According to Wikipedia, red light district is a part of an urban area where there is a concentration of prostitution and sex-oriented business, such as sex shop, strip clubs, adult theathers, etc. The term originates from the red lights that were used as sighs of brothels.
There are many western countris such as Holland, French, having red light districts. In Taiwan, establishing a red light district is a big problem. In July,5, 2011,the premier Wu, D.Y. said that every city could establish red light districts in the specific areas, and the decision depends on the cities' will. (Zhong Tian News, 2011). In these areas, sex workers could have sexual transaction without any punishment. On the contrary, engaging sexual transaction out of the areas is illegal. And the policy has some rules to restrict the red light districts. First, The red-light districts could not be established near the schools, churches, temples, hospitals and the places related to education or religion. Second, sex workers have to register their names to the government. And it is also necessary for them to apply the legal licenses from the government. Third, they must receive health examination regularily. Fourth, soliciting actively is not allowed. It seems that under these restrictions, establishing red light districts would not be an unrealistic goal. But the problem is that the government let every city decide whether to establush red light districts. That is to say, the government doesn't offer an effective and concrete method to solve the problem. The authorities don't say that where the red light districts should be established. And how the red light district will be is a problem as well. The goverment just publish a policy but doesn't explain about the "context" of the policy. If there are not cities would like to establish red light districts, the policy becomes nonsense. And usually a city's will to establish red light districts depends on the residents' opinions.
So, what's people's attitude toward the establishment of red light districts? According to the survey ( Apple News, 2011), there are 49.88% people agree to establish such specific areas of sex. And 25.19% people disagree to establish. The remaining 24.93% people have no comments about it. However, another survey ( Apple News, 2011) shows the different consequence. When the same people are asked if they agree to establish red light districts in the cities they live, only 34.20% people show there agreement. And 47.52% people don't agree to establish red light districts in their cities. Their reason is that establishing red light districts in their cities would lead to the ruin of morality, and also threaten the public security.
From the two survies, we can know that people change their concept about sexual industry nowadays. It is acceptable for people who agree to establish red light districts to regard it as a legal occupation and receive the establishment of the specific working areas. Nevertheless, people still have many negative impressions about sex workers. So they are not willing to have the red light districts established in the cities they live, even near them. People still see prostitution as a work that would break social morality and disturb their living. This becomes a strong obstacle that results in people's disagreement to establish red light districts near their residential areas.
But actually, it is a kind of thinking to stigmatize sex workers. People feel uncomfortable about sex workers, and doesn't want to have any relationship with them. Because they think that what sex workers do is shameful. This kind of thinking to sex workers really shows the importance of education about sex, about sex workers. The government should put emphasis on this part since a person was young indeed. Looking back on the process of my growing up, I didn't think sex can become a normal job as others until I go to the university. I was told that having sexual relationship with someone in order to earn money is a shameful thing when I was a child. However, why can't sex become an normal occupation as other jobs? The sex workers don't steal any one's money. They use their own ability to earn money.
Traditional conception also tells us that women should abide by the three obediences and four virtues. Woman who uses sex as a job to earn the money is not the good woman that people expect. But social value are changing all the time. And the concept that women use sex as job is immoral can be changed as well. There are not a fixed standard to tell us what is moral and what is immoral. I believe that if my teacher discusses sex naturally and talks about sex workers without any embarrassment since I was a child, I would not suspect that sex can become a job that some people choose to take, and it could be respected as well. But it is hard for people to think positively about sex workers now. Because people's nonacceptance about them comes from those traditional value that we had learned since we were young. As a consequence, if the government wants to change people's negative attitude to sex workers. Educating the next generation new concepts about sex working is necessary. Children should be taught that human being's desire for sex is normal. The sex workers offer services to those who need sex. Like the existense of other jobs, the sex workers satisfy customers' need and solve customes' problems as well. This is the meaning of the existence of any jobs. So sex can becomes a job surely.
Except for correct education, the government should give sex workers the working rights they ought to deserve, just as other jobs' workers. They should have legal licenses to applay. And they should have labor's and health's insurance as well. What's more, they have to pay business tax to government, and obeying the rules made by government. Under such conditions, sex workers' working rights are protected. Because it is legal, and maneged by the government. People would not suspect its validity. And there are nothing strange for the sex workers to work near people's residential areas, as any stores near them.
