Monday, May 7, 2018 | 2 a.m.
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As a group attempts to rid a pair of Nevada counties of its legal brothels, some working in those establishments feel like they’re stuck in a political tug of war.
A legal prostitute who works at Sheri’s Ranch in Pahrump, Violet Vaude (her working name) said the campaign to abolish brothels is because of the actions of Dennis Hof, who owns several establishments in Nye and Lyon counties.
The outspoken Hof is no stranger to the spotlight, as his brothels, both north and south, have been in the news several times over the last few years. The stories range from former NBA star, turned reality television personality Lamar Odom’s drug overdose near Pahrump, to a disgruntled trucker ramming his semi-truck into one of his northern houses, to Hof’s contentious relationship with the Nye County Commission, which lead to his Love Ranch South being shut down this spring for several weeks.
“There not directly saying it’s because of Hof. They’re not going after any of the other houses in Elko County or the more northern houses,” said Vaude, who works at a brothel not owned by Hof. “When everybody talks about these houses they mention legal pimps and say all these bad things are going on and they are using examples of Hof houses.”
No Little Girl Grows up Wanting to be a Prostitute started gathering signatures on petitions in Nye and Lyon Counties in an effort to get the issue on the November general election ballot. Its Nye County effort was spurred when the Pahrump group, Citizens Against Brothels in Nye County, reached out to No Little Girl for their help.
The group has 54 volunteers in Nye County, where they’ve already tallied more than 700 signatures, said Jason Guinasso, a spokesperson for No Little Girl and the Director of the End Trafficking and Prostitution, which funds No Little Girl.
A semitruck plowed through the front gate and crashed in front of the Moonlite Bunny Ranch near Carson City on Thursday, May 25. No one was injured.
Volunteers need to collect at least 1,963 signatures from registered Nye County voters before June 15 to be included in November’s general election.
“Those people (against brothels) don’t understand Nevada,” Hof said. “Nevada was built on mining, gaming, girls and liquor and prostitution has always contributed a lot to our society. It’s sad that people want to impose their morals on the rest of us.”
Vaude said the prostitutes, including those who work for Hof-run houses, are stuck in the middle of a political battle.
“I work with a lot of ladies and we feel like we’re being used as collateral in this,” Vaude said. “For a personal and political vendetta against Dennis Hof. The ladies that work with Hof are also being used as collateral, because it’s very personal towards him.
“Nobody is thinking about everyone that works at the brothels, and it’s not just the ladies, it’s the staff, too. Are we all going to suffer because Hof isn’t a very great guy?”
Hof shrugs off such most of the criticism, knowing that not everyone will agree with his outgoing, sometimes over the top character and saying the group’s effort to shutter brothels is politically driven.
“They’re totally wrong, it’s politically driven” he said. “They (Nye County commission) have tortured me for 18 months since decided to run for office. They tried to shut me down for a sign and saying my pace was unsafe… I’m telling you, it’s all politically driven.”
But Guinasso insists there is no political ties to the initiatives. They are focusing on Lyon and Nye counties because residents reached out to them about their concerns and the group feels there is enough support to get the question on the ballot.
Fees paid by legal prostitutes and brothels adds up to thousands of dollars each year. Nye County took in $56,779.25 in brothel work card fees for the fiscal year ending June 30 and another $85,000 collected in brothel license fees, according to the county.
“The girls pay a lot of money, the house pays a lot of money, all of that,” Vaude said. “We employ a lot of people. Part of the logic they’re using is that it’s fine, it’s (banning brothels) is going to bring in a lot more people, but what’s going to happen to all the people who work in the brothels that are going to lose their jobs? It’s not adding up.”
And Hof says they also contribute to the economy in other ways.
“They employ people who spend money here,” he said. “They buy gas. They buy stuff from Walmart; they go to doctors. The number is a big number.”
The No Little Girl campaign is offering training and job placement assistance to the women who work in the brothels that would help them transition into other employment.
Guinasso claims that most women in the brothel business aren’t there because they enjoy their line of work, but because they either have severe financial, drug or mental health issues, or are coerced into it by a pimp.
“These women (who say they enjoy working in a brothel) are the exception, not the rule,” he said. “The vast majority of women in the brothels are not there by choice.”
But Vaude said her colleagues love their line of work and don’t want to be forced into doing something else they really have no interest in doing.
“A lot of the girls have a higher education. They don’t need training to go work at a desk or something,” she said. “We don’t want their help…. They’re just selfishly doing this fake moral crusade.”
Nye County commissioner Lorinda Wichman originally said she would be in favor of banning brothels if they were a drain on the county’s finances. In the three lawsuits against Hof, for instance, the county must pay a $50,0000 deductible on each case.
But Wichman now says she doesn’t support abolishing brothels and would look to increase fees associated with brothels to ensure the public isn’t left on the hook for the legal costs.
Wichman also said she was in contact with the prostitutes to explain her reasoning behind her initial proposal to close the brothels. Vaude would like to be included in the talks.
“I plan on getting more involved,” she said. “I don’t like felling that I’m threatened and my colleagues are threatened.”
Hof, of course, is already involved. He’s long been the loudest supporter of brothels.
“I live in Nevada because I want do what I want to do,” Hof said. “I love that we have gaming 24 hours a day; I don’t gamble. I love that we can get liquor 24 hours a day; I don’t drink. I love the fact that we’ve got (legal) weed; I don’t smoke weed. The freedom to do what you want is what it’s about.”
