Bye Bye Red Light District
- Thread starter jst5150
- Start date
I'm not sure how I feel about this. I can't quite imagine Amsterdam without the red light district. I was eighteen the first time I visited. I came out of my hotel, turned a corner, and there was a a very sophisticated woman sitting on a barstool outside a club. "Live Sex on Stage!" she was calling to the passers-by. Quite an eye opener. It was very disturbing to see women for sale in shop windows. They didn't look very happy to be there.
Still - removing the red light district will not banish prostitution. Currently, the sex workers have some legal protection, are required to have regular check-ups, etc. Driving prostitution underground would make it less visible, and possibly make it even more exploitative than it already is.
I think Amsterdam would survive the drop off in sex tourism. It's a beautiful and fascinating city. It was not the red light district that has made me return to that city several times.
Still - removing the red light district will not banish prostitution. Currently, the sex workers have some legal protection, are required to have regular check-ups, etc. Driving prostitution underground would make it less visible, and possibly make it even more exploitative than it already is.
I think Amsterdam would survive the drop off in sex tourism. It's a beautiful and fascinating city. It was not the red light district that has made me return to that city several times.