Support Stronger Regulation of Massage Parlors in Pittsburgh

by Dana Liebelson · 2011-04-26 12:39:00 UTC
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A Pittsburgh city councilman is taking on sex trafficking in his hometown by targeting massage parlors. The innovative piece of legislation, proposed by Councilman Doug Shields, would regulate the businesses in an effort to prevent trafficking of employees. It might seem cliché to point fingers at massage parlors as contributing to the sex trade — but the reality is, these places are players in the sex trafficking industry and increasing regulations is only a good thing. To show your support, sign this petition by May 2, which is when the Pittsburgh City Council will vote on the proposal.

When is a massage parlor not just a place to get a peppermint-scented scrub? According to the Polaris Project, when the business uses “force, fraud, and/or coercion to maintain control over women.” And unfortunately, this isn’t a rarity. The victims of massage parlors are primarily Asian women, both documented and undocumented. These businesses claim to offer legitimate services, but instead force women to have sex with 6 to 10 men a day, 7 days a week. It is estimated that there are more than 5,000 brothels disguised as massage parlors in the United States.

Pittsburgh is no exception. Pennsylvania made over 200 calls to the national human trafficking hotline in 2010 and Pittsburgh had the second highest number of calls. Shields’ bill would require annual licensing of massage parlors and their employees. It would also require businesses to keep records of each massage. For those worried the bill could potentially hurt legitimate businesses — it exempts doctors, physical therapists and anyone who is licensed to perform massage in Pennsylvania.

According to a study done by a coalition of Pittsburgh students, professors and activists, there have been 15 businesses identified in the city as advertising for sexual services on blogs or websites.  This bill would go a long way in helping prevent these kinds of businesses from selling women: show your support today!

Photo by Todd Huffman

Dana Liebelson Dana Liebelson is a writer from Washington, DC, and works for an international journalism non-profit organization.

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