Prostitution in Hawaii

Prostitution in Hawaii is illegal[1] but common. There are about 150 brothels in Oahu alone.[2]

## Legal situation

[edit]

Under Hawaii Revised Statutes section 712-1200, both the buying and selling of sex are illegal, and also related activities such as soliciting, promoting prostitution and allowing premises to be used for prostitution, are prohibited. The penalty is a fine of up to US$500 and/or up to 30 days imprisonment.[1][3]

It was legal for Law Enforcement Officers to have sex with prostitutes if they were 'collecting evidence' of prostitution. A new law in 2014 outlawed this practice.[4][5]

A Bill was put before Hawaii's state government in January 2017, with the intent of decriminalising prostitution. On the second reading in February 2017 it was referred to the "House Committee on Judiciary" for further investigation and the case was adjourned sine die.[needs update][6][7]

## History

[edit]

Prior to European contact, there was no prostitution on the islands. Polygamy was common and there was no need for prostitutes. Once European sailors started to come to the island and offered money or goods for sex to the native women, prostitution started.[8] The dock area of Iwilei grew into a red-light district.[9]

A law was passed in 1835 that prohibited "illicit connections," including prostitution. This was soon followed by a "Law Respecting Lewdness". In 1860, the "Act to Mitigate the Evils and diseases arising from Prostitution" was passed. It required registration and periodic medical examinations for prostitutes.[10]

By the 1900s, Iwilei had become a closed stockade, its 5 entrances controlled by police. Inside there were brightly coloured houses where the prostitutes worked.[9] Many of the prostitutes were Japanese. In 1898 there were 26 Hawaiian, 5 half-caste, 8 French, 2 British, 1 American and 115 Japanese prostitutes registered.[11] Iwilei lasted until May 1917, when it was closed down due to pressure from moralists.[10]

The "bawdy houses" soon set up in Chinatown. An era of unofficial regulation followed, which was endorsed by the US military. There were struggles between the police and military, neither wanting to be seen as being in charge of the red-light district.[10]

During the early 1940s the area served 250,000 men per month, at a fixed fee of $3.[12] On August 28, 1942, the prostitutes of Hotel Street (the main street of the red-light district) went on strike for better conditions and the right to work away from the brothels. The strike lasted 22 days.[10]

The best-known prostitute of the period was Jean O'Hara. She is credited with inventing the "bull pen" system where a single prostitute would work three rooms in rotation: In one room a man would be undressing, in a second room the prostitute would be having sex, and in the third room the man would be dressing. With price controls circumventing the laws of supply and demand, O'Hara's system sped up the process and allowed each prostitute to see many more 'johns' every day.[13] O'Hara later wrote her memoirs in My Life as a Honolulu Prostitute.[14]

Following pressure from various groups, Hawaii's Governor, Ingram Stainback, ordered the closure of the red-light district. On September 21, 1944, all the houses of prostitution were ordered to close.[10]

## Sex trafficking

[edit]

Hawaii is a source, destination and transit location for sex trafficking. Women from China, Japan, Korea, Thailand, Russia and parts of Eastern Europe are trafficked to the island and forced into prostitution. Many are moved on to cities on the American mainland after a few months.[2] Hawaiian women and girls are vulnerable to sex trafficking.[2]

In 2017 a Chinese national was convicted of trafficking. He brought in Chinese women to work in the Mayflower and Empire Relax massage parlors in Honolulu. He also trafficked women to work in massage parlors in New York City.[15] The Chinese owner of the Mayflower was convicted of attempting to bribe Federal Bureau of Investigation agents.[15][16] Both faced deportation.[15][16]

In January 2018, an American male was charged with prostitution and sex trafficking offences. He had "recruited, enticed, harbored, transported, provided, obtained, advertised, maintained, patronized, and solicited" by force and threats.[17]

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b "Hawaii Prostitution and Solicitation Laws". Find Law. Retrieved November 23, 2017.
2. ^ a b c Popescu, Roxana (January 22, 2016). "Paradise lost: Sex trafficking in Hawaii". Al Jazeera. Retrieved February 5, 2018.
3. ^ "HRS Sec. 712-200. Prostitution". Hawaii Revised Statutes. State of Hawaii. Retrieved May 25, 2020.
4. ^ "Sex Work Law". Sexuality, Poverty and Law Programme. Retrieved November 21, 2017.
5. ^ "Honolulu Police Department Responds to Allegations About Officers Engaging in Sex with Prostitutes". Diamond Truckers. March 24, 2014. Retrieved November 23, 2017.
6. ^ "Hawaii lawmaker submits bill to legalize prostitution". KXAN. February 5, 2017. Retrieved November 23, 2017.
7. ^ "HB1533". Hawaii State Legislature. Retrieved November 23, 2017.
8. ^ Diamond, Milton (2004). "Pacific Center for Sex and Society - Sexual Behavior in Pre-contact Hawai'i". University of Hawaii. Retrieved February 5, 2018.
9. ^ a b Woodfin, Mike. "Iwilei - Ghost Town". Ghost Towns. Retrieved February 5, 2018.
10. ^ a b c d e Greer, Richard. "Dousing Honolulu's Red Lights" (PDF). University of Hawaii. Retrieved February 5, 2018.
11. ^ Hori, Joan. "Japanese Prostitution in Hawaii During the Immigration Period" (PDF). University of Hawaii. Retrieved February 5, 2018.
12. ^ Hegarty, Marilyn E. (2010). Victory girls, khaki-wackies, and patriotutes : the regulation of female sexuality during World War II. New York: New York University Press. ISBN 978-0814737392.
13. ^ "Chinatown Newspaper: Honolulu Harlot". Fitted Hawaii. Retrieved February 5, 2018.
14. ^ O'Hara, Jean (May 27, 2014). My Life as a Honolulu Prostitute.
15. ^ a b c "Chinese man convicted of trafficking prostitutes to Hawaii". Taiwan News. April 7, 2017. Retrieved February 5, 2018.
16. ^ a b "21-month sentence for Hawaii prostitution bribery case". WTOP. October 10, 2017. Retrieved February 5, 2018.
17. ^ Duvernay, Adam (January 10, 2018). "Exonerated death row inmate charged with sex trafficking". Delaware Online. Retrieved February 5, 2018.

