“Acknowledging that prostitutes have basic rights — that we are an important part of every society — is no longer radical. Those who refuse to do so, those who continue to defend the persecution and arrest of sex workers, are increasingly seen as extremists. America’s prostitution policies are so backward in comparison to those of most advanced countries — and a number of developing ones — that we provoke sarcastic comparisons with Islamic theocracies. Given our self-image as a secular democracy, this is more than embarrassing. It’s bizarre.”