Glorification of Pimp Culture that Fuels Human Trafficking
There is a reason why I don’t like to use the word “prostitution,” but rather “commercial sex” for someone’s body being sold for sex. There’s no such thing as a child prostitute, in the case of a minor, because children can’t consent. It’s rape. When they’re adults, the word diminishes the dehumanization that these women are facing, even though it’s a word used in legal language. It implies choice, which is hardly ever the case. The term “commercial sex” better captures the coercion and exploitation involved, emphasizing that the individuals are victims of trafficking, not willing participants in horrific acts that risk their lives every day.
I don’t like to use the word “pimp” but rather “trafficker” to fully encapsulate that someone who controls someone else and profits off of their commercial sex acts is guilty of a crime. Every single time. And when we can move away from dehumanizing words for the victims and glorified words for their victimizers we can see the situation for what it is. Human trafficking.
When we use dehumanizing and glorifying words we can so easily ignore the true horrors of victims, like one who is suing Red Roof Inn, where she was trafficked and forced to have sex with eight men a day, for days at a time, witnessing a pregnant woman being beaten to a bloody pulp by her trafficker in the bathroom and housekeeping staff came each morning to remove garbage cans filled with condoms and bloody towels.
Red Roof Inn is settling allegations across the country that it participated in and profited from years of sex trafficking, starting at two Atlanta-area hotels, in Georgia, as a trial began and evidence started to come forward. The trial highlighted the involvement of multiple hotel employees who actively assisted traffickers or ignored the situation to maximize revenue from room bookings associated with sex trafficking.
But that’s just two locations. There are over 42 federal lawsuits against the hotel for their negligent actions across the country. The victims, some of whom were underage at the time, accuse the company of allowing its rooms to be rented on a grand scale to sex traffickers who forced them into commercial sex and controlled every aspect of their lives.
One of those lawsuits, filed by 11 women who said they were trafficked at two Red Roof Inn hotels in Atlanta, contained an email from a regional vice president of operations who joked that “my pimps and hos love them some snacks to go with their smokes.”
Jay Moyer, a manager responsible for two Atlanta hotels at the center of the trial, made the joke about upgrades to one of the hotels. In a deposition, he said that he may have been quoting a customer review. But attorneys representing the plaintiffs said it nevertheless showed the company was aware that the hotel “regularly rented rooms to suspected prostitutes and pimps.”
It became a key piece of evidence in the lawsuit to demonstrate the company had knowledge of sex trafficking at Red Roof Inn and did nothing to stop it. Red Roof Inn said in a statement that it “denies all allegations” in the Atlanta lawsuit and “condemns prostitution and sex trafficking in all forms.”
Employees at both hotels admitted to seeing teenage girls being sold for sex. At least two police reports detail the experiences of women who escaped from traffickers at one of the properties. In 2017, a guest at the same property told police that “she was kidnapped and forced into prostitution.” The lawsuits, and the cases yet to be filed, span the country, across 39 states and at least 115 Red Roof Inn hotels.
This case sheds light on a troubling aspect of our society: the glorification of pimp culture in the media. From pimp-themed parties and outfits to music that romanticizes the lifestyle, the media often portrays pimping and prostitution in a glamorous light. This glorification can desensitize people to the realities of human trafficking and exploitation, making it easier for such crimes to go unnoticed or unchallenged.
Pimp-themed parties, where attendees dress up in stereotypical “pimp” and “ho” costumes, trivialize the serious and brutal realities of sex trafficking. These events often feature exaggerated, cartoonish portrayals that obscure the violence and coercion that many victims experience daily. Similarly, music and media that celebrate pimp culture contribute to a dangerous normalization of exploitation.
This pervasive glorification makes it easier for businesses, like hotels, to turn a blind eye to trafficking happening on their premises. It creates an environment where the signs of trafficking are not taken seriously, and the victims are further marginalized.
The lawsuits against Red Roof Inn are a stark reminder of the ongoing battle against human trafficking. They highlight the need for stricter enforcement of anti-trafficking laws and better training for employees in industries that are often exploited by traffickers.
But beyond legal action, there needs to be a cultural shift. We must reject the glamorization of pimp culture and recognize it for what it is: a harmful and destructive force that perpetuates abuse and exploitation. Media creators, event organizers, and consumers all have a role to play in challenging and changing these harmful narratives.
By raising awareness and promoting accurate, respectful portrayals of the realities of trafficking, we can contribute to a culture that supports victims and holds perpetrators accountable. This cultural shift is essential in the fight to end human trafficking and support survivors in their journey toward healing and justice.
