• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Nevada Brothel Association

  • Home
  • COVID-19 Safety Measures
  • Nevada’s Legal Brothels
  • Blog
  • In the News
  • Contact Us

October 1, 2019 By NBA Staff

Proposed Nevada Bill Redefines ‘Prostitutes’ as ‘Courtesans,’ Creates Odd Curfew

(Gustavo Turner | XBIZ) – A Nevada County Commission which has jurisdiction over the legal brothels nearest to Las Vegas has drafted proposed changes to the county code, which include officially discarding the stigmatizing term “prostitutes” in ordinances in favor of “courtesans” and reclassifying “houses of prostitution” as “brothels.”

The legal Nye County brothels are located between Las Vegas and the California state line in the towns of Amargosa Valley, Crystal and Pahrump.

The proposal’s new language redefines “prostitution” as “engaging in any act, for a fee, with the purpose of arousing or gratifying the sexual desire of either person,” which Chuck Muth, an adviser to the Nevada Brothel Association (NBA) criticized as “vague” and likely to be misused by anti-sex work advocates.

“I can see the Jason Guinasso’s of the world twisting that language to include, for example, women who dance in gentlemen’s clubs even if no actual sex act takes place,” Muth wrote. Guinasso is a Christian pastor and alpaca rancher from Reno who has made a local political career stigmatizing all sex workers and conflating legal sex work with human trafficking.

The NBA adviser also pointed out that there are no proposed changes to the prohibition to advertise brothels by “signs” or “print advertising,” in compliance with Nevada state law.

“I hope the soon-to-be convened Brothel Study Committee established by the 2019 Nevada Legislature takes a long, hard look at this issue,” Muth added. “If the business is legal, it should be allowed to legally advertise.”

The “Lockdowns” Controversy

The proposed changes also affect the controversial issue of “lockdowns,” rules supposedly enforced for public health reasons that confine courtesans to brothel property for set periods of time.

“Under the existing Nye County ordinance,” Muth explained, “a courtesan who leaves the property ‘in excess of twenty-four (24) hours’ must be re-tested for sexually transmitted diseases before being allowed to work again.”

This is popularly known among sex workers as “the 24-hour rule.”

The proposed language replaces “the 24-hour rule” with a contrived, thoroughly impractical version of “lockdowns”:

“Courtesans are allowed to leave the Brothel Premises for six (6) hours per ten (10) day medical clearance period during the hours of 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. A Courtesan with a verified medical appointment may leave the brothel premises for up to twelve (12) hours during the hours of 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Any Courtesan who leaves the Brothel Premises in excess of these hours per ten (10) day medical clearance shall be subject to all the medical testing requirements set forth in this chapter and any other applicable State laws and regulations prior to engaging in any act of prostitution.”

Muth and other sex workers advocates are indignant at the new language. “‘Allowed to leave’? For no more than six hours per 10-day period? And only between the hours of 8 a.m. and 3 p.m.? In America?” he wrote.

“If this ordinance passes I will never work in a Nye County brothel again.”

XBIZ spoke with Nevada-based adult performer Charlotte Sartre, who has worked at Nye County brothels.

“I was reading about it this morning,” Sartre told XBIZ. “It’s so stupid. Most brothels in Nye County already have a lockdown rule. Alien Cathouse adheres to the 24-hour rule.”

“But for fuck’s sake,” she added. “Only leaving between 8 a.m. and 3 p.m.? And only six hours in a ten-day period? It’s nuts!”

“If this ordinance passes I will never work in a Nye County brothel again. That’s how stupid it is,” Sartre concluded.

A final version of the bill is expected to be introduced at the county commission meeting on October 15, and a vote is expected at the November 19 meeting.

To read the proposed changes, “A Bill proposing to amend Nye County Code Title 9, Public Peace, Morals and Welfare, relating to Chapter 9.20, Prostitution; providing for the severability, constitutionality and effective date thereof, and other matters properly relating thereto,” click here.

Filed Under: In the News

Primary Sidebar

Don’t Be Left Out!

Get breaking news, updates & invitations to events!

* indicates required

Suzette Cole, CEO, Moonlite Bunny Ranch

“Prostitution is the oldest profession and will not go away.  Nevada has been doing it right since 1971 when we took it out of the criminal’s hands and put it into a highly-regulated industry.  As an added benefit, there has never been a case of HIV/AIDS in the history of legal brothels here…and you can’t say that about any other profession in the United States.”

John Stossel, Syndicated Columnist

“We don’t have to cheer for prostitution, or think it’s nice, to keep government out of it and let participants make up their own minds.  It’s wrong to ban sex workers’ options just to make ourselves feel better.”

Steve Chapman, Syndicated Columnist

“Prohibition doesn’t eliminate the harms generally associated with prostitution, such as violence, human trafficking and disease. On the contrary, it fosters them by driving the business underground.”

Christina Parreira, UNLV Researcher/Sex Worker

“Sex work is my CHOICE.  I’d like to continue to have the opportunity to make that choice legally.  We don’t need protection. We’re consenting, adult women.”

Washington, DC Councilman David Grosso

“We need to stop arresting people for things that are not really criminal acts. We should arrest someone for assault…but when it’s two adults engaging in a consensual sex act, I don’t see why that should be an arrestable offense”

New York Assemblyman Richard Gottfried

“Trying to stop sex work between consenting adults should not be the business of the criminal justice system.”

U.S. Sen. Cory Booker

“Yes, sex work should be decriminalized.  As a general matter, I don’t believe that we should be criminalizing activity between consenting adults, and especially when doing so causes even more harm for those involved.”

U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders

“I think the idea of legalizing prostitution is something that should be considered…(and) certainly needs to be discussed.”

