This is the third episode in KBOO’s ten-part series on the business of sex in Portland.  Today we talk about history and culture, and hear more of what Portlanders have to say on the subject.  First, a little background on the subject.

Oregon was once the wild west, and it still is, in some respects.  Does Portland have a “reputation” for being a center of the industry or a place that’s “hot?”

 A few years ago the Washington Times reported that Portland’s legal sex industry was the largest in the US on a per capita basis, according to a 2010 study by the Willamette Law

School’s International Human Rights Center.   The City has a large number of strip clubs, a tolerant attitude toward sex and a reputation as a progressive, youth-oriented place that attracts runaways, and the situation seems unchanged since 2010.

 In general, Portland seems like a great place for the sex business.  Here’s Lilli Campbell comparing Portland to Los Angeles:

             C-3:

 The industry is changing fast.  Would you be surprised to find Russian hookers in Portland?  I haven’t run into any but it wouldn’t surprise me.  The trade is global.  According to Dr. Catherine Hakim:

             H-2:   impact of internet

 Is there a “gang connection” with this industry? Here’s Scott Kerrin of the Dept. of Justice:

D-5.  Yes, gang connection….

 And here’s Officer Lindsay and Undercover Agent A talking about how the Portland Police Bureau is trying to deal with the movement of the sex industry from the streets to the internet.

             PPB-5

 Now we get back to the voice of the people.  We talked with a wide range of people from diverse situations, ages and employment situations.  You’ll hear how they see the sex industry in Portland and what they think are the issues.

 VOX POP-1

 So, the people continue to speak.  We’ll hear more from them in future episodes when we talk more about specific issues in the business of sex and how it goes in Portland.

A final note.  We still want to take a stab at the question of how big the industry is here in Portland.  Our educated guess is that there are 4-5 thousand people working in the industry in our region, not all full-time, and a small number of them illegal.  We had service sector employment of 123,000 in September, 2017, so that’s roughly, very roughly, one service worker in 25 in or closely connected to the business of sex.  if it’s true…Maybe you have a better figure----if so, please, call us.

 MUSIC:  OUTRO

 And we’d like your feedback. At the end of this series we’ll do a full episode in which you get to speak your mind on this subject.  If you have a comment or question about the series or about the sex trade, we’d like to hear it.  Call the KBOO Newsroom at 503-231-8032 ext. 202 and we’ll  hear you out and put you on the air.

 MUSIC: FINISH (under the final sentence)

 Join us in the next episode of Sex4Sale when we focus on sex industry workers in Portland---who they are and how they see the world.