In the 10 years of parliamentary debate (1948-1958) that eventually led to the approval of the Law of February 20, 1958, n° 75 "Abolition of the regulation of prostitution and fight against the exploitation of others' prostitution" known as the "Merlin Law," the Senator received hundreds of letters from women in so-called "tolerance houses" (sex workers) and from service staff. The positions shared with the Senator were diverse. In "Dear Mrs. Merlin," we begin with some of those words, from those letters, to tell a specific moment in Italian history; the lives, desires, and hopes of the workers of closed houses: a central figure in our politics; one of the longest parliamentary debates in the Republic.
Following is "From the Merlin Law to contemporary perspectives: rhetoric, norms, rights," an open debate with Alessia Tuselli, sociologist at the Interdisciplinary Gender Studies Center of the University of Trento.
Admission is free.
