Will prostitution increase during the conventions?

I guess that depends on the definition of prostitution.  If people take it to mean whoring oneself for pecuniary gain, for sublimating principle for momentary pleasure, and in using people as mere tools for manipulation, then yes, we can expect a big increase.  It’s just that actual prostitutes won’t get any extra business:

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As the Twin Cities and Denver gear up for four days of politics and parties during the Republican and Democratic national conventions, advocacy groups in both cities are getting set to combat what they believe will be a surge in prostitution.

But police in both cities say that the groups are mistaken and that research indicates there will be no increase in the sex trade.

Police in both cities will monitor the situation, but neither believe they will see any increase in prostitution.  Neither New York or Boston had any issues with it in 2004, and Denver doesn’t even have it on their priority list.  Activist groups have mobilized to limit the exploitation that they expect to see, which is commendable, and they have begun working with the DNC and RNC to coordinate their efforts, but it may wind up being all for naught.

Why would the political conventions be different than the trade conventions that normally fuel prostitution?  St. Paul police believe the level of activity in the convention and in its auxiliary events preclude it.  Put simply, political conventions keep people too busy to allow them much time for mischief.  The heightened security surrounding the event — and the risk of exposure — probably curtails the impulse as well.  Trade conventions don’t have either quality.

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As King Banaian says, it’s the free time and the booze that gets conventioneers into trouble.  We’ll have to just resign ourselves to the normal political prostitution for entertainment in both cities.

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