Christina Parreira has done several different kinds of sex work, from stripping to camming to porn; she’s also an activist and is currently working on her PhD in sociology at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. When she started working at a Nevada brothel I asked if she’d write about her impressions for me; since most of the sex workers who post frequently here dislike brothel work, I thought it important to present a different view.
As someone who has worked in different sectors of the sex industry for years, I have met and befriended many sex workers in various parts of the industry, both legal and illegal. But until January, I had never worked in a brothel, and like many sex workers only knew the stereotypes. Although some sex worker publications have written about the brothels, they are missing the one thing that should be essential to any article about the experiences of a marginalized group: the voice of the workers. I have only worked in one brothel for four 7-12 day stays, so I do not profess to be an expert; that being said, I am happy to share some of my observations about brothel life, and I thank Maggie for giving me a platform to do so!
I will NEVER forget my first day moving into the brothel! I was absolutely terrified and had no idea what to expect in terms of income, relations with other workers, and client interactions. I was no stranger to sex work, but had never been required to live on premises. The fear of confinement was anxiety-provoking, and having to obtain a sheriff’s card to legally work as a prostitute was no picnic either. Despite the hassles of regulation, I pushed my reservations aside and instead focused on my aspirations to conduct brothel research as a worker.
First, a lengthy disclaimer: I am not advocating brothel work, nor saying it is any better or worse than other types of sex work. I cannot and will not speak for others, but I can certainly speak for myself. Despite the flack that I caught from activists who labeled me as a “traitor” for working in the legal system, I enjoy working in the brothel. I know myself well enough to know that I am not cut out for independent work: the advertising, the screening, the (unfortunate) fear of arrest. The brothel provides the comfort of structure and safety without the worries that accompany work in a criminalized system. I believe that decriminalization (or rather, full legalization, the more accurate way to describe it) is the ONLY acceptable answer to the problems created and perpetuated by criminalization; however, I would still choose to work in a brothel rather than independently given the choice, a choice that ALL workers should have. No one should be confined to working in a legal system that requires licensing and testing regulations, just as no one should be confined to working independently if there are other options available. No one should be shamed for their decision to participate in the legal brothel system, regardless of whether or not anyone else believes that the brothel system is exploitative. That’s the funny thing about rights; they should apply to everyone regardless of personal preference. The whorearchy is still alive and well, but more on that later.
Life in the brothel is dictated by sound; something as simple as a doorbell could cause a spring to action or a sigh of relief. The entrance is locked, just as any door to a home would be locked. The manager on duty is referred to as “House Mom” by workers, which I believe helps to add to the “homey” feel of the brothel. First and foremost it is a business, but it is also a home that houses sex workers of all ages, ethnicities, body types, and backgrounds. The feminist assertions that brothels only employ “hegemonically beautiful” young, thin women is simply not true. I will repeat: the radical feminist assertion that all brothel workers are tall/thin/large breasted/blonde/young/blah blah blah is simply not true; I see women of all shapes, sizes, races, ethnicities, and ages.
The majority of my time in the brothel is spent in bed writing, chatting with other workers in the parlor, and relaxing in the outdoor hot tub. Sometimes I work out on the pole in the parlor or treat myself to a trip to the tanning bed. There are no shifts, and workers are encouraged to spend time interacting with clients on the message boards during slow days. I show up to line-up as frequently as I can, depending on my state of mind and how many clients I have seen (or turned down) that day. As an independent contractor, I set my own prices. These vary by amount of time, activity, and of course on the client’s disposition (yes, the “asshole tax” does exist!) Negotiations between workers and clients take place in the worker’s bedroom behind a closed door – the only place where it is legal to discuss the exchange of money for sexual services. Once a service is agreed upon, the house mom takes care of payment and keeps track of time. After that, the client and worker disappear into her room until the house mom gently knocks on her door to let them both know that time is almost up. Sometimes I go days without booking a single client, and turn many away (YES, we are allowed to turn down clients!) Some days are quite profitable, but I have never seen more than three clients in one day. Note that I use the word “client” rather than “man”; yes, women DO come to the brothel and pay for sexual services from other women. Is it the majority? Is this representative of all brothel patrons? No, but does it need to be?
