Abolitionism: Unterschied zwischen den Versionen

Shortly after the passage of the 13th Amendment in the USA, the focus shifted back to the United Kingdom, but this time the object was not related to slavery anymore, even though activists dwelled on similarities between slavery and the fate of prostitutes. Since the beginning of the abolitionist campaign related to prostitution, though, there was no clear consensus as to what was to be abolished. Should prostitution be abolished as such - or should prostitutes be freed of discrimination and police harassement only, but be allowed to remain prostitutes all the same?

What caused the conflict was the discriminating control of prostitutes on the grounds of the so-called Contagious Diseases Act, a piece of legislation first passed by Parliament in 1864, and altered and expanded in 1866 and 1869. In 1862, a committee was established to inquire into venereal disease in the armed forces; on its recommendation the first Contagious Diseases Act was passed. The legislation allowed police officers to arrest prostitutes in certain ports and army towns, and the women were then subjected to compulsory checks for venereal disease. If a woman was declared to be infected, she would be confined in what was known as a Lock Hospital until "cured". The original act was only lawful in a few selected naval ports and army towns, but by 1869 the acts had been extended to be in operation in eighteen "subjected districts".