What is racism?
The Federal Agency for Civic Education writes on the subject of racism “Those who think in racist terms do not consider the personality of the individual. They think: He or she has dark skin, a certain language or a certain origin. Then he or she is also worth less or lower in the order.” Source: bpb.de
The Tagesschau writes “Racism is an attitude, ideology or perception according to which people are categorized and judged as members of supposed “races” on the basis of external characteristics”.
Prostitution categorizes people according to their appearance
The fact is that in prostitution, people are categorized according to their appearance. Websites where you can search for sexual services often offer this option: The filter function according to external characteristics. What skin color? What ethnicity? How big should the breasts be? Clients should be able to sort sexual services according to external characteristics and personal preferences. If you like small women with black hair, you can search for them specifically.
Ads are categorized according to “race”, as can be seen impressively on ladies.de. A distinction is made here between schokoladies, asialadies or orientladies. All these categories are followed by detailed descriptions of what makes women of this type special and what characterizes them sexually.
Prostitution reduces to appearance
What cannot be sought is the personality of the women. Prostitution reduces women to their appearance. Physical features become advertising and decide whether a client clicks on the ad or not.
While in other areas of Germany there is debate about whether it is okay to send application documents with or without a photo, the situation in prostitution is clear: appearance is the deciding factor.
On sex buying sites, clients have the option to search for specific women based on skin color, hair color or cup size. These search options not only promote sexism, but also racism, as women are treated like objects that can be “ordered” according to certain preferences.
“Without prostitutes, there would be more women being raped”
This myth is repeatedly mentioned in the debate, including at a demonstration by people in prostitution on Herbertstrasse in Hamburg in 2020 (see photo). But what does this statement actually mean? In addition to a statement about men’s self-control, it also has a racist component.
How is racism connected to this statement?
Over 80% of women in prostitution are not of German origin. Many come from Eastern Europe, Latin America or Africa and live in precarious conditions. They were often lured to Germany by poverty or false promises and have to work under difficult conditions. Migrant women work in prostitution in Germany under the most precarious conditions. German clients accept the plight of foreign women for their personal sexual gratification. It is okay for them to engage in precarious prostitution. Those affected themselves repeatedly call it “rape for money”. But if prostitution is not possible, the myth is that their own women in the country will be raped. This has a strong racist connotation: it is apparently okay for women from abroad, which is not possible for women in Germany. Foreign women can be raped for money. In their distress, they voluntarily make themselves available to the German customer.
This form of devaluation is racism and should be clearly put to an end in Germany.
Racist experiences in prostitution
Women we have accompanied in their exit from prostitution have told us about racism they have experienced. Women were categorized and rated according to skin color. Prices varied depending on the woman’s country of origin.
The more precarious the living conditions and the greater the plight of the person concerned, the less able she is to defend herself against the devaluation she experiences.
Client forums reveal racist fetishes and the brutality associated with them
Clients rate people according to their nationality, use derogatory words and their dreams of slavery are reminiscent of colonial times. What do john forums reveal about deeper thoughts and beliefs that are still in society but are more easily suppressed on the surface?
Impact on women and society
Women affected suffer not only from the physical and psychological consequences of prostitution, but also from double discrimination as women and migrants. The image of women as commodities, categorized by skin color, reinforces objectification and contributes to inequality and discrimination in society.
A Germany without racism needs a rethink of prostitution policy. A demand that is fetish-based and divided into racial categories contradicts all efforts in Germany to promote a society that is free of racism and sexism and does not reduce people to their appearance.
Read more about racism, pornography, prostitution and human trafficking here:
A collection of diverse studies: racism, colonialism | Prostitution Research & Education
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