So, what about the line-up? It all begins with the doorbell; one ring means a client, and two rings means a worker, friend, partner, or anyone else who knows better than to ring the bell once. One ring means the potential for money! House Mom answers the door, welcomes the visitors and asks if they would like a line-up. Some visitors are tourists who want a tour and a free ogle, and thankfully others are patrons who are interested in our services. At this point, we hear yet another bell; one that calls us to the parlor to line up for our visitors. Unlike some other establishments, this brothel does not require workers to come to line-up, but to miss line-up could mean missing out on income. Regardless, this is the worker’s choice, and thank goodness for that! Some women choose to “sleep pretty” (usually in make-up and sexy nightwear) in order to always be ready for the bell, but I need my sleep. Brothel workers have much more autonomy than most realize, but again, this really depends on the brothel; I can only speak for the uniquely decorated pink house that sits alone in the middle of the desert.
As with all forms of employment, there are pros and cons to working in the brothel, and one of the major cons is the stigma…from other sex workers, mostly independent escorts who accuse me of pushing a legalization agenda by conducting academic research while working in the brothel. The irony is that these are the very same people who spend their lives advocating for their rights to work in the ways that they deem appropriate, the same people whom I’ve respected for years. If you believe that working legally offers many more protections than working in an “unregulated” system, then I suggest you remove your blinders; if, on the other hand, you believe that working independently makes you more of a target (or more of a “real activist”) than those who choose to work in the legal system, you’re just as misguided.
Some days the hypocrisy seems unbearable. However, the whorearchy extends far beyond prostitution; whores in various sectors of the industry think that they are superior to one another. Back in December, a porn performer had the audacity to publicly blame the “unregulated US escorting industry” for the few porn performers who tested HIV positive. Her logic (or lack thereof) is problematic for several reasons. First, ANY sex off camera presents a risk, whether the sex be with clients, lovers, life partners, or pool boys. Second, anyone who has her own escort ad online should probably refrain from casting the first stone, but I will leave it at that.
I spoke to Belle Knox, Duke University student who was thrown into the spotlight after being outed as a porn performer, about her thoughts on whorearchy. After being outed, Knox was taunted by classmates and perhaps more surprisingly by her own peers in the porn industry. When I asked about her experiences with stigma within her own industry and from other sex workers, Knox said this:
I have been called a hoe by a stripper; others have sneered at me and taunted me by saying some variant of “at least I don’t suck dick for a living”. Within my own industry, I have been marginalized for my participation in a rough sex scene early in my career. In a world where sex workers face discrimination, stigma, and bigotry ubiquitously, it deeply saddens me that I cannot find solace among the very men and women who I work alongside.
It saddens me too; as Dr. Barb Brents pointed out in “Why Decriminalizing Sex Work is Good for All Women”, whore stigma affects ALL of us. First, they came for the whores…
Great article…I always wondered what the Nevada Brothels were like from the point of view of a real person.
The whorearchy acting up AGAIN???
Well you know me, give me a choice between a Nevada Brothel and Jail and you had better give me a con to toss with that, but what in the heck has that got to do with your choices?
When I am 100% certain I know what I am doing in every way (another 7 or 8 incarnations and I WILL GET THERE) THEN I may start to know enough about what other people should do with their lives to be fit to nag them about it but not until.
Your credentials as an activist are honestly beyond reproach, with me…but hey, when the whorearchy reproach you, at least you know they are giving me a rest.
This is my good friend Christina, and while I personally would never work in a brothel, I think all sex workers should have a right to choose where they work and their work conditions. I have no doubt we will see great things come from Christina, as she is a academic, a researcher and a sex worker, and one of my best friends.
” The feminist assertions that brothels only employ “hegemonically beautiful” young, thin women is simply not true.”
As somebody who has had unfortunate issues of size acceptance, this is reassuring.
” Despite the flack that I caught from activists who labeled me as a “traitor” for working in the legal system, I enjoy working in the brothel.”
As somebody who has been trying without success to find an in-call location in NYC, I wouldn’t mind this setup. But due to my tinnitus, those bells and buzzers might drive me crazy.
“I have been called a hoe by a stripper; others have sneered at me and taunted me by saying some variant of “at least I don’t suck dick for a living”.”
Whorearchy is an expression of self-hatred, in most instances. The term “sex worker” is the great equalizer, so I guess the best response is that whether you strip or you fuck, you are a sex worker, and there is no getting around that.
