Brothel Laws
 

Has anyone ever found actual brothel laws in print?? I have been doing a little investigating and I have not come up with anything.

So are brothel laws forbidding more than a certain number or women living together a myth or the truth?

Not to bash fraternities...why is a group of girls living together worse than a bunch of guys living together??

Just had to throw this in. http://www.greekchat.com/forums/ubb/smile.gif What's the difference between a sorority house and a brothel? A brothel makes money. http://www.greekchat.com/forums/ubb/smile.gif I just thought that I would throw a little joke in there that I found when I was doing some research.



[This message has been edited by AOX81 (edited March 02, 2001).]

do a search on Nevada State Laws. I bet there is something there. Its leagal in some counties, not in others.

For the longest time, this rumour has prevailed on the University of British Columbia campus and they said that that was why sororities are unhoused, (instead each had a meeting room (Panhellenic House is being rebuilt as we speak)).

I have yet to come across anything in print that says, "x no. of women living together is a brothel". At UBC, the cap was 40 women, but *my* reasoning that is more because of Fire Code Regulations...any more than 40 women in a room, and it could be difficult to evacuate in a timely manner, should a fire break out.

You might be able to find out for sure, by contacting your city's archivist or something like that.

Regarding Fire Code Regulations, a sorority house would have to be just like a fraternity house...it would have to have evacuation routes and other regulations pertaining to fires posted in every room.

I have actually been in a fraternity house when a fire broke out at 6:00am...and everybody got out fine and without panic.

I think theres a lot of truth to what brookinleu says. I was told at my school, George Mason University(About 20 years old), Fairfax, Virginia that there are brothel laws in the county. Supposedly they pertain to either men or women. I think it has to do with a larger issue. At my school the community makes the school. If that makes sense. The school isnt willing to front the property for the Fraternities or Sororities. Plus I believe that many of the nationals wont supplement any financial support. At least my Fraternity didnt. Of course Virginia Tech, for example is totally different and they have the ideal environment where the school makes the community. If there was no Virginia Tech there wouldnt be a Blacksburg. I think it boils down to how supportive each of the communities(campus and local community are to the idea). Plus money helps http://www.greekchat.com/forums/ubb/smile.gif

Kevin
Beta Theta Pi Alum
Epsilon Mu

See what I heard about the dorm thing is that dorms are kind of like apartments. As long as they have room numbers on them and all of the small groups of girls have separate living quarters it is ok.

Has anybody heard about this?

interesting. at my sorority house we had room numbers...

This is probably one of the best urban myths out there...I think every school out there without sorority houses has this rumor floating around. I once heard a campus tour guide for my campus spouting this myth to visiting students and parents, so it's not wonder it continues. For my campus, the sororities are housed in a residence hall mainly because of the money factor...most sororities did not have the financial ability to establish houses when they were founded. Plus, isn't there a NPC rule about equal resources for all sororities? If one sorority has a house, than all the sororities have to have the opportunity to have a house?

I'm almost positive this is not an urban myth. I'm looking for the info on it right now, for Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

UBC used to have the brothel rule back in the 40's and 50's, but was eventually over ruled. Thing is that land at UBC is soooo expensive that none of the sororities are in a position to build houses now.

Can't wait for the Greek Village - it was suppossed to be finished last year....

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Delta Phi Epsilon
Delta Gamma Chapter
University of British Columbia
Sigma 1996

There ARE brothel laws in place in some cities. The one that I know of for sure is Richmond, Kentucky. Sororities at Eastern Kentucky University can not have sorority houses due to the brothel law of that town. (Prohibits more than a certain number - maybe 5?- of UNRELATED women from living together.)

Dormitories are exceptions - not sure how, since it's not my university - so there are sorority dorms instead. (I have friends who go to school there.)

Of all the subjects that requests have been made to close, I would have thought that this one would have been-at the very first. Given all the comments about sohorities or whatever-I'm surprised that anyone even answered this thread! It made for interesting reading though. I never would have believed that these kinds of laws existed, because they ought to be illegal in this day in time.

And they don't consider fraternities as ho' houses! http://www.greekchat.com/forums/ubb/mad.gif

Hey guys, I can tell you for a fact that Brothel laws still exist. I am in Alpha Gamma Delta and another AGD chapter thats only about an hour away in Detroit cannot do not have a house because of it. No sorority can have one because Detroit zoning law states that any house with more than 5 (I think its somewhere between 5-10)girls in it is considered a brothel or house of prostitution. They cannot have a "house", so they have like 4 girls living in one place and its an official "meeting place".

The city of Providence has a brothel law. The only reason we're allowed to have a house is because we're on a campus--one of the law's exceptions.

I think we went over this in my business law class this past semester. The Brothel laws come from the conservative past, when the church had a large impact on the law. I beleve that most of the older citys and towns had some sort of brothel law and along with other ancient, and by todays standards unreasonable laws, were just not takin off the books. An example of one of the laws is like you can not kiss on sunday in public on mainstreet. I think that if someone was really determined to have a sorority house and they found that they couldnt because of one of these laws, it probably wouldnt take much to get it dropped. Ok, now the disclaimer, the time we talked about this in class was like two months ago, im not positive, I just think that is what was said, not at all postive, makes sense though. Oh yeah, and sorry if there are any mistakes, im not going to proofread it.
JIM

Well, given that chapters looking into housing are being told this across the country, I find it quite a valid thread. (Although the sorority/brothel joke was perhaps misguided, given everyone's sensitivities about GLO image.)

I'm pretty sure that chapters could fight these outdated laws and win, but I'm no lawyer!

