If being in Europe for the first time was not a big enough culture shock, strolling through the streets of Amsterdam’s red-light district certainly did the trick. Finding myself surrounded by bicycles and women tapping on windows in De Wallen, I was completely fascinated. But more than that, I was unable to imagine anything like this existing in the United States. 

Dating back to the 1400s, De Wallen has hosted what 1880s English journalist and novelist Rudyard Kipling famously called “the most ancient profession in the world:” prostitution. As one of the largest and oldest districts in Amsterdam, the neighborhood contains a network of alleys and approximately 300 one-room window cabins that are rented by prostitutes. 

Knowing nothing about the red-light district other than its claim to fame, I was intrigued walking through this neighborhood. I have an itch to learn and explore what these pockets of Amsterdam have to offer and how the public acts within them. Yet, even with the smell of urine and marijuana filling my nostrils, I observed what I believe to be an unexpectedly safe part of the city. 

Dutch sex workers pay rent for their space and operate as an independent business, with no need for pimps. They are unionized and get their business license only if they are periodically checked by a doctor for sexually transmitted diseases. If encountered with a dangerous client, there is a button to contact the police immediately. 

As one of Amsterdam’s most popular destinations, the red-light district brings in 2.5 million tourists every year. Nevertheless, the city council and Mayor Femke Halsema have pushed to shut down multiple brothels in the district and relocate to an “erotic center,” a “safe environment” out of town in which “sex workers can run their businesses.” This has sparked backlash from sex workers who claim that relocation will threaten their livelihoods and deprive them of a safe working environment. 

“The women don’t want to leave,” Mary, an anonymous escort, said in an interview with Matador Network. “They love that area because it’s very compact and busy, and that means you’re safe even if you leave your shift at 4:00 or 5:00 AM. There’s always people around, we all know each other, there’s a lot of police cameras. It’s very safe.”

In 2021, Amsterdam’s city council banned red-light tours in the district in an attempt to tackle its overtourism problem. Additionally, there have been several high-profile cases of sex trafficking and forced prostitution in the area, which have further fueled controversy. While high tourism numbers can economically benefit the area through job creation and increased revenue, they also can cause what travel site TriggerTours.com calls, “overcrowding, noise and damage to historic buildings.”

After having conversations with friends who also explored the red-light district, the topic of prostitution is still heavily up for debate. The analogy that translates best for Americans is the discussion around the federal drinking age. In the United States, you have to be 21 to legally drink, yet underage drinking is fairly common. People who are under the age of 21 find a way to get alcohol and consume it, possibly putting themselves in dangerous situations along the way. It is similar to prostitution in the sense that it is still going to happen even if regulations are put in place, just with increased caution. 

The reason the red-light district fathoms me so much is because of my inability to imagine anything like it in the U.S. I feel my home country censors human sexuality and makes the notion of these completely normal emotions something to be ashamed of rather than to be embraced.

In all honesty, I am sick of feeling the need to be censored when it comes to having a conversation about prostitution and sex as a whole. Maybe the problem isn’t the red-light district at all. Maybe it’s that we’ve been taught to blush at clarity and thrill at confusion. 

In a city that sells sex with rules, consent, and windows wide open, the real obscenity might be how much of our desire is still expected to stay in the dark.