How far should rights for the disabled go?

[markomalley]

Dane fights for state-funded sex

A disabled Danish man is fighting for the state to pay for him to have a prostitute visit him at home.

Torben Hansen, who has cerebral palsy, which severely affects his speech and mobility, believes his local authority should pay the extra charge he incurs when he hires a sex worker - because his disability means he cannot go to see them. His case is currently being considered.

In Denmark, local authorities compensate disabled people for extra costs incurred because of their disability.

"I want them to cover the extra expenses for the prostitutes to get here, because it's a lot more expensive getting them to come to my home rather than me going to a brothel," Mr Hansen told BBC World Service's Outlook programme.

"It's a necessity for me. I can't move very well, and it's impossible for me to go there."

'Unfair'

In Denmark, prostitution and other forms of sex work are not illegal so long as it is not a woman's sole means of income.

Mr Hansen started seeing a prostitute after attending a course at a social centre.

There, he and other disabled people were taught that if they had needs, they "could do something about it".

"I had a strong desire to have sex, and I think I gained the confidence around that time to get the call girls to come to me.

"Since then I've had a lot of escort girls coming to see me - but I've also had girlfriends."

He had been with his last girlfriend for six months, but she died in 2003. After that, Mr Hansen began arranging for visits to begin again.

He also said there had been "much research" into people in his situation, and that it had showed that not being sexually fulfilled can lead to "frustration and aggression".

"It's unfair to deny people with disabilities the right to a sex life," he added.

Mr Hansen said the reaction to his campaign had been "very mixed."

"Most of it's been positive, but I've read some very angry letters and comments in the papers... a lot of politicians have been critical, especially women politicians against prostitution."

Kristen Brosboel, a Social Democrat member of the Danish Parliament, is among those who have argued against Mr Hansen.

"Obviously I recognise that he has a problem that people without a disability may not have - but I disagree with the fact that we should support his visits with a prostitute with tax money," she told Outlook.

"We also spend tax money on trying to prevent prostitution, helping women out of prostitution - and we have a clear policy that this is a social problem that we want to solve.

"So I think that's very much in contradiction with spending tax money on requiring prostitutes."

[Radar OReilly]

hmmmmmmmm,

This one is COMPLETELY AND TOTALLY CLEAR.........

The prostitutes should be paid by the state to service the disabled. That way, the hookers are off welfare, and the disabled have healthy trained "therapists."

IN OTHER WORDS...........WTF????????

Mark........you need a more constructive hobby!!!!! But you know how much I adore you ;)

Radar

[Abigail]

HA - and people complain about us liberals here in America

[krys]

Huh? Did I read that correctly?

[mstar1]

Mark ---Where do you find this stuff?

First of all i am not Danish so i don't know what the prevailing attitudes about such things are over there although they most obviously think differently than Americans, which isn't necessarily good or bad --it just is, and I am not really familiar with the way the government or society works.

Ive been told that there are patron saints and holiday feasts to prostitutes in some European countries and that they are looked on as an asset to society

Trying to put myself in their shoes as best that I can, I can see and know that sex definitely has some therapeutic value, imo sometimes more than accepted therapies that can be very expensive and yet have questionable , if any, measurable value.

Doctors and Therapists many times do nothing except drag people along endlessly, but they definitely do screw you when you get the bill. Do they pay doctors and therapists to come to them in Denmark? How is prostitution viewed in Denmark? the story conflicts....what are the limits of their health coverage?

I don't know, its like the medical marijuana question in one aspect because there will be a group of people that are dead set against it based on moral reasons even though it may have some measurable benefits to the guy which makes it a hard enough question but it also has the added twist that he is asking the state to pay, which is what they do over there for things that concern peoples health and well being...

Heck I dont know--I know it would never ever fly here but their system and ways of thinking is vastly different. Its up to them to decide.

Nevertheless I can still almost hear some greasespotters (maybe even some who would rail against it) getting ready to get on the plane if it passes...

Good to see you again Mark

[dmiller]

A disabled Danish man is fighting for the state to pay for him to have a prostitute visit him at home.

