Finding Middle Ground: Sex Radicalism, Radical Feminism and Prostitution Law Reform in Canada

Abstract

In March of 2012, the Ontario Court of Appeal struck down two provisions of Canada’s prostitution laws—those that prohibit common bawdy houses and living off the avails of prostitution. The political and legal debate leading up to the contentious decision reflects the longstanding battle between sex radical and radical feminists. This essay will situate the current debate within the context of historical feminist campaigns for law reform and demonstrate the ways in which sex radical and radical feminist arguments were utilized in Bedford v. Canada 2010, and the subsequent appeal. The essay will conclude by considering the implications of repealing the provisions that prohibit bawdy houses and living off the avails, and by assessing the possibility of combining sex radical and radical feminist aims at eliminating the harm experienced by women involved in prostitution.