If you own a computer or TV, chances are you’ve been hearing about Miss Travel. Miss Travel is a new dating site aimed at pairing “attractive” women with “generous” travelers. The “generous” guys, whom the site describes as being “doctors, lawyers, and bankers” pay for the pretty gals to travel the globe with them. Sounds like a pretty sweet deal–but when you read between the lines, it seems like this is probably too good to be true.

The founder of Miss Travel also runs sites like What’s Your Price, in which similarly “generous” daters bid for a first date with an “attractive” person. Some people have pointed out that Miss Travel and its sister sites sound a lot like escort services, in which the “generous” party (usually a man) pays for the company–and sometimes the sexual services–of the “attractive” party (usually a woman). Miss Travel denies these claims and insists the site is strictly an online dating service and not prostitution. Fair enough, right?

Here’s the thing with escort services and voluntary prostitution, as opposed to sex trafficking, in which women are forced into selling their bodies: in escort-type situations, women are choosing, with their own free will, to participate in paid encounters, which may or may not include sex. Of course, prostitution is illegal, but should it be? As long as the two parties are consenting adults and all activity is consensual, is it still wrong? Isn’t what a woman does with her own body her own business?

Obviously, it may not be what I, you, or your BFF would do for a living, but keep in mind: a lot of girls simply enjoy what they’re doing, while others resort to it as a means for paying for school (and if interest rates on student loans go up, you can expect to see that happening a bit more). A lot of people believe that prostitution and escort services cheapen sex and make it less special, and that that can harm society as a whole–because people will stop seeing it as a display of affection between people in love and just a means to make a living or get your rocks off. But what do you think?

However, some argue that if prostitution and escort services are legalized, the government would be better able to regulate its practices, and that could help keep women safe–since a lot of them engage in “the oldest profession” even when it’s illegal. Think of it this way: If a prostitute is in a unsafe situation–and there are plenty of dangers involved with prostitution, including sexual assault and other physical abuse–she’s less likely to look for help since what’s she doing is illegal and she fears she’ll get into trouble. If prostitution isn’t against the law, if an escort or prostitute is in danger, she will be more likely to seek police or medical help knowing she won’t be penalized for it.

The idea of legalized prostitution and escort services posts an interesting question for girls and feminists: Is it fair and powerful to use what you’ve got if you’re okay doing it and other people are willing to pay for it? Or is it a means of demeaning women and cheapening sex if it’s performed for money?

Do you think escort services are sexist–or that banning them is? Do you think prostitution and escort services are shady, or do you think they should be legalized? Would you ever use a dating site like Miss Travel? Tell us in the comments!

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