H.B. 200 – Battleground for Morality

No Penalty for Prostitutes Under Age 18; They Get “Victim” Status Instead
Courtesy of “Sex Worker” Programs
“U.S. Government Funds Youth ‘Sex Work’ Programs,” article by Tyler Ament, February 10, 2011 reports that the U.S. Agency for International Development provides money for the development of “interventions to reduce health risks” of youth in “commercial sex work.” Their goal: change societal norms and public policy, rather than behavior of “sex workers.’”

With seven days left this session, Georgia senators must make a serious decision – whether to preserve U.S.-style morality or conform to global morality. The Senate decision on H.B. 200 will either retain Georgia’s legal standards of moral conduct for teenagers or remove all legal barriers to and penalties for illicit sexual conduct for individuals under age 18.

On March 2nd, representatives in the House voted to pass H.B. 200 with a vote of 168-1, five not voting and six excused. H.B. 200 is a more cleverly written version of last year’s decriminalization of prostitution bill that did not pass. With the March 2nd vote, representatives abdicated their role as protectors of youth. The fact is, powerful politicians persuaded them that all underage persons that make money for illicit sex acts are victims of “sexual servitude” and not accountable for their actions. While some youths are trafficked and forced into various sexually explicit acts, others are not trafficked or forced, but choose that lifestyle. Obviously, Georgia legislators are yielding to the international agenda to redefine prostitution as respectable “sex work” – the current politically correct global label for prostitution.

If H.B. 200 passes without lowering the age of 18 to 13 on page 2, line 62, teens that choose to make money in prostitution, sodomy, solicitation of sodomy, masturbation for hire and/or pornography would, automatically, qualify as “victims.” As victims, they would be eligible for victim compensation funds, in addition to money earned in prostitution or porn. As declared “victims,” they would not be charged with crimes, but would be provided federal and state benefits and services. H.B. 200 is a giant leap toward normalizing illicit sexual activities as normal modes of employment, i.e., respected commercial businesses that should be protected.

If H.B. 200 passes without lowering the age of 18 to 13 on page 2, line 62, teens could perform in strip clubs and pornography – videos, movies and photographs. They could provide masturbation for hire and sodomy/solicitation of sodomy without customary restraint from law enforcement … until age 18. Then, after innocence is lost, lives ruined and bodies riddled with disease, they could be charged and penalized for sexually explicit conduct … much too late!

If H.B. 200 passes without lowering the age of 18 to 13 on page 2, line 62, Georgia will be closer to defining prostitution as “sex work.” Male and female prostitutes would be “sex workers,” who simply choose sexually explicit conduct as an income-generating activity that would soon become an accepted form of employment, as the U.S. conforms to global morality.

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