Turkey: A look inside Istanbul's transsexual brothels

Another cross-post. Have at it folks.



http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/turkey/100829/istanbul-transgender-rights-brothels

"In Turkey, transgender and transsexuals are often discriminated against, and for them, stable work is hard to find.
The women who work in this series of brothels are the lucky ones. They stand in sharp contrast to the thousands of transgendered and transsexual sex workers who are forced to walk the streets of Istanbul. Outside brothels, all prostitutes are vulnerable to police harassment, sexually-transmitted infections and violence.
For prostitutes working in the brothels, the houses provide not only a level of protection, but also a place to reconnect."

Turkey is a place of so many contradictions, this short piece brings to light an interesting community as well as featuring some spectacular photographs. A place that American culture views as dirty and immoral can be a safe haven, not only in Turkey but around the world. The view of sex, and sex workers, as somehow unworthy and unsafe is one I feel transcends gender identity, religious beliefs, and geography. In the same way persecuting homosexuals does nothing eradicate the phenomenon (it only serves to place the individuals who identify as LGBTQ in dangerous societal margins), persecuting sexual aspect of humans does nothing but endanger a large portion of society. Please come talk to me about the sex trade, it's a discussion I'd love to have.