Lydia’s Open Door – Inside Mexico’s Most Modern Brothel
Patty Kelly

Prostitution is already a pretty controversial topic in and of itself, but add in the politics neoliberalism along with the idea of a state controlled brothel and prostitution becomes an interesting web of societal issues.  In Lydia’s Open Door – Inside Mexico’s Most Modern Brothel, author Patty Kelly details her anthropological study of “legalized” prostitution in Tuxtla Gutiérrez the capital of Chiapas, Mexico.  Avoiding the cold detachment of a social scientist, Kelly dives into her exploration of Zona Galactica, a state-sponsored brothel, with an emotional zeal that creates a captivating narrative.  (Read more...)

While, Lydia’s Open Door  focuses largely on the activity that takes place behind the Zona Galactica (as well as the underlying social factors that force it behind those gates),  Kelly takes a holistic look at prostitution, the women of Zona Galactica, the reasons for their role as sex workers, their family life, and the politics of prostitution.  The vividness of Kelly’s account, which could only be provided by her willingness to maintain close proximity to the worker’s of Zona Galactica, provides a level of understanding that may not otherwise be available.

I was struck by Kelly’s willingness to immerse herself in her work and to understand the nature of sex work not only on a societal or institutional level, but on a personal level.  By bringing both the mechanics of prostitution and the personalities of those involved to the table, she provides the background necessary to open up a meaningful discourse about the issues looming in the air regarding sex work.  While Lydia’s Open Door focuses on the forces that create and maintain prostitution in Tuxtla Gutiérrez, its applicability is much wider as it provides a comprehensive examination into sex work.  I would recommend this book to any aspiring social scientist or anyone looking to better understand the dynamics of sex work.

Now certainly the question stands as to why I would review a book on prostitution and sex work on a website focused on urban planning and community development.  The issues that impact our community are complex and spread out across a variety of disciplines.  Why seemingly distant from planning issues, topics such as prostitution, sex work, and generally sexuality ultimately come into play in the most common debates found with community development.  Think for instance of the controversy associated with the placement of a strip club or an adult novelty store.  As with any issue, it’s important to engage in the totality of circumstance involved with the issue rather than allowing the ignorance of a purely emotional appeal to pervade.