R is for Red Light District

Hi everyone!  Welcome to the A to Z of Sex.  I’m Dr Lori Beth and I am your host.  We are working our way through the erotic alphabet one letter at a time.  Just a reminder this podcast deals with adult content, so if you don’t have total privacy, you might want to put on your headphones. Today the letter is R and R is for Redlight District.

A red light district is part of (usually) an urban area where sex work is practiced.  This includes strip clubs, sex shops, prostitutes/escorts and sex shows/theatres.  The term comes from the red light that was usually used as a sign for a brothel.    Some red light districts like in Amsterdam, The Netherlands and in Reeperbahn, Germany are areas where legal and regulated prostitution can take place. Many of these districts were originally formed in an effort to confine prostitution to one part of the city and to make sure that there was some regulation of the prostitutes.

In Japan, and Akasen is a red light district though it is not legal.  The term literally means red line.

The Oxford dictionary has the term first appearing in print in 1894 in a newspaper from Sandusky, Ohio, USA.   It appears the term became more widely spread when used in Dodge City, Kansas to refer to a district that contained a number of houses of prostitution including the Red Light House Saloon.

Some red light districts are monitored by the authorities though not legal and regulated.  Usually authorities are monitoring for child trafficking.  Others are regulated like the Reeperbahn in Hamburg.  This is a mile long area and is world-famous.  There are quite a few places in Thailand that are unofficial red light districts and are monitored.

In the 1950’s, the Soho area of London was a well known red light district. Working girls were everywhere in the area.  The area has changed drastically though you still find sex shops, peep shows, and clubs in the area.  The area is now known for it’s excellent restaurants, theatres and music venues.

The city of Leeds in the UK now has a red light district where prostitutes are legally allowed to ply their trade.  This was created in the hopes that crime would decrease. There was a 12 month pilot that legalised prostitution in this ares which was made permanent following the murder of a 21 year old prostitute.  Though crime has not disappeared in this area, sex workers are now reporting 60% more crimes to the police and prosecutions are following.   The West Yorkshire police, the Leeds City Council and a variety of support agencies are all behind keeping this area in place and working to make sure that the (mostly) women who are working here are protected. 

For Westerners, the most famous red light district is located in Amsterdam in a section called, Der Wallen.  It is said that the district existed in 1200 when Amsterdam was more of a village than a city.    The area is called Der Wallen by the Dutch because it was once completely enclosed in earthen walls.    The area developed in part because of all the trade that was brought into the harbour.  In 1758, Casanova visited the district and there were many tales of his exploits.  In 1905, the prostitutes wore long dresses and sat in front of the houses waiting for customers.  They were known then as Street Daisies.

It was in the 1930’s that the famous windows appeared.  This took the place of standing in doorways trying to get customers to enter (which was not legal).  They were allowed to sit in the window with the curtains opened only a little – teasing and exciting the curious to enter.  In the 1960’s there were more houses of prostitution.    In 2000, prostitution and brothels were made legal.  But there was a point in the mid-2000’s that window prostitution (where the brothel was just one room) was made illegal to discourage trafficking. 

In March 2007, there was an open day where for the first time male sex workers stood in the windows in the red light district and the statue of Belle was dedicate with the legend ‘respect sex workers all over the world’. 

It had been hoped by legalising that sex workers would have better lives but this did not happen on it’s own.  Still many found themselves having to pay criminal gangs, or being trafficked.  Independent workers had to pay taxes and rent their spaces so the money was tighter.

The city council decided to set up a foundation called My Red Light in 2017 to allow the sex workers to design and create a brothel space that works better for them.  The space provides for common meeting areas so sex workers can socialise together in their off time.  The sex workers have been involved in ever aspect of creating this space that covers 40 windows over 14 buildings.  They have participated in creating the laws governing the space, the taxes, the design and the decoration.  The hope is that it will combat some of the isolation sex workers experience and provide a friendly place for advice as well as a clean, light workspace.  They are offering development courses in the space as well.  Everything from business finance to massage.  The hope is that with personal development and business development available, workers will be better able to stay out of the hands of the pimps.

