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OrphanPip

The Red Light is Just About Put Out

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OrphanPip
, 04-05-2011 at 03:16 PM (2789 Views)
I am inspired to write about a local news item I read today.

There is a street in Montreal officially called Boulevard Saint-Laurent, but most often affectionately called the Main. It has historically been the dividing line between English and French Montreal, as a result it was a no man's land that created room for immigrants to carve out their own space in the city. As a result, the Main was also a street that was largely populated by some of the poorest members of Montreal society.

Today, the Main is at the center of Montreal's China Town, Little Italy, Little Portugal, and the artsy, oh-so-trendy, and bohemian Plateau (which used to be one of the poorest working class French neighbourhoods). However, the area I really wanted to talk about in this blog is at the corner of Saint-Laurent and Sainte-Catherine, the red-light district. Or, what's left of the red-light district. The city has stopped giving out bar and nudity licenses, has increased police presence to force out the prostitutes, and most recently a few years ago attempted to evict most of the business to build a "Quartier de spectacle."

Shutting down the district was largely successful, but one club remained and fought the initiative in court, Cafe Cleopatra. A club best known for drag and fetish shows, particularly transvestite and transsexual strippers. And this club was at the core of the fight to protect what was left of the Red-light district by preventing the building of the new theater district. CC claims to be an institution, even if it is a sleazy institution. The club also has very close historical ties to Montreal's gay community. Since the red-light district use to be the center of Montreal's gay community before being pushed to the even slummier neighbourhood East of the Main. Being pretty much the oldest place in Montreal to openly host drag shows since the 70s.

Well after 2 years of fighting, CC somehow managed to win, the investor pulled out of the project and the club seems safe for the moment. But does a handful of remaining clubs, even those as bizarre as Cleo's really make a red-light district?

Now, why do I care about whether Montreal has a red-light district anymore? Because the sex trade should be centralized and in the open to protect sex workers. Sex-worker advocacy groups have criticized the crack down on the district harshly for pushing prostitutes into more residential, less busy, dangerous, and more out of the way locals. Does shutting down a red-light district clean up the city, or is it merely white wash on a rotten fence?

For this reason, I think the city should embrace the red-light district, just as it has in recent years embraced the Gay Village. When the city puts money into these places, instead of persecuting the workers, patrons, and business owners, they can make real improvements.

http://www.montrealmirror.com/wp/201...or-the-belles/
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Comments

  1. JuniperWoolf's Avatar
    As usual, I agree completely re. the protection of sex trade workers. Oddly enough, they're pretty cool with prostitution and strip clubs in Alberta (but I think that's more because there are so many sleazy men from the oil patch willing to throw thousands of dollars at scantly-clad women than for any issue regarding the safety of those women). Hopefully Montreal's red light district can rebuild.
  2. Buh4Bee's Avatar
    This is a well written blog. I agree with your stance on the protection of sex workers and the cleaning up of a red light district. Montreal's red light district is quite historical and I believe still must "serve" a purpose.
  3. The Comedian's Avatar
    I really enjoyed this blog, Pip. And as jersea noted, the writing was sharp and honest.

    To the points you raised here, I'm of mixed opinion. There is certainly something to the "whitewashing of a rotten fence" to use your phrasing. The sex trade will likely go on, under murkier and potentially more hazardous conditions than it is now. But I'm not for outright promotion or development of the industry (and I think that your concerns is more for the openness of the industry, rather than the physical location of the the industry. . .If I'm wrong, just say so). I can't really put a logical framework around my uneasiness. Maybe it's that I can't outright say selling your body for the sexual pleasure of someone else is "good". . . .

    I mean if a student came to my office to talk about potential careers and she said, "I think I'm going to be a high-end prostitute for while, then maybe go to grad school". . . .I'd probably argue her off her first idea. . . .and if I had a soul at all, I'd argue her off the second one with even greater earnest! :-)

    Anyway, maybe it's that: I can's see myself ever talking some into a career in the sex business, so then, I can't see myself promoting the location or industry itself.