Torben Hansen, who has cerebral palsy, which severely affects his speech and mobility, believes his local authority should pay the extra charge he incurs when he hires a sex worker - because his disability means he cannot go to see them. His case is currently being considered.

In Denmark, local authorities compensate disabled people for extra costs incurred because of their disability.

Ho-kay. Whatever.

If the local authorities pay for the disabled to *live life*, then they pay for:

A house for them to live in (nominal rent charged);

Staff to help the client get dressed, bathed, fed, toileted, driven around town to wherever they want to go;

Meds for their medical needs;

Food for their physical needs;

Woops -- don't forget clothes, toothpaste, other toiletries, various appliances to keep food cold after being cooked and clothes dryed after being washed, and a nice "free of fuel bills" furnace keeping them warm in the midst of winter.

Oh -- wait a minute -- yer talking Denmark. Geez -- I don't know how they work it over there. But if that kind of extraneous crap was pulled over here ------

Oh -- wait a minute -- you did say *extra costs* didn't you??!

Well I have to agree with the original article then, and the original comment of *WTF* -- if the local authorities didn't have to pay for any of the above that I mentioned, it makes sense to keep the clients happy in the manner of their choosing!

I guess that country is more *enlightened* after all.

[TheInvisibleDan]

So their taxes may be allotted to "make love, not war".

Denmark sounds like a fantastic place for handicapped people to retire.

[Brother Speed]

I do know that Medicaid - Do not confuse this with Medicare - has paid and continues to pay for their 'clients' things like, transportation to the doc office to get a shot along with the shot; the cost of the shot itself? 10,000 US dollars. The shot is necessary to keep this patient alive. The patient is destitutely poor, to him Medicaid costs him nothing. It is paid for by the taxpayer.

I do not know whether or not Medicaid has ever paid for some poor soul's sexual gratification. But knowing the above to be true, it would not shock me to find out that they have.

I make too much money to qualify for Medicaid. Sometimes I wish I were so poor that I did qualify for Medicaid because Medicaid is wayyyy better insurance than any medical insurance in existance for the working man.

[templelady]

When in Rome.......

Under Danish law prostitution is not a crime unless it is the sole means of supoort

Therefore a protitute who followed that law would simply be working at her profession just like a maid, food server or other worker.

They pay for eveything else so therefore it should be covered under their laws

Now as for here in the US of A

NONONONONONONONONONO

NO HOW NO WAY

[CKnapp3]

Places like Denmark and Holland are sex havens. If men can have sexual needs satisfied legally in those conutries via prostitution, then I see no problem with the government picking up the tab for a DISABLED person.

Now a healthy person, if he can't afford it, toughies! :lol:

Chuck

[Nottawayfer]

Trying to put myself in their shoes as best that I can, I can see and know that sex definitely has some therapeutic value, imo sometimes more than accepted therapies that can be very expensive and yet have questionable , if any, measurable value.

OK, here's a joke: Did you know sex is a misdemeanor?

The more you miss, da meaner you get.....LOLOLOLOL!!

I'd rather see a disabled guy getting laid by my tax money that some greedy politician in congress buying high dollar hookers on a regular basis along with getting their $200K plus salaries and bennies that go with it. I work in County government, and I know how my boss is able to get goodies for himself. I can only imagine what it is like in congress. It's sad, but it happens.

Of course if we really want to debate issues, the guy can live without sex. I know many who have gone without it for YEARS. Yeah, we don't want to, but it's life some times (even for some who are married unfortunately). Nothing guarantees we deserve to have sex. It's a fringe (french??) benefit.

I wonder if his disability keeps him from masturbating.....

If he does get the government to pay, then there will be a lot of people moving ot Denmark.....too funny!

[Galen]

I think that everyone's "Rights" should extend right up to the point where they reach the nose of someone else.

So long as you dont impede anyone else, you dont hurt anyone else, you dont endanger anyone else; and such behavior is not specifically forbidden because it would create an un-due hazard to society.

Than that should be your right.

But again your talking about denmark. Not America.

They have no "rights".

Like 'Animal Farm', everyone is equal, but some are more equal than others.