@susi you have a natural gift of politician speak, haha.
I'm old now, so hear me out. To me it sounds like you’re not just oversimplifying the issue, you’re denying the structural reality of how Asian massage parlors operate, both here in Metro Vancouver and around the world.
Globally, Asian‑run massage businesses are the dominant model, especially when they’re tied to migrant networks, organized crime, and gambling or drug debts. That’s why we don’t see “non‑Asian” sex parlors popping up in the same way in this city: the business model, the clientele, and the power structures are ethnically and culturally specific.
You talk about “drama is everywhere” like it’s the same in every workplace, but kitty‑cat drama especially in a male‑dominated, gang‑linked, Asian‑run AMP is not the same as generic office politics. In these spaces, “drama” often means women pressured to work and pay off gambling, and drug debts. They are closely monitored, confined by immigration fears, or controlled by men (and women) with criminal ties.
Ask most managers in the typically office, especially a woman who they would rather manage: a man or a woman? With few exceptions, they will always say the male. Rolling that into a one‑liner about “every job has drama” is gaslighting, not nuance.
Interestingly, you frame yourself as an advocate, but you’re cherry‑picking the idealized image of licensed, “safe” shops and acting like criticism of Asian‑run AMPs is automatically anti‑sex‑worker or ignorant.
The evidence is clear and the reality is that with few exceptions, these parlors are built on debt‑driven, racialized exploitation, not some neutral, normalized form of work. You’re not defending sex workers, you’re defending a system that lets Asian‑run massage parlors use consent and regulation as a shield while women are trapped, controlled, and commodified.
If you want to be an actual ally, I would start by acknowledging the global pattern of how these parlors function and why they dominate the market in places like Metro Vancouver, Asia, and elsewhere. Until then, as I see it, you’re not challenging power, you’re just protecting the people who profit from it.