Here are some more interesting red light districts:

Kabukicho in Tokyo, Japan caters to mostly Japanese locals.  The clubs cater to local fantasies including school girls, secretaries, various anime fantasies.  There are hostess clubs where you pay for companionship.  Paid sex is illegal in Japan but everything else is fair game so you will find naked karayoke and sex dolls that you can rent and all sorts of fantasy liaisons.    This area is also home to a large number of ladyboys for those who enjoy interacting with transgender male to female folks.

Geylang in Singapore City, Singapore.

This a three mile long area that contains side streets where you can find the brothels.  Even numbered sides streets are legal and regulated where the odd numbered ones are illegal and not regulated so be careful where you choose to enter.  Most of the women are Thai and Chinese and sessions are limited to 45 minutes only. 

Pigalle in Paris, France

This is where you will find top notch burlesque shows like the Moulin Rouge next to seedy strip clubs, cabarets, sex shows and peep shows.  Prostitution is illegal in France so you won’t find any legal prostitution in this area. 

Patpong in Bangkok, Thailand

The main draw here is the sex shows (the famous smoke rings from the pussy can be seen here). This is where the famous go-go bars were started.  There is also a night market in the area which has softened the scene considerably.

More popular in Bangkok is Soi Cowboy.  This is not government regulated and is considered quite racy and sometimes seedy.  Here too the sex shows are the biggest draw.

Reeperbahn in Hamburg hosts excellent restaurants, and great bars and the sex trade is confined to one street that is partitioned off by a wall and only during certain hours.   Strip clubs have overtaken prostitution in popularity so there are now only a few hundred prostitutes working in the area.

Villa Tinto in Antwerp, Belgium is found in a three block safe zone and one of the cleanest and safest red light districts in the world.  It is considered the most high tech brothel in the world. The rooms have safes, biometric locks identify sex workers and panic buttons are under the beds.  There is an onsite police station.  There is a control room to oversee the whole lot.  The area also hosts strip clubs and live sex shows.  

Aaron wrote in to ask ‘Is it infidelity if I have sex with a sex worker?’  Aaron, this depends upon your relationship agreements.  If you are in the typical monogamous relationship, sexual contact is considered infidelity.  However, these days there are lots of versions of monogamish relationships where people agree that certain activities or activities with certain people do not constitute infidelity.    If you are dishonest with your partner, this will always be seen as infidelity.  The worst part of infidelity is usually the lying.  Dishonesty causes far more problems in relationships no matter what form the relationship takes than does the sexual part of infidelity.

Visiting a red light district with your partner can be lots of fun.  I have sometimes taken people on field trips to the red light district in Amsterdam and couples often choose to watch sex shows together to explore something new.  Sometimes these are very erotic and other times they seem odd and so are seen as funny.  Exploring something new together is often a great way to revitalise the relationship. 

My next retreat in Amsterdam (that includes a trip to the red light district) is in January 2018.    I have just opened pre-booking.  Contact me via email or the contact form on the website if you are interested in one of the limited spaces available.

Marsha asked about safety in the red light districts.  These are mostly in urban areas so you want to take the normal precautions.  Safe sex is a must to protect both you and the sex workers.

Thanks for joining me this week for the A to Z of Sex. Write in with your questions to drloribeth@atozofsex.com and visit both websites www.atozofsex.com and www.the-intimacy-coach.com to learn how to awaken your authenticity, arouse your sexuality and ignite your desire.   For a free 30 minute session with me, head over to www.atozofsex.com and click on the button that says ‘book now’.   If you have enjoyed this podcast, please leave a review on iTunes and/or Sticher and please subscribe!  Why not join me for my upcoming free webinar 4 Secrets for Arousing and Igniting Your Authentic Sexual Self.  Click the link in the podcast notes to sign up or head to https://the-intimacy-coach.com/4-secrets/.

Join me next week when the letter will be S and S is for Sexless Marriage.