Red Light District Visit

Intro

On Tuesday, May 21, 2024, we all went to the Prostitution Information Center. This was where we talked to a sex worker in The Netherlands. She talked to us for about two hours about what she does, who she is, and her experiences. This was very different from what we do in the united States so it was very interesting to learn about how sex work is legal in The Netherlands. From safety to the business side of things, everything about this talk was informative and interesting. 

Who We Talked with

When we went to the Prostitution Information Center, we talked to a sex worker. We all sat in the center while she talked to us and told us stories. For privacy purposes, I won’t say her name, however, I will tell a bit about her for informational understanding. She was originally a nurse and went into sex work to help disabled people. She briefly touched on the topic of how sex work became legal, but she mainly informed us about sex work through stories. After hearing some history and some personal stories, she allowed us to ask questions. 

Stories

I don’t plan on going into elaborate detail like she did, but there are some important things that happened. The first question everyone had and one of the first thing she explained was safety. In the Red Light District the women in the windows were only able to open up the doors on their side, so if the people on the streets looking in were unsafe, the women wouldn’t have to open up their doors for them. Once in the rooms, if the women felt unsafe, there was a button they could press for help and authorities would be on their way. If women worked through a company and not through the windows in the Red Light District, their employers would help them make sure they are safe. The women got to choose if they wanted to take a client or not. One story she told was when she went to a client shouse and he wouldn’t let her leave. She ended up refusing to give the service and eventually talked him into letting her leave. In her role specifically, with people who are mentally and physically disabled, she would be called in by family members or the person themselves would ask to have the service. In one she discussed a man who would act inappropriate to the female nurses, so his family thought this service would help him. After taking him on as a client, he stopped being inappropriate to the nurses. Lastly, we discussed the importance of professionalism in the job. She would always make sure the clients knew this was a business and nothing more. She would refuse gifts and would reassure her clients that they were clients to her service.

What is the Red Light District?

The most popular Red Light District is located near the city center, this is the Red Light District we went to. Some of us girls went to the Red Light District on Monday around four in the afternoon. This, however, is not the ideal time to go to the Red Light District. Going in the late evening into the night is when it starts to get popular. When walking into the Red Light District, you know you are there. Immediately you see women tapping on windows and sex shops. We started down an alleyway and walked to the main red light district street. This is right on the canal ans the sidewalks on both sides of the canal have sex shops, sex museums, sex shows, ladies in windows, and many other forms of entertainment and services.Sex work in The Netherlands is legal, and the Red Light District is a place where sex workers work. If the workers don’t work for a private company, they are able to start their own business and rent out windows and a room to stand in and give out their services. The women usually dress in little to no clothing and the clothing is usually lingerie. We went through the Red Light District twice, the first time was in the afternoon-evening and the second time was when we went to the Prostitution Information Center. The second time we went was in the morning, so there wasn’t much going on. After going to the Red Light District and clutching my purse to my chest in fear of pick pocketers, I realize that it isn’t as dangerous as people make it seem. No one harassed us or made us uncomfortable and we were never threatened. We didn’t go during the hours that the Red Light District is the most popular, but our time there wasn’t dangerous at all. I can’t speak for other people’s experiences but our time at the Red Light District was educational and something very unique to The Netherlands. 

History of the Red Light District

Back when Amsterdam was shipping out goods as a harbor with sailors, those sailors needed services only women could give them. Thus, the Red Light District was born. Prostitution in The Netherlands dates back to when The Netherlands was just beginning. Not only did this bring more people to Amsterdam, but it also created a new economy and businesses which was good for the growth of the city and country. Sex work was legal for a while, but in the early 1900s, prostitution was made illegal. By October of 2000, sex work in The Netherlands was legalized again. The Red Light District gets its name from the 19th century when business owners would use red lights to tell people what kind of business it was. The history of the Red Light District is very fascinating and sex work has always been a big part of The Netherlands culture.

Differences from the United States

This may be obvious, but sex work is not legal in the United States like it is in The Netherlands. The Natherlands is known as a tolerant and liberal country, so sex work is more normalized. The history of prostitution being legal for so long also normalizes the legalization of sex work. Even though sex work isn’t legal in the United States, there are ways people do it illegally, which makes it more dangerous. If an illegal prostitute in the United States is in trouble from a dangerous client or dangerous boss, the prostitutes could also get into legal trouble. In The Netherlands if a client is dangerous, the client is the only person who gets into trouble with the authorities since sex work is legal. Another difference between sex work in The Netherlands and sex work in the United States is that The Netherlands makes sure that the women working are not forced in any way to be sex workers. The Netherlands legalizing sex work made sex work safer and a way to include prostitution into The Netherlands economy.

Conclusion

This was very unique because this isn’t something that happens openly in the United States. Going to the Red Light District was a once in a lifetime opportunity. To be able to explore and learn about the legalization of sex work was fascinating and taught me the process of how businesses, safety, authorities, and sex workers all work together to make a strong and thriving business in the Red Light District.