As the global fight against Covid-19 continues a struggle of a different kind has started in Germany. Regular readers will recall my report that some politicians want to get rid of the German sex industry in the wake of the coronavirus shutdown. Sex workers and brothel owners haven’t taken well to that news. Both sex workers and brothel keepers have strongly rejected any abolition of sex work and in turn demand that the local sex industry be allowed to reopen.
Almost immediately after politicians started calling for the end of open and legal prostitution a union representing sex work responded. As reported by T-Online the Union for Sex Work in Germany has raised its own demands. First the union wants to eliminate any distinction between a “normal” or mainstream massage and a sexual or “erotic” massage. Second the union wants commercial sex venues to be allowed to reopen.
They are not alone. It seems that labor and management have taken a similar position on this issue. According to Süddeutsche Zeitung, brothel owners in Frankfurt are suing the German state of Hessen for “job discrimination”. Their argument goes that brothels are being singled out by Hessen which has loosened restrictions and allowed other businesses like barbershops, mainstream massage salons, and even tattoo studios to reopen while keeping brothels shuttered.
Sex work singled out
Of course sex work has always been singled out in basically every place it has existed. Even where the commercial sex industry is legal the people who belong to it face all sort of restrictions and prejudices. Examples can be found worldwide.
Totally legal adult websites are unable to accept payments in the same way as other online outlets. Porn stars and cam models are unable to bank in the way that others can. Things like insurance are different for brothels and prostitutes than they are for other businesses and workers. The simple fact that “mainstream massage” is differentiated from “erotic massage” basically brings it all into clear view. Once a masseuse moves her hand from the inner thigh to the penis apparently everything changes in the eyes of proper society.
I am not sure if the sex workers union will come together with brothel owners to fight for a common cause in Germany. In the end that may not matter. No court date has been set for the brothel keeper lawsuit yet. But the issue has been marked an “urgent procedure” which means it should be decided soon.
What’s next?
I honestly have no idea what will happen in Germany in the days to come though I do have some ideas. A local source with a much better grasp of the situation expects the case to be quickly resolved in favor of the brothel keepers. He argues that they have a good case and a lot of money to back up their lawsuit. I don’t disagree but it will be something to pay close attention to in any event. This may have wider ramifications.
Meanwhile places like go go bars remain closed in Thailand though that may be a moot point since there are no real incoming flights. Yet in other nearby countries all sorts of adult entertainment venues including brothels remain open as usual.
This corona pandemic has affected society from top to bottom and all around the world. It has impacted the commercial sex industry especially hard. I suspect that more recently enacted changes may become permanent than much of the population expects though I cannot say how people at large will react. I can tell you that I will continue to observe and whenever possible report on the commercial sex industry here on Rockit Reports.
Another way sex workers are being singled out is that they are finding it difficult to obtain the assistance money being disbursed by some governments, for example in Japan and Thailand.
“I suspect that more recently enacted changes may become permanent”.
I have the same concern. People need to wake up and understand that these lockdowns CANNOT be allowed to become a permanent fixture of society, or the consequences will be dire for all of us.
There’s a new pandemic every 2-5 years on average, and they always take 1-2+ years to wear off. In the last few years we’ve had MERS, SARS 1, Ebola, Zika, Swine Flu, and probably a few more that I can’t remember. If lockdowns were to become the reflexive government response to any virus outbreak… then they’ll basically become permanent. By the time an outbreak is contained a new one will follow. We may hardly see a normal year ever again.
Small businesses risk being wiped off the face off the earth. Who’s going to start a business anymore, knowing that the government can shut it down anytime they want and without notice? This has grave implications for people’s ability to earn a living independently, without being employed at a large corporation or being on the government’s payroll.
Now, that’s the absolute worst-case scenario. With a bit of luck some, if not most, countries will resist the pressure to go down that path. Or people in some countries will protest, perhaps revolt even. The fact remains that we must all be vigiliant and not give in to fear.
It’s a short slippery slope from “stay home to protect grandpa” to Big Brother being ushered in. Many such examples in history.
Thanks for the comment as always. Cheers.
Zika is an epidemic, not a pandemic, and isn’t keeping painted ladies off the streets. It’s been around since the 1940s, whereas this novel coronavirus is, well, “novel”.
Apples vs. Oranges, am I right?
There have been travel bans and brothel shut downs over widespread illness in the past. Ebola comes to mind. MERS also brought some new travel regulations in places like Korea. But there was nothing like this. Years ago the Hong Kong flu killed a lot of people but travel wasn’t curtailed. So many died in Germany that garbage men were brought on to help bury the bodies. It was also a different time when recreational travel wasn’t as common. But plenty of people were moving around the world including a large number of soldiers around the war in Vietnam which incidentally led to the creation of the walking streets in both Angles City and Pattaya. Cheers.
As an update to this subject there are now many serious reports that the red light district around Frankfurt Station has descended into generalized mayhem. I’ve also learned that brothel keepers in Wiesbaden have voluntarily abandoned their business licenses and will not renew. This compares to the past when violent and even deadly battles were fought over such things. Some of the more well known service providers from big German FKK clubs have also started advertising themselves independently on the internet. See my Permanent effects of the pandemic on prostitution post for more information on what may be in store. Cheers.
I have another update on this subject. The lawsuit filed by the brothel owners mentioned above was thrown out of court. A short summary of the court’s finding is that “it’s too risky” to allow brothels to reopen. Cheers.