“Tumbleweeds and Titillation”: Moral Geographies of Selling Sex in the Nevada Desert

Despite Sin City’s reputation, prostitution is only permitted in brothels in specific counties of Nevada. The closest legal brothel to Las Vegas is 80 miles deep into the desert. Not only are the brothels restricted to rural areas; they are also subject to restrictions on advertising. This chapter offers a brief history of the Nevada brothels, the rationale underlying these restrictive conditions, and an analysis of whether these restrictions are still appropriate today by examining how they function at three levels: the sex worker, the rural community of the brothel, and the city of Las Vegas. In doing so, the chapter argues that the laws may be more about restricting female sexuality and demarcations between appropriate and inappropriate sexuality, and less about safety and wellbeing.