Nevada: Men On The Menu

Nevada's legal brothels have been granted permission to add male prostitutes to their stables after winning a battle over the wording of STD testing laws.

A brothel industry lobbyist -- in what could be considered a befuddling double standard -- bemoaned the change, comparing it to the industry’s “Pearl Harbor.” He managed to voice concerns about homosexual sex entering the industry without ever saying “gay sex” or “homosexual.” Men were previously barred in Nevada from the oldest profession because codes specified that prostitutes must undergo “cervical” testing for sexually transmitted diseases, which ruled out men. Bobbi Davis, owner of the Shady Lady Ranch, a small brothel near Beatty, wanted to add male prostitutes to her stable of sex workers. And while there have been plans for brothels to hire men in the past, Davis made the first-ever request to have the Nevada State Board of Health add urethral exams to the guidelines. That allows male sex workers to be tested for sexually transmitted diseases.

The battle was won with the backing of the ACLU. The owner of the Shady Lady Ranch says her male hookers will have the right to decide if they want to service male or female clients, or both, a right the female employees also have. A lobbyist for the Nevada Brothel Owners Association told state regulators that with men now on the menu, he is worried about the industry's reputation.