U.S. Sen. Kamala Harris

“When you’re talking about consenting adults, I think that, yes, we should really consider that we can’t criminalize consensual behavior, as long as no one is being harmed. … We should not be criminalizing women who are engaged in consensual opportunities for employment.”

U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren

“I believe humans should have autonomy over their own bodies and they get to make their own decisions. … I am open to decriminalizing sex work. Sex workers, like all workers, deserve autonomy and are particularly vulnerable to physical and financial abuse.”

U.S. Rep. Tulsi Gabbard

“If a consenting adult wants to engage in sex work, that is their right, and it should not be a crime. All people should have autonomy over their bodies and their labor.”

Gov. John Hickenlooper

“Legalizing prostitution and regulating it, so there are norms and protections and we understand more clearly how people are being treated and make sure we prevent abuse, I think it should be really looked at.”

Mike Gravel, former Alaska Senator

“Sex workers are workers, and they deserve the dignity and respect that every worker deserves. For too long, we’ve denied them that. Sex workers, not politicians, should lead the way in crafting sex work policy.”

Prof. Ronald Weitzer, George Washington University:

“Unlike illegal street prostitution in many other places, Nevada’s legal brothels do not disturb public order, create nuisances, or negatively impact local communities in other ways. Instead, they provide needed tax revenue for cash-strapped rural towns.”

Prof. Barbara Brents, UNLV author, “State of Sex”:

“Teams of scholars…have concluded that Nevada’s legal brothels provide a far safer environment for sex workers than the criminalized system in the rest of the United States.”

Prof. Sarah Blithe, UNR author, “Sex and Stigma”:

“Discussions of legal prostitution are rife with misinformation.  Academic work and popular press publications alike often conflate legal prostitution in the United States with illegal prostitution.”

Lee Herz Dixon:

“Do I think eradicating legal prostitution from all Nevada counties will erase the practice of the oldest profession in the state, or break the nexus of drugs, crime, and exploitation of the vulnerable? I do not.”

Journalist Michael Cernovich:

“It’s empirically proven that criminalizing sex work allows children to be sex trafficked more readily as they are afraid to turn to authorities and wonder if they will be arrested.”

Enrique Carmona:

“We need to put aside moralistic prejudices, whether based on religion or an idealistic form of feminism, and figure out what is in the best interests of the sex workers and public interest as well.”

Ruby Rae, professional courtesan

“In the brothels, we have the choice, always, to say which clients we will say yes and no to. We have staff that would never let a man hurt us, and we have a clientele that do not come here to hurt us.”

Kiki Lover, professional courtesan:

“We are human beings who chose to do sex work on our own free will. We get treated with respect and like family at the brothels. It’s a job just like any other job. We sell a service that all humans need.”

Paris Envy, professional courtesan:

“I’m not ‘exploited.’ I’m not ‘trafficked.’ I’m not ‘brainwashed.’ I don’t need to be ‘saved.’ I’ve freely chosen this line of work, which is a legal, private transaction between consenting adults.”

Alice Little, professional courtesan:

“It’s ILLEGAL sex work that exploits children. It’s ILLEGAL sex work that traffics. It’s ILLEGAL sex work that sees women exploited and abused by pimps.”

Jim Shedd, Nevadan

“Prostitution should be licensed, regulated, taxed like any other service industry.  There are many single or widowed men and women who should be able to take advantage of such services provided by consenting adults for consenting adults. Let’s act to at least reduce illegal sex trafficking and other sex crimes by creating safe and legal outlets for paying adults who wish to use them.”

Paul Bourassa, brothel customer:

“Some people are just never given a chance in the dating scene, so brothels offer those of us with no experience a chance to learn what it’s like to be on a date.”

Lewis Dawkins, brothel customer:

“It’s not always about sex. Little compliments and encouragements offered by the ladies help build my self-confidence. It’s a business, yes. But the ladies care personally about their clients. That means a lot.”

Brett Caton, brothel customer:

“I think brothels provide an important function in society. Legal ones give a safe outlet to their customers and for some men it is the only way they get so much as a hug.”

Recent Posts

  • Nevada brothels reopen after long hiatus, sex workers look forward to return to work
  • Nevada sex workers adjust to COVID safety measures, offer deals as brothels set to reopen
  • Lyon County Brothels to Reopen on Saturday
  • Statement on Passage of Lyon County’s “Economic Emergency” Resolution
  • Highest-paid legal sex worker sues governor to reopen Nevada’s brothels after losing 95% of her $1m-a-year earnings

Archives

  • April 2021
  • January 2021
  • December 2020
  • November 2020
  • October 2020
  • April 2020
  • March 2020
  • February 2020
  • January 2020
  • December 2019
  • November 2019
  • October 2019
  • September 2019
  • August 2019
  • July 2019
  • June 2019
  • May 2019
  • April 2019
  • March 2019
  • February 2019
  • January 2019
  • December 2018
  • November 2018
  • October 2018
  • September 2018
  • August 2018
  • July 2018
  • June 2018
  • May 2018
  • April 2018
  • January 2018
  • August 2015
  • May 2015
  • August 2014
  • December 2012
  • February 2011
  • April 2009
  • February 2009
  • January 2009
  • December 2003
  • May 1987

Footer

Mission

The Nevada Brothel Association PAC is a coalition of legal brothel owners, brothel workers, brothel clients and brothel supporters dedicated to defending a woman’s right to choose professional sex work as a career, protecting the public’s health and safety, and preserving Nevada’s rich live-and-let-live heritage.

Contact Info

Address
P.O. Box 20902
Carson City, NV  89721

Search

Privacy Policy

Copyright © 2022 · Executive Pro on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in