Susan, you just reminded me of a photo I saw a few days ago of pornstars protesting in bikinis somewhere well south of Alaska. The only body type missing was the catwalk “perfect size 0” and these are gorgeous, sexy women who have the pay packets to prove it. :o)
It occurred to me, the moment I saw it, that any teen with issues of “size acceptance” would get a lot more benefit than harm out of that photo.
Belle Knox was criticized by her peers in the industry because she decided to be a PR spin tool for the biggest content thieves our industry has ever known. She’s advocating for an entire network of stolen content sites, sites that steal from her peers. THAT is why she was criticized, not because she did a Facial Abuse scene. She can try and play victim all she wants there but she’s putting her name and stamp of approval on content thieves…and shocker…there are repercussions for that.
Not arguing with your assertions, but they would be a lot stronger if you would name the content thieves so we could know what you are talking about.
So I suppose you think it was acceptable of her peers to mock her publicly for her past history of mental health issues? To mock her appearance on twitter? Is that how adults handle conflict?
You’re conflating different issues. Regardless of what Belle did or didn’t do, no one deserves to be spoken to in that manner. Not in a civilized society, anyway.
Like Pat, I’d sure like to know whom you’re calling content thieves. No offense, but absent that information, you sound like an apologist for these guys.
Good article; follow up questions: what’s the house take? Most of the girls I knew started working for an agency, and once they got their “sea legs” jumped to independent escorting because it gave them a pretty hefty raise. As a business, any extra benefits like other businesses? (e.g. health care, beyond the doctor checking for STD’s?)
Those are great follow ups and I am happy to answer 🙂
Again, I feel that I should continue to specify that I have only worked in one brothel (spent time in a few others, but not working), so the experiences are sure to vary between brothels.
It is standard practice in NV for the house to take 50% of earnings. Ouch! Definitely a down side, and an unreasonable split IMO. However, there are benefits and securities that the house provides (advertising, legality, security, food, use of amenities in the house, lots of “foot traffic” from people passing by).
No other health benefits (just our mandatory testing, which we pay for ourselves).
Followup to the followup: You mentioned you were required to live on-site. Do you also pay for room and board?
(I ask because that 50% doesn’t sound quite as bad if you’re living rent-free. Good apartments are expensive.)
Unrelated: What’s the polite way to behave viewing a lineup?
No brothel would run on that basis, because it would mean that a person could live there for free – not see any clients, get room and board and internet for free, and pursue her studies or just sit around all day watching TV. Doesn’t make business sense.
What do women patrons come to a brothel for? Surely you are not allowed to perform cunnilingus on them due to public health concerns. Do they use a strap-on or what exactly do they purchase from the brothel worker?
Just like men, they come for a variety of services. This is where the public health laws get tricky (and a bit ridiculous if you ask me). Condoms are mandated for intercourse and oral on men, but it is our discretion whether we use dental dams for giving/receiving oral on women. Strange, right? Anyway, many do use dental dams or saran wrap, and of course there’s always toys, cuddling, kissing, fingering etc. Same goes for male clients who want to perform cunnilingus. I have my saran wrap in my drawer at all times! 🙂
Here in Oz, the law mandates a dental dam for cunnilingus. This law is routinely ignored.
A very intriguing read. Rather convenient too, because I’ve had a thought in my head for the past few days and have been wondering if I’d have the opportunity to share it.
A few days ago Krulac, in comparing decriminalization to the Civil Rights movement of the 60s, said (and I’m paraphrasing here) that people would need to be convinced that the world wasn’t going to end if sex work was decriminalized.
I wonder (and hopefully I don’t set anyone off for suggesting this) if that doesn’t need to be taken a step further, that the Nevada model of legalization needs to be expanded first before full decriminalization can truly gain credence among the unconvinced.
I realize this is not a palatable idea, but I think that sex work needs to be allowed to exist, in some public, lawful way, outside of this one sliver of Nevada. Right now it doesn’t, and the lawheads and prohibitionists still set much of the tone of the debate (though admittedly that is gradually changing). Then sex work could gain more stories like Ms. Parreira’s, who can see both the benefits and drawbacks of such a system and move the debate beyond the reach of the prohibitionists for whom happy (or even just indifferent) whores do NOT exist.
