Nevada’s Brothels Face the Axe
The Documentary Podcast
BBC
4.3 • 2.7K Ratings
🗓️ 6 September 2018
⏱️ 27 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
In parts of Nevada, prostitution is legal - the only such state in the US. The 'live and let live' mentality is a hangover from the gold rush days; in certain counties, brothels have been officially licensed since 1971.
Today, no fewer than seven of them are owned by one man: Dennis Hof, a gun-toting restaurateur, entrepreneur and reality TV star. He calls himself the 'Trump from Pahrump', after a town where he recently won the Republican primaries for the Nevada State Legislature.
Now, though, there is a backlash from religious and social activists, who have managed to get a referendum on the ballot during this November’s mid-term elections. Voters in Lyon County will be asked if the legal brothels there should be allowed to continue to operate.
Ultimately, the campaigners aim to end legal sex work across the whole state. They say it is an exploitative, abusive trade, and prevents other businesses from investing in the area. But some sex workers are worried that a ban could push them onto the streets, where they would face potential danger.
Lucy Ash talks to Dennis Hof, the women who work for him, and those who are pushing for change.
Producer: Mike Gallagher
Image: Dennis Hof poses outside the Moonlite BunnyRanch (Credit: Reuters)
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Thanks for downloading this podcast from the BBC World Service. |
| 0:04.0 | When Brothel Baron Dennis Hoff unexpectedly rocked the political boat in June by winning a Republican |
| 0:10.4 | primary in an area near Las Vegas. Some people were appalled. They said |
| 0:15.7 | it's quite embarrassing enough that Nevada is the only American state to have legal |
| 0:20.1 | brothels, but having a self-proclaimed pimp elected to the State Assembly is just |
| 0:25.1 | going too far and then a coalition of Christians, feminists and anti-trafficking |
| 0:30.0 | activists decided it was high time to give local people a vote on whether they |
| 0:34.8 | wanted brothels in their area that could set a precedent. So producer Mike |
| 0:40.2 | Gallagher and I headed out west to investigate. |
| 0:45.2 | The guy comes up to the gate that says ring bell. |
| 0:49.2 | And so the door girl rings the internal bell. |
| 0:52.1 | Ding! Ding! Ding! So the door girl brings the internal bell. Dinging, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding. |
| 0:55.1 | Welcome to assignment on the BBC World Service, |
| 0:58.4 | where we're calling on a house full of sex workers. |
| 1:02.0 | We all go to the parlor and greet the gentleman that went to see us. |
| 1:06.4 | We say our name and we make eye contact and smile. |
| 1:09.2 | Hey, I'm Coco. Hi I'm Venus. Hi I'm Jun and encourage the gentleman to choose a lady. |
| 1:17.0 | Half a dozen women lining up in underwear, skimpy dresses and high-heeled shoes for the benefit of a male stranger. |
| 1:25.0 | And which are these lovely ladies would you like to go with? |
| 1:28.0 | Walk right on our tour. |
| 1:30.0 | Hi, how are you doing all things. I didn't get your name. |
| 1:35.0 | I feel you. I feel uncomfortable watching this and I have to say there are quite a lot of things in this program. Some |
... |
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