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Beloved "Chica Chica" Cards In Danger Of Extinction
By
Ben Yakas
Published Mar 27, 2011
Modified Mar 27, 2011
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By
Ben Yakas
Published Mar 27, 2011
Modified Mar 27, 2011
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"Chica Chica" cards, which are like baseball cards of prostitutes, have been handed out all around Queens for years, but an increase in their circulation lately has caused some politicians to call for action to be taken. "Is this going to eliminate prostitution? It's not. It's the first step toward improving the quality of life on Roosevelt Ave," said Queens Democratic Sen. Jose Peralta, who wants to make it illegal to sell them.
According to the News, the cards have been flooding Corona and Jackson Heights, with a group of men thrusting the cards into people's hands along Roosevelt Avenue. The cards include the prostitutes "names", along with a number to reach their pimp; they also offer "free delivery," so you don't have to go to a motel or whatnot. Resident Nuala O'Doherty says the cards are all over the street in the mornings, which have led to awkward questions from her three young children: "The kids pick them up. They'll ask, 'Mommy, what are the cards for? Why are the women standing like that? Why do they have no clothes? I don't have good answers." However, it may not be legal to make them illegal: it raises "difficult legal questions under the court's interpretation of the First Amendment," according to Queens DA Richard Brown.
Tagged
chica chica
pimps
prostitutes
prostitution
queens
roosevelt avenue
Ben Yakas
Ben Yakas is a former Gothamist reporter.
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