Recently it was reported that Linda Fondren, a Mayoral candidate in Vicksburg Mississippi, has a history with the Nevada brothel industry. As investors and stockholders in the RAHA Corporation, Fondren and her husband were owners of the Sagebrush Ranch, a brothel near Carson City, Nevada. Fondren also admits that she was a prostitute operating legally in Nevada and that her husband was her client before he was her spouse.
This news in itself is not really a surprise for those acquainted with the Nevada brothel industry. When legal courtesans choose to leave the adult entertainment business, it’s not unusual for them to contribute positively to society in other ways.
Fondren is certainly a force for good in her Mississippi community. As the founder of Shape Up Vicksburg, an organization dedicated to reducing the obesity epidemic in her hometown, Fondren was recognized as a CNN Hero of 2010.
What is noteworthy is that Fondren says that she’s not a supporter of legal prostitution. The Associated Press reports that she “hated” her time in a brothel and that she only did it because she was a young mother with very limited choices.
Considering the public’s negative view of prostitution, it’s understandable why Fondren decided to play the victim when asked about her past as a legal prostitute. But when you really think about Fondren’s active role as a dedicated brothel owner, it’s not difficult to question the sincerity of her remarks.
Linda Fondren owned and operated a legal brothel in Nevada
If Fondren despised the brothel industry so much, why did she invest in it? If she hated being a legal prostitute, why did she buy a brothel? A person with investment resources clearly has other options.
Linda Fondren and her husband held high-level, decision-making positions at the brothel in the 1980’s. As investors and owners, their task was to ensure that their brothel made a considerable return by providing a situation where women satisfactorily fulfill the sexual needs of the brothel’s clients. In street jargon, Linda Fondren was a pimp.
The bottom line is that Linda Fondren was a key player in the legal sex industry for years. She managed a full-service brothel populated with her cadre of licensed working girls, ready to sex-up horny visitors for the right price. Her husband even publicly defended legal prostitution in publications such as the Saint Petersburg Times.
Is Fondren really ashamed of her past as a legal prostitute and brothel mogul? Does she really hate the legal sex industry? Or is she a hypocrite who is just saying what she needs to say in order to achieve the political station she currently seeks?
While Linda Fondren is a gifted entrepreneur with genuinely noble goals, she is also a woman of questionable candor. Sincerity is an attribute that is appreciated in the Nevada brothel industry – an industry that Fondren helped build. If it’s also a trait valued by the people of Vicksburg, Fondren may have some issues with her campaign.
The opinions expressed in this post are those of the author and not necessarily the opinion of Sheri’s Ranch.
Sounds like someone is making excuses for themselves…I can somewhat relate to why she felt she needed to be in the business and at times it can be hard and it is not something I plan to do long term, but that doesn’t mean I won’t still support Legal Prostitution. It’s gonna happen, no matter what, so why frown upon an organized environment. Now that legalized prostitution is getting more publicity and tv shows are documenting how brothels run, it reflects a positive attitude from working ladies. From my experience I can confirm it can be a really fun job! How many times have you seen documentaries on street walkers and illegal escorts, hear their horror stories, see the life drained from their face. Not saying all working ladies in brothels don’t have problems and its not always easy, but most legal working ladies I have met are pretty cool people and live amazing lives and have great stories to tell. Although I may not be in the industry for long I will always have admiration for the ladies that can do it and who knows I may end up being one of those old ladies that sends her husband to the brothel to leave me alone or come with him to spice things up! I wouldnt doubt it!