’m a realist,” Carra said. “I realize there is going to be a sex trade. It’s the world’s oldest profession. I don’t have any moral high-ground positions that prevent me from exploring the full range of options.”
Survey organizers expect to present the results to the city council in June.
