'Ulster Says No': Regulating the consumption of commercial sex spaces and services in Northern Ireland. (February 2017)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Maginn, Paul J; Ellison, Graham
• Other Names: Hubbard Phil guest-editor.; Collins Alan guest-editor.; Gorman-Murray Andrew guest-editor.
• Is Part Of: Urban studies. Volume 54:Number 3(2017:Feb.)
• Page Start: 806
• Page End: 821
• Publication Date: 2017-02
• Subjects: Belfast -- Northern Ireland -- sectarian -- sex shop -- sex work -- sextarianism; Cities and towns -- Periodicals; City planning -- Periodicals; 307.1216
• DOI: 10.1177/0042098016674903
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0042-0980

Abstract

Commercial forms of sex such as prostitution/sex work, strip clubs and even sex shops have been the subject of much political debate and policy regulation over the last decade or so in the UK and Ireland. These myriad forms of commercial sex and land usage have managed to survive and even thrive in the face of public outcry and regulation. Despite being part of the UK we suggest that Northern Ireland has steered its own regulatory course, whereby the consumption of commercial sexual spaces and services have been the subject of intense moral and legal oversight in ways that are not apparent in other UK regions. Nevertheless, in spite of this we also argue that the context of Northern Ireland may provide some lessons for the ways that religious values and moral reasoning can influence debates on commercial sex elsewhere.