As the global fight against Covid-19 continues a struggle of a different kind has started in Germany. Regular readers will recall my report that some politicians want to get rid of the German sex industry in the wake of the coronavirus shutdown. Sex workers and brothel owners haven’t taken well to that news. Both sex workers and brothel keepers have strongly rejected any abolition of sex work and in turn demand that the local sex industry be allowed to reopen.
Almost immediately after politicians started calling for the end of open and legal prostitution a union representing sex work responded. As reported by T-Online the Union for Sex Work in Germany has raised its own demands. First the union wants to eliminate any distinction between a “normal” or mainstream massage and a sexual or “erotic” massage. Second the union wants commercial sex venues to be allowed to reopen.
They are not alone. It seems that labor and management have taken a similar position on this issue. According to Süddeutsche Zeitung, brothel owners in Frankfurt are suing the German state of Hessen for “job discrimination”. Their argument goes that brothels are being singled out by Hessen which has loosened restrictions and allowed other businesses like barbershops, mainstream massage salons, and even tattoo studios to reopen while keeping brothels shuttered.
Sex work singled out
Of course sex work has always been singled out in basically every place it has existed. Even where the commercial sex industry is legal the people who belong to it face all sort of restrictions and prejudices. Examples can be found worldwide.
Totally legal adult websites are unable to accept payments in the same way as other online outlets. Porn stars and cam models are unable to bank in the way that others can. Things like insurance are different for brothels and prostitutes than they are for other businesses and workers. The simple fact that “mainstream massage” is differentiated from “erotic massage” basically brings it all into clear view. Once a masseuse moves her hand from the inner thigh to the penis apparently everything changes in the eyes of proper society.
I am not sure if the sex workers union will come together with brothel owners to fight for a common cause in Germany. In the end that may not matter. No court date has been set for the brothel keeper lawsuit yet. But the issue has been marked an “urgent procedure” which means it should be decided soon.
What’s next?
I honestly have no idea what will happen in Germany in the days to come though I do have some ideas. A local source with a much better grasp of the situation expects the case to be quickly resolved in favor of the brothel keepers. He argues that they have a good case and a lot of money to back up their lawsuit. I don’t disagree but it will be something to pay close attention to in any event. This may have wider ramifications.
Meanwhile places like go go bars remain closed in Thailand though that may be a moot point since there are no real incoming flights. Yet in other nearby countries all sorts of adult entertainment venues including brothels remain open as usual.
This corona pandemic has affected society from top to bottom and all around the world. It has impacted the commercial sex industry especially hard. I suspect that more recently enacted changes may become permanent than much of the population expects though I cannot say how people at large will react. I can tell you that I will continue to observe and whenever possible report on the commercial sex industry here on Rockit Reports.
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