LAS VEGAS—Business and individuals are struggling to adjust to a new normal during the COVID-19 pandemic, and that’s abundantly clear in Las Vegas.
Sin City, which built its reputation on offering vices of all types 24 hours a day is seeing all that change in a matter of days.
With Nevada Gov. Steve Sisolak calling for a non-essential business shut down, the infamous Las Vegas Strip went dark this week, and the state’s legal brothels also closed. The question posed by the escorts of those brothels, well as so many other men and women working in adult businesses, is will federal stimulus coronavirus relief funds be allocated for sex educators, porn film producers, crew and talent, and escorts? Or once again, will the adult industry be stigmatized?
“As a nation, we are facing an unprecedented challenge that could last for many months,” said Dr. Victoria Hartmann, director of the Erotic Heritage Museum, in Las Vegas. Those of us in sex research, curation of the humanities—especially as it pertains to sexuality—advocacy groups, but also sex workers in every facet of their work and home lives, will be disproportionately affected by the ravages of Covid-19 and its economic effects. What is Congress doing to help those of us who have dedicated our professional lives to this section of humanity? Will, the government come to our aid, or will they use this time to wipe us out of existence? Regardless of moral platitudes against sex work or sex research, real people with real lives will be unalterably affected, can Congress place compassion ahead of judgment?”
From the consistent pressure from conservative groups to limit or completely stop sex-positive expositions as well as silence adult performers, to the constant health concerns over the Puritan-led illegality of prostitution adding to a nationwide health and safety risk, adult businesses and their workers are under constant scrutiny. In the supposed $2 trillion the Federal government is proposing to dole out to the American workforce within the next few weeks, it seems all-too-obvious that judgment might hinder workers in the adult field seeing much-needed aid.
For more, visit EroticMuseumVegas.com.