    But I'm not in love with this fence-sitting stance either. Sorry for the ramble, Pip.
  4. OrphanPip's Avatar
    Quote Originally Posted by The Comedian
    I really enjoyed this blog, Pip. And as jersea noted, the writing was sharp and honest.

    To the points you raised here, I'm of mixed opinion. There is certainly something to the "whitewashing of a rotten fence" to use your phrasing. The sex trade will likely go on, under murkier and potentially more hazardous conditions than it is now. But I'm not for outright promotion or development of the industry (and I think that your concerns is more for the openness of the industry, rather than the physical location of the the industry. . .If I'm wrong, just say so). I can't really put a logical framework around my uneasiness. Maybe it's that I can't outright say selling your body for the sexual pleasure of someone else is "good". . . .
    I would agree for the most part that it isn't good for the individual. But, the question is whether it is the worst alternative. Is being a prostitute worst than living on the streets? Can being a stripper provide for a better life than being on welfare? I think the answer here is yes, at least for some women because they must have some incentive. But more importantly, does persecuting the women who have chosen to work in those fields, whatever their motivation, actually make their lives better. I think it makes their lives recognizably more difficult, it makes them harder to find and target for charities and social workers as well. An open sex trade helps to protect women against trafficking as well. Most men won't be going out to the suburbs to sleep with Asian women who have been kidnapped to be sex slaves if they can go downtown without risk of being arrested. Obviously, it won't do away with all of these much worse practices, that really should be targeted by the police, but it helps to combat them indirectly by providing less harmful alternatives.

    Quote Originally Posted by The Comedian
    I mean if a student came to my office to talk about potential careers and she said, "I think I'm going to be a high-end prostitute for while, then maybe go to grad school". . . .I'd probably argue her off her first idea. . . .and if I had a soul at all, I'd argue her off the second one with even greater earnest! :-)

    Anyway, maybe it's that: I can's see myself ever talking some into a career in the sex business, so then, I can't see myself promoting the location or industry itself.

    But I'm not in love with this fence-sitting stance either. Sorry for the ramble, Pip.
    I don't think we should be promoting it either, but I'm not sure making the work safer for the women involved is the same as promoting it. It actually makes it easier to target these women for help, you know where to send the social workers to help them find alternative work and help them deal with addiction problems.

    If I had my way I would push towards a full legalization and a licensing system to help cut out pimping and the role of organized crime in the sex trade.

    The area should be well lit, the buildings clean, and health services readily available. I wouldn't go as far as to advertise it as a tourism destination.
  5. qimissung's Avatar
    It seems the humane thing to do. I hope your city embraces this idea; I wish all cities would.

    I understand the Comedian's concerns, but as Jesus said, "the poor will always be with you,' and so, too, will there be people working in positions that we might consider degraded. That isn't to say that we shouldn't be doing all that we can to ensure people don't have to work in these areas or stay in them, etc., etc. It is incumbent on us to recognize that they have the right to be treated as humanely, as possible, and that their working conditions should be as safe as possible.
  6. JuniperWoolf's Avatar
    You know, speaking of what you would do if you had your way, you should think about running for a place in government when you're thirty or so. You already know more about the convoluted Canadian electoral system than most people and you're pretty bright. *shrug* I'd vote for you (if I lived in your district, which I don't). I think you'd be good for it.
    Updated 04-08-2011 at 12:15 AM by JuniperWoolf
  7. OrphanPip's Avatar
    Quote Originally Posted by JuniperWoolf
    You know, speaking of what you would do if you had your way, you should think about running for a place in government when you're thirty or so. You already know more about the convoluted Canadian electoral system than most people and you're pretty bright. *shrug* I'd vote for you (if I lived in your district, which I don't). I think you'd be good for it.
    It's pretty easy to get on the ballot as an NDPer in Quebec, it's kind of sad. It costs too much money to be involved though. I get the invitations to the local events, but they're always like 100-200 dollar per plate fund raisers, or cocktail parties at high end clubs. It's a bit annoying for me because the NDP is supposed to be the worker's party.