I don’t have anything against the brothels or the ladies working in them, my issue is with assholes like Denis Hof and the blatant lies about independent escorts that he likes to toss around
Thanks for the great piece. I worked in brothels for years before becoming a private worker, and seriously miss the aspect of not having to do admin.
I’ve also witnessed a lot of whorearchy in this industry I love, and it always disappoints me. Especially from activists.
> I’ve also witnessed a lot of whorearchy in this industry I love, and it always disappoints me. Especially from activists.
A lot of activists are not really in it to change policy, but to lay claim to moral or personal high ground. I doubt that’s any different in whoredom than anywhere else.
You’re so spot on. My brief experience with activism here in Melbourne has been awful, and found the members of some groups so cliquey and divisive, and not able to put their own personal issues with each other aside to actually get anything done.
There are of course also some amazing activists here in Australia, and I’ve had the privilege to befriend them too.
Tell you something…I will join hands and fight for the criminalisation of “whorearchy” any day of the week…
…at least it has a *NAME* now…sadly it seems to be a fundamental human need for too many people to fish for excuses to feel superior to as many people as they can.
I have no need for personal moral high ground (I have hundreds of thousands of acres of it ANYWAY just by “being me” ;o) ) I just want sex workers advocating for themselves and the frauds and NGO carpetbaggers gagged with the worst of them facing the criminal charges they have worked SO HARD to earn…
Is that too much to ask?
Hear hear!
What are the rules at the brothel where you have worked for leaving the premises? Do you sign a contract outlining these terms? Is it negotiable? Do you have to have a male security escort if you leave? Do you have to be re-tested for STDs (at your own expense)? These are questions I often get from anti-sex work people in attempt to delegitimize the Nevada brothels or to equate them with substantial control over the women’s bodies (i.e., like “pimps”). How would you respond to these questions? Thank you in advance.
All very good questions, Jenn. Thank you for giving me an opportunity to address these!
Rules for leaving premise- (I believe this is true of all of the NV brothels), a 24 hour pass is allowed to a worker (it is recommended to let management know a day or so in advance if possible). If a worker leaves the house and comes back in 23 hours, she can go right back to work. However, if she leaves for 25 hours, she can come back to the house but cannot work until she is re-tested (at her own expense, as always) and cleared to work. To be honest, I find the 24 hour rule to be very strange and arbitrary; whose to say that a person can’t get an STI within an hour? And moreover, why assume that the first thing a worker wants to do is run out and have unprotected sex? Anyways, I digress.
The re-testing thing can create issues depending on the day. For example, the clinic is closed by Friday afternoon and re-opens Monday. Also keep in mind that tests take approx 24 hours to come back & clear. If a worker leaves on a Friday for more than 24 hours, she cannot work until Monday.
We do sign a contract, and the 24 hour rule is not negotiable. As far as leaving the premises for little things (going to the store, leaving for a couple hours to run errands or whatever it may be), I’ve never seen anyone have a problem. That being said, I am comfortable admitting that the brothel that I work at is more relaxed than others, more of a comfortable and “laid back” environment. I have heard that other brothels are much more restrictive, and some do not even allow workers to leave their rooms during their 12 hour off-shift period.
You ask about male security when we leave; do you mean on out dates? The brothel that I work in is not licensed for out dates (however some of the ones up north are, such as Love Ranch North). Workers are allowed to go out with clients (with permission, and I think it’s a much higher rate), no escort. There is a check in process for safety, but I don’t know too many of the details on that.
Mandatory testing is quite ridiculous all around. I work in Melbourne, Australia, where we have 3mthly government mandated testing, and to work in a brothel you must provide a certificate from the doctor stating that you’ve been screened. Nothing else. Just that you’ve been screened. So, a worker could be positive for any STI, and still work, even though it’s illegal to work in my state with HIV and an outbreak of warts or herpes. It’s all absurd.
Thank you for the detailed response, C — very helpful. On the male security when you leave, I was actually asking if you are required to have an escort to run errands if/when you are able to leave for brief time periods. I actually forgot that some brothels allow for out dates up north. I appreciate the reminder.
No escorts/security with us when we leave. I’ve never heard of that happening anywhere actually, but perhaps it happens at other brothels? I’m not sure, but wow I would really hate that!!
