Brothels OK in Woolloomooloo

SYDNEY - “Woolloomooloo” became a popular term for Sydneysiders last week.  

A brothel in Woolloomooloo, an inner-city neighborhood in Sydney, was the site of a drug raid. It was accompanied by another drug raid in Sydney’s south, which were both discovered by police surveillance operations.

The brothel was shut down for 72 hours, and two people have been arrested so far.  

Had I heard about the brothel raid before coming to Sydney, I would have been shocked that it was only for drugs and not for discovering the brothel itself.

I assumed that there was prostitution in Australia, as there is in most countries, but I never imagined that it was legal. My “Human Rights, Sex, and Justice” class, however, quickly corrected my perception.

Prostitution is legal in Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria – the eastern states of Australia – but not in other areas. Furthermore, street prostitution is legal in New South Wales, but not near areas such as churches and schools.

I had to write a research paper about the prostitution industry and was shocked when my Google search of “Brothels in Sydney” returned pages and pages of Web sites advertising and promoting their brothel businesses.

The Web sites included pictures of women dressed in promiscuous outfits, or nothing at all, and had captions like “The finest selection of women in Sydney.”

I even found a Web site that was a search engine for other brothel Web sites – you could actually select the price, location and service you were seeking and it would find the “perfect” brothel for you.

I also learned that there are many illegal brothels here. But if prostitution is legalized, why wouldn’t the brothel owner just get a license?

The answer is that because prostitution is governed by state laws, brothels require a license, are subject to taxes and fees and strict regulations must be followed. Some regulations are the use of condoms, the number of rooms, age of workers and the prohibition of illegal immigrants or women without valid visas as workers.

While losing money is a big part of owners not wanting to become licensed, losing workers is the prominent reason. In fact, many workers in illegal brothels are sex slaves from other countries.

Women in poor countries, often from Southeast Asia because of its proximity to Australia, are promised a better life of becoming a model or having a steady job if they are willing to leave their homes.

This is enticing as people in places like Malaysia often seek a way out of their impoverished lifestyle.  

Usually a contract is involved that locks women into their new jobs overseas, even though it does not mention exactly what their job entails. Women are then brought here, and to many other places – including the United States – and are forced into a life of prostitution.

There is a “Thai massage parlor” near my apartment that I walk by everyday.

One or two women are always sitting by window waiting for a customer, who is never female. They look tired, and I’ve never seen them smile.

I never would have thought twice about it, but every time I walk by, I wonder just exactly what is going on behind the curtains.