I recently had an insightful conversation with Saskia Wishart, who is based in Amsterdam with Not for Sale and fights human trafficking and exploitation in Europe. She mentioned that in the Netherlands, pimps who masquerade as loving boyfriends are known as ‘lover boys.’ Here is a well-done, informative short documentary about this trend. It really sheds light on how men themselves end up entering the world of pimping.
What did you think? Did you learn anything? Did anything surprise you? Would love to know your thoughts below.
Ah, this reminded me how COMPLICATED it all is. There are so many levels of need, misinformation, etc…and how the specific combination of the worst parts of different cultures (the patriarchy & sexual taboos of Islamic culture, the sexual “freedom” and racism in the Netherlands) can create incredibly dangerous spaces.
Thanks for posting this – really thoughtful.
It makes me realize that part of the solution is education and support of males. Once a generation of men who treat woman with respect rises up the demand for sex slaves and prostitution will decrease. Simple economics- supply and demand. This was a very educational documentary- thank you so much for posting!
Watching this film makes me so scared of the prospect of legalization of prostitution in Canada. Listening to the boys tell their stories, it appeared to me that many saw themselves, at least when they began, simply as entrepreneurs trying their hand in a legal business venture. And why wouldn’t they. They live in a country where they can legally purchase women any time they feel like it. Where it is legal to be a pimp. People in the Netherlands must know where pimps are finding these girls, the ‘products’ that they are legally selling. That’s what the women and girls displaying themselves in windows on the street have become; products, objects in the literal sense. And it is sanctified by the state. Chilling.