This also might be relevant; a few words on the sheriff card process (ugh!) To be a prostitute in a brothel, one must get a sheriff’s card in the appropriate county (similarly to exotic dancers in Las Vegas). The card costs $125 per quarter. An individual could be barred from getting a card if she has a history of felonies and/or violent charges. I had to get finger printed, photo taken, the whole 9 yards. Granted, I knew all of this beforehand and read over the paperwork. I understood and agreed to it, but I wasn’t happy about it! Also, each house requires its’ own card! I know several workers who have licenses for 2-3 different houses, so that would be over $300 per quarter just on sheriffs cards.
At the brothel in which I work, individuals are not required to get business licenses. However, I recently heard that another brothel (different owner) requires workers to get a business license- another $200.
Thanks M
Sent from my iPad
Funny timing, I just got an email from my Madam approving my day pass for June 17 so that I can attend Maggie’s event at UNLV! 😀
“I have heard that other brothels are much more restrictive, and some do not even allow workers to leave their rooms during their 12 hour off-shift period.”
Some of the ladies that work in the Mound House (near Carson City) brothels live nearby and commute to work. Some only work by appointment.
“You ask about male security when we leave; do you mean on out dates? The brothel that I work in is not licensed for out dates (however some of the ones up north are, such as Love Ranch North). Workers are allowed to go out with clients (with permission, and I think it’s a much higher rate), no escort. There is a check in process for safety, but I don’t know too many of the details on that.”
I have never done it but I was told that a picture ID is required for an outdate and a copy of it is made. I believe that is reasonable. I also recall the license plate of the vehicle is recorded.
Rapid- thank you for this information. Are there still brothels currently operating in that area? I know that many of the smaller ones have closed down in recent years, Kit Kat is in Mound House but I think they’re also closed (or soon to be under new ownership?). I suspect that it must vary by county. For example, houses “up north” (as we call them in the Southern brothels) are allowed out dates, whereas I don’t know of any southern houses that allow them. Perhaps Nye county has more restrictions on the workers and their mobility, but I’m not completely sure. This is something that I will have to further investigate! 🙂
Currently there are three: The Bunny Ranch, The Love Ranch, and the Sagebrush Ranch.
The Kit Kat is being renovated.
The Bunny Ranch is located on the north side of Highway 50. The rest are clustered about a half mile from The Bunny Ranch on the south side of the highway. Also located near the Love Ranch, Sagebrush, and Kit Kat is a topless (I have never liked that term) bar. All are in Lyon County.
All of the above are owned by Dennis Hof. I know he is not popular on this site. Perhaps some of the criticism on this site is well founded. Living “in the area” and knowing Dennis (not well) I can say that much of the criticism leveled at him locally is not accurate. I would prefer to leave all that for another day.
My knowledge of Nye County is scant, so I cannot compare I had a drink one night with a friend who worked for years as a stripper in Las Vegas and briefly in a brothel near Vegas. She seemed amazed at what a nice place the Bunny Ranch was. She was not treated well at the brothel she worked.
All of the Mound House brothels will admit single women, couples, etc. There is no problem to socialize in the bar or parlor and then leave. There is very little pressure to “party”.
You are welcome to ask me anything about the Northern Brothels. I will do my best to answer.
Thank you!! Despite Hof’s reputation, I have no problem with him. He has been nothing but kind and accommodating to me, as both a researcher and a worker. Much better policies in his establishments than others.
Thank you for this piece. I know very little about sex work and sex workers, and articles such as this are enlightening.
[…] workers sometimes share a separate address, or prefer to work in places like massage parlours or strip clubs, so they can work together for mutual safety. […]
“He has been nothing but kind and accommodating to me,”
Same here. I have spent some time talking with him, but I prefer talking with pretty ladies.
“Much better policies in his establishments than others.”
That is what I have been told. I know the Mound House establishments pretty well and know quite a few of the support staff as well as the ladies.
I really cannot say much about what happens in other Counties other than repeat stuff I have been told.
Reblogged this on Turning my Head Off and commented:
Everyday the strength of my conviction on this issue grows. I can’t express enough how much I disagree with shaming people about sex. The sex industry is just another piece of the puzzle. It is time for us all to show pride in expressing our beauty and sexiness!!
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