Prostitutes Corona
When the Ladies of Love Left: Corona in the City marked a turning point. Sex clubs and prostitution windows across many countries closed abruptly from March 15th, 2020. Some governments arranged financial support for sex workers for three months, but access was often difficult. It’s a contact job,
explained one sex worker, highlighting the core struggle amid the pandemic. Many faced exclusion from relief programs despite their sudden loss of income. Research by R Küster (2023) noted that comprehensive support specifically for sex workers during the coronavirus pandemic had been lacking until then, often leaving them bearing the brunt of prostitution bans imposed for health reasons.
Country-Specific Challenges
Prostitution continued in Germany despite Covid-19 restrictions, but often shifted underground or online. Under Germany’s opt-in system, people could work for brothels or escort agencies without formal employee status, offering sex workers flexibility but also leaving them vulnerable when closures hit. The situation mirrored challenges in the Netherlands, where porn shoots were cancelled, strip clubs and brothels closed, and many sex workers ended up on the streets or trapped in difficult situations without income. Amsterdam’s famous Red Lights in the Wallen district stayed dark after the March 15th ban, forcing many sex-workers to stop working or seek alternatives. The psychosocial consequences of COVID-19 on sex workers were severe. While prostitution in the Netherlands is legal and regulated, and operating a brothel is legal (with De Wallen being the largest district), the crisis halted this legal framework overnight. French sex workers similarly sought support from authorities as their livelihoods vanished.
Exclusion, Risks, and Adaptation
Research into sex workers’ everyday security in the Netherlands emphasized the drastic impact of COVID-19, noting that window prostitution stopped entirely and home sex work was severely limited. The English Collective of Prostitutes reported high demand for help, underlining the pandemic’s devastating effect on sex workers’ lives. Sex workers in the US were largely excluded from pandemic relief programs. Brothel operators sometimes exploited the situation, like one who pocketed sex workers’ Corona allowances and faced prison. Eastern European sex workers were often stranded in Germany as borders closed when brothels shut. Public health measures hit the Dutch domestic sex industry hard, though some Amsterdam sex workers continued to work despite risks. Sex workers faced a heightened risk of unintended pregnancy due to disrupted access to healthcare. Independent sex workers faced criticism for suggesting they would continue working despite brothel closures. Despite the ban, sex work continued illegally. Business slowly returned for Dutch sex workers post-lockdown, with Amsterdam’s red light district reopening with ‘no kissing’ rules. Northern German states reopened brothels despite rising COVID cases, a move critics called a devil’s bargain
. Belgium made history by decriminalizing sex work during COVID. Sex workers adapted, driven by economic necessity, but faced ruin amid ongoing pandemic fears and closures.
*TAGS* – brothel closures, pandemic relief exclusion, underground sex work