AOX81, I AGREE COMPLETELY!!! why the H*** do they say women living together is a whore house??? i think guys are so much worse (sorry guys)
Here in Miami, FLorida they have those rules as well too..
but I go to FIU..which is 10 minn from UM
weird thing is the sororities at FIU is unhoused and we DONT even get suites...all our meetings happen in rooms in the school..and if we have an event we can rent out one of the ballrooms.. however the sororities at UM get suites to have meetings and stuff like that..which i think would be sooo GREAT!!!
anyways they just built frat houses on campus here.. and they are HUGE and gorgoeus.. hopefully with time this stupid law will go away!!!!
also all the sororities here (6 of us) supposedly signed this thing..that if one of us couldnt get a suite.. we all couldnt.. so unless they plan to give us all suites we will remain "homeless" http://www.greekchat.com/forums/ubb/smile.gif
ud think that in a city like miami they wouldnt have laws like this..
WHATEVER!!!! http://www.greekchat.com/forums/ubb/rolleyes.gif


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Love, Honor, Truth

I don't think it is a matter of right or wrong. There are a bunch of old laws in states that say ridiculoue things. They can be changed, all you do is appeal, I'm sure NPC grous can do something about it, but the trend is going towards no houses, just dorm living.

I'm on my chapter's House Corp and there are no laws like that, just single family and multiple family dweling zones in Pitt County, NC.

It's not. In La Jolla, we are not allowed not have greek housing because more than 6 girls living together is considered a brothel.

I am a delta gamma from Morehead State University in Kentucky and I actually have some info on this brothel topic. One of my sorority sisters had intended on using this topic for a research paper for one of her classes. Obviously we aren't allowed to have houses and the rumor was it was because it would be considered a brothel, however after doing some research in the library and also with greek affairs, she found that it was in fact just an old myth. The real reason for not being able to have houses at Morehead is because not all of the sororities can fund them. One sorority is not permitted to have a house unless everyone can have one. I think it has something to do with the whole recruitment thing. This may also be the case in other places as well.

we have brothel laws here in baltimore county, md too. i go to umbc and we do not have any greek housing but neither does towson u...both in the county. meanwhile johns hopkins does have frat houses, i am not sure about sororities. yet another md school, unv of md does have greek housing. weird huh??? http://www.greekchat.com/forums/ubb/rolleyes.gif

i go to school at the univ of n texas in denton tx. i'm sure we all know about what happened with the KA's on campus and getting kicked off. well, the ADPi sorority ended buying the house and fortunately they have enough alumni support to fight the brothel laws here. i think that this is great that they have that much support from their alum. i don't know the status but i know that they are still in the house. just thought i'd throw in my 2 cents worth.


later

SigEp Moobs
Texas Beta

I go to school in Boston, and I have heard this alot since I came to school. I am not sure if it is true or not, but I would believe that Mass would pass a law like that back in the day. Hell, you can't sell alcohol on Sunday and certain acts, such as the one our former president enjoyed so much is supposedly still considered illegal under mass blue laws.

What school do u go to? We have brothel laws around our town (I go to U of M Dearborn). Some sorority girls were thinking of just moving in together, and ignore the laws. The laws are so stupid.

PhiSigQT,

That is weird about Maryland. That some schools have housing but others dont. I know that my Fraternity has a house at Johns Hopkins and at University of Maryland(They are our founding chapter). We dont have any other chapters in Maryland though. All of our chapters in Virginia have houses. The only exception is our Beta House at UVA and VT which is a regular residential house and before our chapter closed we had various residential houses that we used as Beta Houses. The houses on the row at VT have dorm like rooms. They might have numbers but I forget.

Kevin http://www.greekchat.com/forums/ubb/smile.gif
Beta Theta Pi

[This message has been edited by Miami1839 (edited June 17, 2001).]

[This message has been edited by Miami1839 (edited June 17, 2001).]

Funny story. Some students at Tulane University in New Orleans worked with some area lawyers to clarify the whole brothel law issue. At Tulane, most sororities have houses, but they're just social halls. Anyway, long story short, no one could find any evidence that the law even existed! Here's the url to the article that appeared in the Tulane Hullaballo with the whole story: http://www.tulane.edu/%7Etuhulla/199...sororityx.html

Oh you poor things. I can't imagine not having a sorority house to go to. My sorority, ASA, has a house. I attend the university of northern co. I am living in the house this coming year. There are 20 girls living in the house. That is all the room there is. I love having a real home to go to plus that is where everything goes on.

That is so awesome that someone finally investigated this whole thing, instead of just believing the rumor. I hope a lot more women across the country follow suit and clear this up once and for all! YOU GO GIRLS! http://www.greekchat.com/forums/ubb/biggrin.gif

Guess what? Its no urban legend. Sororities at University of Michigan Dearborn and Wayne State University are not allowed to have houses because of a brothel law. Sorry bur ur wrong.

Get a lawyer, you can beat that CRAP! Your National should get off their ASSES and fight it! But everything Gree is inapproate in to days society!
Hell you may go to College as Kids, but you get in a Greek Org. You become ADULTS!

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Tom Earp LX Z#1
Pittsburg State U. (Kansas)

That is not a La Jolla city ordinance. Nor does San Diego county nor the state of California have such a low.

Exactly, although snopes.com did investigation as well:
http://www.snopes.com/college/halls/brothel.asp

Ha ha...totally!

I am thinking that the snopes thing should be mandatory reading for every rushee/PNM for registers for rush. It's an urban legend that just refuses to die! :rolleyes:

My fave quote comes from 33girl
here:

I love bumping threads.

In my town it is so old we have a brotehel law. However we have a sorority house because the lease is signed per room and that is what you pay rent for. We are the only sorority with a house. We went to town coucil and got all the paper work on the brothel law when we wanted to buy the house, got a lawyer and everything. The house is grandfathered but has to be rented out by room where technically everyone is living seperatly. IT IS A STUPID RULE