The video (Zhong Tian News, 2009) I found can prove that under proper restrictions, sexual industry can be acceptable to the residents near sex workers. This video shows that there are 12 legal sex workers in Taoyun. They have legal licenses to engage in sexual transaction. And they receive the healthy exams every year. So the residents in this area don't worry that this red-light district will bring any problem and discomfort to them. It also mentions that the sex workers in this red-light district are all over the legal age to engage in sexual transaction, and they don't have any marital relationship with others. Furtermore, they have to gain their parents' agreement. It is clear that through making some restrictions to regulate sex workers, the existence of sexual industry would not be a trouble to the residents near them. Under the government' s management, the residents and sex workers don't have to meet the gang's threat. And the public security could also be protected as well. Futhermore, sex workers receive healthy exams regularily to ensure that they are not affected with any sex disease. So not only the sex workers but also the customers and residents don't have to worry about the affection of sex workers.
As for the problem of the establishment of red light districts, if we follow the definition of red light district in the Wikipedia as I mention in the beginning, we can know that red light districts offer not only sex service but also sex-oriented business. The article from Chinese Newspaper(2009) reports the red light district inHolland. It says that in Holland's red light district, there are many sex stores, and the sex museums here are as attractive as coffee shops. When people visits red light district, they will get a "tourist handbook of Holland's red light district". And it lists ten rules that visitors must obey. The rules are pretty interesting.
1. You can enjoy yourself, but your behavior have to be normal.
2. You will be punished 150 Dutch Gulden if you scream and abuse here.
3. You will be punished 100 Dutch Gulden if you pee on the floor.
4. You will be punished 80 Dutch Gulden if you drinking on the street.
5. Be careful of the robbers around you.
6. You cannot take pictures of the ladies in the window.
7. Strong drugs are forbidden here.
8. Soft drug cannot be used by peopele under 18.
9. Don't play the game of paper ball. It is a kind of gambling.
10. You have to pay for parking. Otherwise, your cars will be locked.
Holland's red light district has become a big-sacle sightseeing area, it even has " tourist handbook of Holland's red light district" to tell the visitors how to behavior well in the red light district. And it develops a type of sex culture only belongs to Holland. People from the world flock to Holland to witness the attractive appearence of red light district. Is Holland's red light district becoming what the government wants in Taiwan? It is a sightseeing area but not a working place which sex workers want.What the sex workers want is working rights. On Nov 22, 2011, COSWAS-Collective Of Sex Workers And Supporters(日日春關懷互助協會), an association which aims at the righs of sex workers came to our school to give a lecture. And a sex worker was involved as well. Her name is Miko. She talked about her experience as a sex worker from the beginning of his job to now. And she also responded to the government's policy about the establishment of red-light districts. What she answered was really interesting. She said" What is a red-light districts? Where should this specific area be established? To say directly, On my bed! " So, to sex workers, the most important thing is giving them rights of working. The government should put amphasis on the part of making rule to regulate the dispersed sex worker rather than establish a specific working area.
The first step is explaining the policies the government makes to regulate the sexual industry in public. It can also have a conference and enable people to ask the questions about the policy. People can understand the rules or laws the government makes through the broadcasting of the conference. This way, people would not confuse about the policies and worry about the sex workers near their living areas after they realize how the government legalizes the sex workers. Then, the government can also give some subsidy measures to the residents near sex workers. They can have tax reduction or other benefits. And they can own the free healthy exams once in a year. If people are still suspect that whether the consequence would be positive or negative after they accept sex workers work near them, the government could start from themselves. They permit the sex workers work near the office buildings which belong to the government, and carry out the policies they published. This is a good way to make people view the outcome after they receive the policies whcih the government makes.
If the government focuses on the manner to manage sex industry and gives sex workers working rights they ought to have, whether to set a specific area to divide the legal and illegal area is not necessery at all. Because what people want is that it would not bring negative influence to them after they accept the government's policy. So, showing to people the positive consequence after the government's active and proper management of sexual industry is really a feasible way to make them accept the policy. That is the best promise.
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