The mayor offered to help both the older women and their younger, more radicalized colleagues, who eventually split off to pursue their own agenda. Fundraisers were held for both groups, including two benefit concerts by singer Eugenia Leon.
Shift in attitude
The mayor's office also put out fliers around the city reiterating that sex workers have the same rights as other citizens -- a sign of how attitudes toward prostitution are changing, albeit slowly.
"It's very important to stop this moralistic approach," says Lamas, who estimates that there are "hundreds of thousands" of prostitutes in the metropolitan area (population 22 million).
Before long, the city had found a building to donate to the women of the \o7tercera edad\f7: a former boxing hall of fame, a block-long, abandoned structure on a small plaza at the edge of the historic center.
At the time, the building was in "horrible" condition, Munoz says, but its thick stone walls and high, wooden cross-beamed ceilings remained solid. Though some neighbors were wary at first, they became friendly once they saw that the house had been greatly improved and that the women kept to themselves.
Many more women are hoping to find a home at the Casa in coming months. Its sponsors hope that this pilot project can inspire other such refuges across Mexico.
"If the people want to give us help, it's magnificent," Munoz says. "Above all, to know that ... we sex workers matter to anyone, this is fabulous."
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reed.johnson@latimes.com
