stabbing a client in a brothel.]]
A brothel, also known as a bordello, cathouse, whorehouse, sporting house, gentleman's club and other names, is an establishment dedicated to prostitution, providing the prostitutes a place to meet and to have sexual intercourse with clients.
Legality
In the past, brothels were common around the world. During the first half of the 20th century, France and Italy were famous for their brothels. Some Paris establishments, such as
le Chabanais and
le Sphinx, were internationally–known for the luxury they provided. In most European countries brothels were made illegal after World War II. France outlawed brothels in 1946 and Italy made them illegal in 1959.
Today, in Europe brothels are legal in Belgium, Holland, Czech Republic and Germany. The Netherlands has one of the most liberal prostitution policies in the world, and, as such, it attracts sex tourists from many other countries. Amsterdam is well known for its red-light district and is a destination for sex tourism. The largest brothel in Europe (the Pascha) is situated in Cologne, Germany.
In some countries such as Australia, brothels are legal and regulated, however, the existence of these licensed brothels does not stop illegal brothels from existing: according to a report in the Daily Telegraph (Australia), illegal brothels in Sydney now outnumber licensed operations by four to one; according to a 2009 report, in Queensland only 10% of prostitution happens in licensed brothels, the rest remains either unregulated or illegal; according to some estimates, there are 400 illegal brothels in Victoria.
Business models
,
Amsterdam,
Netherlands]] Brothels use a variety of
business models:
In the regulated brothels in Nevada, the prostitutes are contract workers who split their earnings with the house and are often expected to "tip" support staff (cleaners, limo drivers, etc.); they receive no benefits, such as health insurance, and no withholding for Social Security taxes. In others, the prostitutes are employees, receiving a small fixed salary and a portion of the money spent by the customer. In this situation, sometimes known as Maison close (French for "closed house") the brothel owner receives the rest of the payment for services. In still others, the prostitutes pay a fee for use of the facilities, with the brothel owner not being involved in the financial transaction between prostitute and client. This may be known as maison de passe, French for "trick house". In cases of illegal brothels, this arrangement provides some level of plausible deniability to the facility owner, who often (thinly) disguises the brothel as a massage parlor, bar, strip club or similar business. Military brothels
Until recently, in several armies around the world, a mobile brothel service was attached to the army as an auxiliary unit, especially attached to combat units on long-term deployments abroad.
Because it is a touchy subject, military brothels were often designated with creative euphemisms. Examples of such jargon are (), replacing the term "". Women were forced into prostitution by the Japanese occupation armies as a form of sexual slavery by the Japanese military during World War II. Drawn from throughout East Asia, the prostitutes were individually referred to as "military comfort women" or and were collectively known as "comfort battalions".
It has been estimated that a minimum of 34,140 women from occupied states, particularly in Poland, were also forced to work as involuntary prostitutes for the Nazis during WW2.
Nevada brothels
in
Mound House near
Carson City.]] In the United States, Nevada is the only state where brothels are legal. Prostitution outside the licensed brothels is illegal throughout Nevada. Brothels are allowed only in counties with populations of fewer than 400,000 inhabitants, and not all qualifying counties have allowed them. Currently eight out of
Nevada's 16 counties have active brothels (these are all rural counties). As of June/July 2008, 28 legal brothels existed in Nevada. All forms of prostitution are illegal in
Las Vegas (and
Clark County which contains its metropolitan area),
Reno (and
Washoe County),
Carson City, and a few other places.
The brothels and their employees must register with the county sheriff and receive regular medical checkups. Brothels have existed in Nevada since the old mining days of the 1800s and were first licensed in 1971. The legendary Mustang Ranch operated from 1971 through 1999, when it was forfeited to the federal government following a series of convictions for tax fraud, racketeering, and other crimes.
Regulation
In some countries, prostitution is illegal, in other countries prostitution itself (the exchange of sex for money) is legal, but most activities which surround it (such as operating a brothel, pimping, soliciting in a public place etc.) are prohibited, many times making it very difficult for people to engage in prostitution without breaking any law, while in a few countries prostitution is legal and regulated. The degree of regulation varies widely by country. Most of these countries favor brothels, at least in theory, as they are considered to be less problematic than
street prostitution.
See also
Sex industry Sex worker Soapland Spintria Dumas Brothel Gay bathhouse References
Further reading
Burford, E. J. The Bishop's Brothels. London: Robert Hale, 1993. ISBN 9780709051138. Ka-tzetnik 135633 (Karol Cetinsky). House of Dolls. Moshe M. Kohn (trans.). New York: Simon and Schuster, 1955. A novel about the Holocaust, including a description of a brothel staffed by concentration camp inmates. External links
"Inside a brothel"—interview by Richard Fidler with three brothel owners, June 2006 on ABC Local Radio (audio download available) Category:Sex industry
