What's in a name?

The Red Light Party: Sexy or Sick?

The marketing scheme put in place for the Red Light Party is nothing short of brilliant. Simply put, there is no reason to market something when it can sell itself. It could be the stories told by previous years' party-goers, or just as likely, the vivid (or some would say explicit) imagery conjured up by the name. Although there is a marked lack of the word 'district' in the name, it is impossible to argue that the term is not meant to imply the notorious 'red light district.' Whatever the reason for its success, almost everyone on campus knows about the RLP, almost everyone knows the theme, almost everyone knows what the night will bring, and almost everyone knows the definition of a red light district.
Almost everyone is wrong.
The RLD party is selling a lie. By naming the party in such a manner, intrinsically implying an erotic, sex-driven theme, the organizers are taking a center of rape, slavery, abuse and crime and branding it as sexy. For the sake of the readers, the Other Side, and the party's supporters, it will be assumed the aforementioned persons do not know the despicable reality of red light districts, nor of the sex-negative implication these types of parties have. The purpose of this article is to inform on a very real issue, and furthermore, to illustrate exactly why the name (and, to some extent, the theme) of the RLP must be changed. The organizers are following the ubiquitous saying “sex sells,” while failing to understand the implications of the context placed on the event's name.
Red light districts is the blanket term used for areas where the majority of the business is connected to the sex trade. This can range from sex shops to the most common type of prostitution, street prostitution. Street prostitution is by far the most common form of prostitution, and therefore, is a staple not just in RLDs, outside of them as well. In the sex trade, legal or not, street prostitution is the most economically lucrative form of prostitution, making it a cornerstone of almost every RLD, and incredibly rampant. Because of its difficultly to regulate, street prostitution is incredibly dangerous, abusive, and is a crime on many levels, and is universally illegal for a reason. By naming the party after a district which encourages and enables street prostitution, the party is (intentionally or not) encouraging people to overlook the truth behind the name, and propagates horribly destructive misconceptions.
By associating itself with the RLD, what kind of practices and implications does this have? Unfortunately, “sexy” would be the last word that might come to mind when knowing the details of street prostitution. Street prostitutes are incredibly vulnerable to sexual assault and violent attacks, not to mention muggings, not only by clients, but by their pimps as well. Furthermore, the risks of contracting an STD are incredibly high, because condoms are almost never used, and prostitutes rarely given the opportunity to demand clients to use condoms. This means that transmission can happen from client to prostitute and vice-versa, either way, it is difficult to trace, and is one of the main concerns in fighting HIV/AIDS. Another negative aspect of the RLD is how interlinked the sex trade is linked to the drug trade. One harrowing example is how often pimps use drugs to, quite literally, control the prostitutes working for them. The type of female which pimps seek out are typically young, homeless (sometimes due to problems at home), poor, and in need of a caring individual. Pimps use their powers of persuasion and manipulation to encourage these young girls to engage in illicit activities to show their love. In order to keep them under their controlling grasp, pimps will get these girls addicted to expensive drugs, such as heroin and cocaine. They do this because it forces the girls to be indebted to them, and it also ensures that the pimps will be their own source of the drug they become addicted to.
Unfortunately, it does not end there. Many prostitutes, and perhaps most prostitutes are underage. Not just under 18, but the average age for a female prostitute entering the sex trade is 13. Furthermore, especially in countries with sex tourism has surged in popularity over the recent years, very young children are placed into the sex trade, often by their own parents, in order to make a profit. The children here are commonly around eight years old, well before puberty, but as the age when children start showing signs of puberty gets younger and younger, so does their age. In many red light districts more and more toddlers, yes, three- and four-year olds are being forced into sexual slavery. Whatever their starting age, their life during this virtual enslavement is one of absolute hell, and afterwards, these individuals have no education, no skills, and are often ostracised from society. Tens of millions of children worldwide lose out on a chance at being kids, is this the kind of horrors that the party wants to be associated with?
Finally, there is the fact that the sex trade and human trafficking are hand-in-hand. Children, and young women are lured away from their homes, or are kidnapped, and forced onto boats, trains, or buses and taken to a whole new city, country and continent. Those who go willingly, at least initially, do so with the promise of a job and money for their family back home. The truth, though, is far more dark. They are forced into positions of slavery, their lives, and the lives of their families are threatened if they do not agree to sell their bodies. The stories told by survivors are bone-chilling, and knowing that upwards of 80 million other women and children suffer is heartbreaking. This is what occurs in red light districts, this is the truth behind the strippers and sex toys, this is what the Red Light Party is linking itself to.
Do you want to go to that kind of party?

Author's note: I did not want to place judgment on the RLP and not attend, knowing I would be accused of ignorance. Therefore, after attending, I stand by my article and believe that not only are my opinions placed justly, but that the issue of the party is much greater than the name, but the theme and events of the party. As a whole, the party perpetuates gender norms and mysoginist stereotypes, plus, it is an incredibly sex-negative environment, which I have not addressed in my article, but I wish I had.