TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The Taiwanese politician with the longest legal name serving in elected office, lobbied at a city council meeting in Chiayi City on Friday (May 19) for the creation of a legal prostitution zone in the city.
Although she typically uses the shorter name Molly Lingxi (翎熹), the internet personality turned city councilor changed her legal name prior to the 2022 municipal elections to "Pan Blue and Pan Green Should Both Support the Special Sex Zone Tien Shen-chieh" (顏色不分藍綠支持性專區顏色田慎節),” to draw attention to her candidacy and political platform.
On Friday, she followed through on one of her major campaign promises to promote a special district in Chiayi City where sex-work would be legal and regulated, reported UDN. She spoke at length on the topic and heard criticisms from other councilors in the chamber.
In Chiayi City, one of the smallest of Taiwan’s administrative regions by population, Lingxi’s election to the city council grabbed a great deal of attention. The e-sports broadcaster is well-known for wearing revealing clothing and for her sex-positive political platform.
In response to the motion before the council, Chiayi Mayor Huang Min-hui (黃敏惠) said there must be a very high degree of consensus before something like a government approved “red light” district could be considered. Speaker of the City Council Chen Tzu-wen (陳姿妏) said that she respected the councillor’s views and her right to discuss such a proposal with the council in an open way.
Lingxi said that thanks to the central government’s 2021 revisions to Taiwan’s Social Order Maintenance Law, local municipalities have the right to create such districts. After the session, she said she was happy with the mayor’s response and the council’s willingness to discuss the issue, reported UDN.
UDN reported that many legislators did not comment on the issue, but that several expressed strong opposition to the idea anonymously. “It’s impossible to support it. How would we explain ourselves to voters?” one unnamed city councilor was quoted in the report.
Lingxi argues that sex workers in Taiwan suffer serious socio-economic disadvantages due to legal restrictions. A legalized zone for sex work would serve the local economy as a draw for tourism, while also allowing for sex workers to legally obtain labor insurance and establish mechanisms and organizations to protect their rights.
Some research suggests that there are over 100,000 sex workers in Taiwan, most from poor backgrounds, and that they serve an estimated 3 million customers annually, reported UDN. Many sex workers in Taiwan are also foreign women, primarily from Southeast Asian countries.
