Brothels Screwed by Economy

Brothel owners see taxes as insurance to keep them legal

(NEWSER) - Nevada's brothel owners are offering to fork over tax money to the state to help cover its debts—but legislators are reluctant to increase the state's involvement in the $50-million-a-year sex business, reports the New York Times. Nevada's 25 legal brothels pay hefty taxes to their home counties, but are currently only charged a $100 license fee by the state. Some owners see the taxes as protection against any future attempts to challenge their legal status. More»

GOP hopeful gets some X-rated support

(NEWSER) - Ron Paul found himself on the respectable side of a brothel last week, when the Republican presidential hopeful earned the endorsement of the owner of Reno's Moonlite BunnyRanch. MSNBC anchor Tucker Carlson surprised Paul by engineering the nod, arriving in a limousine with Dennis Hof and two “celebrity prostitutes,” the Reno Gazette-Journal reports. More»

It keeps other businesses from moving there, he says

(NEWSER) - Harry Reid is taking on a venerable institution in his state: legalized prostitution. Calling for "an adult conversation" on the issue, Reid told lawmakers today that he believed the practice, legal only in rural counties, deters businesses from moving to the state, reports the Las Vegas Sun . “Nevada needs to be known as the first place for innovation and investment—not as the last place where prostitution is still legal,” he said in a speech to the legislature. More»

Surprisingly, it's not always about sex...

(NEWSER) - In the wake of Craigslist’s “adult services” shutdown , Sudhir Venkatesh refutes five myths about the world’s oldest profession, in the Washington Post :

• Men aren’t always looking for sex: In fact, while studying high-end sex workers, Venkatesh found that many men who hire prostitutes simply end up talking or having dinner together. Approximately 40% of such transactions are actually sex-free. (For lower-end sex workers, that number is around 20%.)

'Markus' saw total of 10 clients, Shady Lady Ranch madam says

(NEWSER) - The country's first legal male prostitute has left the gigolo business, and the Shady Lady Ranch is temporarily turning away female customers. They weren't a large segment of the customer base anyway: The Nevada brothel owner says "Markus," who started work in January—and compared himself to Rosa Parks —didn't even service 10 customers. Total. He's back in California making adult films; the split, the owner says, " was a mutual decision. " More»