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Prostitution in the United States

Areas|

* American Samoa
* California
* Prostitution in Los Angeles in the 19th century
* Guam
* Hawaii
* Nevada
* Rhode Island
* Texas

Brothels|

* 217 West Main Street
* Angel's Ladies
* Arnold's Bar and Grill
* Ash Meadows Sky Ranch
* Bird Cage Theatre
* Chicken Ranch (Nevada)
* Chicken Ranch (Texas)
* Cottontail Ranch
* Dennis Hof's Love Ranch
* Donna's Ranch
* Dumas Brothel
* Everleigh Club
* Fort Laramie Three-Mile Hog Ranch
* Gleim Building
* Kit Kat Guest Ranch
* Lester Apartments
* List of brothels in Nevada
* The Love Ranch
* Mary Todd Lincoln House
* Miss Hattie's Bordello
* Moonlite BunnyRanch
* Mustang Ranch
* No. 1 Geisha
* Old Bridge Ranch
* Paresis Hall
* Sagebrush Ranch
* Shady Lady Ranch
* Sheri's Ranch
* The Star
* Stone Jail Building and Row House
* Wild Horse Adult Resort & Spa
* Willis House

Law|

* Agency for International Development v. Alliance for Open Society International, Inc.
* 2013
* 2020
* Bennis v. Michigan
* Chamberlain–Kahn Act
* Mann Act
* Raines law
* Red Light Abatement Act
* Regulating Brothel Prostitution in St. Paul, 1865–1883

Media|

* American Pimp
* Dreamcatcher
* Secrets of a Hollywood Super Madam

Organizations|

* BAYSWAN
* COYOTE
* Equality Now
* Free the Slaves
* SWOP-USA

People|

| Activists|

* Norma Jean Almodovar
* Fred Cherry
* Committee of Fifteen
* Committee of Fourteen
* Robyn Few
* Melissa Gira Grant
* Carol Leigh
* Alice Little
* Rose Livingston
* Meg Muñoz
* New England Female Moral Reform Society
* New York Female Moral Reform Society
* Polaris Project
* Tracy Quan
* Audacia Ray
* Annie Sprinkle
* Margo St. James
* Sheila White

|

Brothel
owners
and
madams|

* Elizabeth Adams (aka, Madam Alex)
* Polly Adler
* Ah Toy
* Josephine Airey
* Brenda Allen
* Josie Arlington
* Dorothy Baker
* Sydney Biddle Barrows
* Big Sue
* Belle Brezing
* Julia Bulette
* Hilma Burt
* Nina Clifford
* Big Jim Colosimo
* Joseph Conforte
* Belle Cora (Arabella Ryan)
* Cora Crane
* Ana Cumpănaș
* Kristin M. Davis
* Phoebe Doty
* Dora DuFran
* Ada and Minna Everleigh
* Mame Faye
* Vina Fields
* Heidi Fleiss
* Jody Gibson
* Dante "Tex" Gill
* Mary Gleim
* Lou Graham
* Eunice Gray
* Mary Ann Hall
* Hester Jane Haskins
* Eliza Haycraft
* Mike Heitler
* Dennis Hof
* Mollie Johnson
* Lizzie Lape
* Kitty Leroy
* Red Light Lizzie
* Laura Bell McDaniel
* Adeline Miller
* Mother Damnable
* Meg Muñoz
* Deborah Jeane Palfrey
* Grace Peixotto
* Willie Piazza
* Poker Alice
* Fannie Porter
* Mattie Silks
* Sally Stanford
* Pearl Starr
* Libby Thompson
* Mary Thompson
* Kate Townsend
* Frederick Trump
* Pearl de Vere
* Tessie Wall
* Lulu White
* Minnie White
* Anna Wilson
* Louise Wooster

