Or Prostitution in the Czech Republic -- a quick look through American eyes

by Pamela Moye     

I drove into Teplice, the infamous Czech border town, snow swirling, at a slow speed ostensibly because of the icy roads, but it also afforded a better chance to view the roadside attractions. Eerie black-lights from picture windows lit the streets. Behind the glass, women beckoned. I could imagine a guide announcing “For your safety, please keep hands and feet inside the vehicle.” I was on some twisted,Tarantino-inspired, any-minute-these-glowing-chicks-will-break-through-the-glass-and- realize-their-role-as-flesh-eating-zombies ride.

I suppressed the movie plots brewing in my head, as the reality of women on display in windows for purchase became more tangible, I questioned myself as to why I had found this disturbing. Was is because I considered it degrading? Immoral? Or because I’m American and though we know prostitution exists, having it in our face like a drugstore after-Christmas sale is a little unhinging? I struggle with this issue--I believe in a woman’s right to do as she pleases with her body, but am also aware of the darker aspects of the sex industry.…

According to Rozkos bez Rizika (RBR) , an organization that works with women in the sex industry to prevent spread of STDs, there are no official laws on prostitution in CZ and it is unlikely any will be passed, though proposed. The general opinion is that prostitution should be legal and sex workers registered, but politicians are unwilling to take a stand and it is doubtful workers would register. Currently, some sex workers operate privately, but most work within the context of a club where they rent the space they use, so technically the club is operating as a hotel not a brothel. According to Englund’s (a journalist/translator in CZ since 1993)  2004 book Czechs in a Nutshell most towns have some sort of sex club, not as a result of the Czech’s lusty energies, but because CZ is one of Europe’s major destinations for sex tourism. Englund and RBR agree this is due to location, economics, and the relaxed sexual mores of the Czechs.  

My English language students (mostly female accountants, mid 20’s to 40’s) barely batted an eyelash at the “controversial” discussion material with the attitude there was nothing to talk about. Prostitution, so what? Women in windows? Well, it’s tacky, but ... They seemed amused with my curiosity. Their indifference stemmed from a belief that prostitution will never go away--oldest profession and all that-- while it's not an honorable trade, it's a woman's prerogative. Also, they seemed fairly sure it is foreigners who kept this business going--from both supply and demand sides. RBR did not concur with this assumption, estimating 60% of the sex workers they see are Czech or Slovak. My students and Englund mark Germans as strong supporters of the industry--thus towns like Teplice. One male student (promoter, mid 20s) showed some defensiveness, or shame, that the Czech Republic is earning a reputation as Europe’s sex playground.

As for the customer’s side, a friend who went to a  discotheque/sex club found- nothing kills fantasy faster than reality. As he followed the girl downstairs, his many prostitute fantasies coming to mind- this is why he was here not just sex, but to fulfill a fantasy- a steel door shut behind him and he was instructed to shower. This was more representative of a concentration-camp nightmare than a bawdy dream. Exaggeration aside, the clinical aspect did impress him on a certain level, though it was a mood killer. His summation: clean, professional, not what you see in the movies. He also said that according to CZ friends this is not an uncommon rite of passage for CZ men.

The overall picture painted for me was one of commerce; apparently the CZ sex industry is not plagued by disease, drugs, and violence, though clubs take as much as 60% of the workers' earnings and trafficking of women desperate for a better life are problems. My opinion on legislation has altered--perhaps it is better to have no official declaration on prostitution. Making it illegal doesn’t make it go away, and legalizing it does not mean regulating it. In spite of the tolerant attitude towards the sex industry, this is not the sort of job a woman puts on her resume. Acknowledgement of involvement does carry a stigma.  

I’m not comfortable with my Teplice experience, possibly due to my perception of the nature of the sex industry there (working in Prague is more acceptable than in border town, where business is thought to be wilder and dirtier). After all, I had lived across the courtyard from K5, one of Prague’s most prominent sex clubs. Listening to the moans in the night had been more amusing than disturbing. As for the American factor, I accept that I am conditioned so that certain things will always catch me off guard.  But, if Americans were to adopt the Czech attitude towards prostitution, it could add a whole new twist to the phrase “Get your kicks on route 66!”

*Provokator would like to thank Martina at RBZ for her help and insight.

Previously published in Provokator print magazine.

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