Courtesans|

* Ashley Alexandra Dupré
* Lillie Langtry
* Fanny White

Pimps|

* Scotty Bowers
* Hester Jane Haskins
* Mike Heitler
* Dennis Hof
* Ice-T
* Iceberg Slim
* Don "Magic" Juan
* Red Light Lizzie
* Jack Ruby
* Lee Shelton
* Fillmore Slim
* Al Swearengen
* Dennis Tinerino

Prostitutes|

* Ah Toy
* Air Force Amy
* Josephine Airey
* Brenda Allen
* Norma Jean Almodovar
* Josie Arlington
* Mickey Avalon
* Dorothy Baker
* Richard Berkowitz
* Diamond Bessie
* Big Nose Kate
* Mattie Blaylock
* Scotty Bowers
* Gary Ray Bowles
* Sarah A. Bowman
* Brandi Britton
* Carrie Brown
* Julia Brown
* Julia Bulette
* Lisa Crystal Carver
* Sylvia Clevenger
* Andrew Cunanan
* Honeysuckle Divine
* Issan Dorsey
* Phoebe Doty
* Dora DuFran
* Pearl Elliott
* Robyn Few
* Alexis Fire
* Albert Fish
* Florrie Fisher
* Heidi Fleiss
* Ali Forney
* Denham Fouts
* Ronnie Lee Gardner
* Jody Gibson
* Billi Gordon
* Maggie Hall
* Fred Halsted
* Eliza Haycraft
* Toni Jo Henry
* Richard Holcomb
* Endesha Ida Mae Holland
* Xaviera Hollander
* Amber L. Hollibaugh
* Jason Holliday
* John Holmes
* Calamity Jane
* Helen Jewett
* Dean Johnson
* Mollie Johnson
* Robert La Tourneaux
* Jillian Lauren
* Kitty Leroy
* Rose Livingston
* Alice Little
* Annie Lobert
* Crazy Lou
* Brooke Magnanti
* Chicago May
* Rosa May
* Laura Bell McDaniel
* Adeline Miller
* Della Moore
* Tanya Moore
* Vicki Morgan
* Mother Featherlegs
* Jean O'Hara
* Barbara Payton
* Louise Peete
* Willie Piazza
* Fannie Porter
* Tracy Quan
* Tina Rodriguez
* Shalimar Seiuli
* Mattie Silks
* Valerie Solanas
* Almeda Sperry
* Annie Sprinkle
* Nancy Spungen
* Margo St. James
* Pearl Starr
* David Henry Sterry
* Star Stowe
* Sunset Thomas
* Estella Marie Thompson
* Libby Thompson
* Mary Ellen Tracy
* Tiger Tyson
* Pearl de Vere
* Sheila White
* Anna Wilson
* Louise Wooster
* Aileen Wuornos
* Venus Xtravaganza

Johns|

* Craig J. Spence
* Eliot Spitzer

Red-light districts|

* Barbary Coast, San Francisco
* The Block, Baltimore
* Broadway (San Francisco)
* Bucktown, Davenport
* Burnt District, Omaha
* Cheshire Bridge Road
* Chinatown, Honolulu
* Columbus Avenue (San Francisco)
* Combat Zone, Boston
* Creek Street (Ketchikan, Alaska)
* Fremont Street
* Hell's Half Acre (Fort Worth)
* Hunts Point, Bronx
* Kensington, Philadelphia
* Las Vegas Strip
* The Levee, Chicago
* Liberty Avenue (Pittsburgh)
* Minnesota Strip
* Murrell's Row
* Nevada State Route 582
* North Street (Boston)
* Northern Liberties, Philadelphia
* San Antonio Sporting District
* Sepulveda Boulevard
* Slabtown (Atlanta)
* SoHo, Manhattan
* Sporting District, Omaha
* Stingaree, San Diego
* Storyville, New Orleans
* Sunset Boulevard
* Tenderloin, Manhattan
* Tenderloin, San Francisco
* Times Square
* Venus Alley, Butte
* Western Avenue (Los Angeles)

Violence|

* Denver Prostitute Killer
* Disappearance of Jessie Foster
* Murder of Carrie Brown
* Murder of Tanya Moore and Tina Rodriguez

Other|

* 1989 DC Prostitute Expulsion
* Big Apple Oriental Tours
* Church penitentiary
* Commercial sexual exploitation of children
* Emperors Club VIP
* Hookers for Hillary
* John Hour
* John school
* Operation Stormy Nights
* Police abuse of sex workers
* Prostitution in Harlem Renaissance
* Sex trafficking
* Three minute men
* Truckers Against Trafficking

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Prostitution in Oceania

Sovereign states|

* Australia
* Federated States of Micronesia
* Fiji
* Indonesia
* Kiribati
* Marshall Islands
* Nauru
* New Zealand
* Palau
* Papua New Guinea
* Samoa
* Solomon Islands
* Timor-Leste
* Tonga
* Tuvalu
* Vanuatu

Associated states
of New Zealand|

* Cook Islands
* Niue

Dependencies
and other territories|

* American Samoa
* Christmas Island
* Cocos (Keeling) Islands
* Easter Island
* French Polynesia
* Guam
* Hawaii
* New Caledonia
* Norfolk Island
* Northern Mariana Islands
* Pitcairn Islands
* Tokelau
* Wallis and Futuna

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