Hands Off Our Name: Massage/Massage Therapy | Look Before You Book A Massage

Our neighborhoods are filled with Sexually Oriented Businesses (SOBs) disguised as massage businesses. For over 128 years, the massage therapy profession has been entangled with these SOBs and has been struggling to separate itself from these businesses that hide under the disguise of massage therapy. Many attempts have been made to try to end the confusion. We have tried creating associations starting back in 1894 and then over the years added more licensing and legislation with the creation of state licensing and then something called a National Certification (which was not national). The idea behind national certification actually started out being an entrance exam for the American Massage Therapy Association (AMTA) and somehow morphed into this idea of National Certification. AMTA provided funding to create the National Certification Board of Massage and Bodywork.

How the word Massage is being misused.

‘Massage, Massage therapy, Massage therapists’ are words that are used by licensed massage therapists. Each state outlines the possible designations that can be used by a Licensed Massage Therapists. Only a licensed massage therapist can use the word massage and massage therapy in their business names and list of services.

The words “Massage Parlor” are often included in licensing laws and is also being misused in media, legislation and with law enforcement officials. Many are using the words Massage Parlor or illicit Massage Business when it really is a brothel disguised as a massage business. It is not a Massage Parlor or Illicit Massage Business. They have nothing to do with the massage profession. They may actually be giving some sort of massage but they are not trained or licensed which creates a risk in that alone. If they are licensed, they may have obtained their license through diploma mills or one person may be licensed and they hang that on the wall and everyone says it is their license. There could be human trafficking involved.

The words Massage Parlor has already been removed from the NCAIS codes.

“North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) is a system for classifying establishments (individual business locations) by type of economic activity in Canada, Mexico, and the United States. Its purposes are: (1) to facilitate the collection, tabulation, presentation, and analysis of data relating to establishments, and (2) to promote uniformity and comparability in the presentation and analysis of statistical data describing the North American economy. NAICS is used by Federal statistical agencies that collect or publish data by industry. It is also widely used by State and local agencies, trade associations, private businesses, and other organizations.”

Businesses that provide massage therapy services are under NAICS 621399, Offices of All Other Miscellaneous Health Practitioners. Massage Parlor was previously under NAICS 81299 and has been removed from the codes. The NY State Society of Medical Massage Therapists were instrumental in creating these changes.

Today, the words masseuse/masseur are also commonly associated with massage parlors although the words have been historically associated with massage. While these words seem harmless, it is important that massage therapists, the media and legislators be on the same page with the words they use.

Foot Massage Spas often use loopholes in massage licensing laws to open brothels disguised as massage businesses. Reflexology which is often incorrectly referred to as foot massage is a variation of massage that often is exempt from massage licensing laws. Real Reflexologists are certified by the American Reflexology Board.

Asian Massage is another term that is often used by brothels to disguise their businesses. There are many different types of Massage that originate from Asia and those practitioners will use the specific terminology in their list of services and business names. A business that calls themselves Asian Massage Spa or Parlor are generally a disguise for a brothel.

One of the most devastating things that has happened to the profession is that many now refer to these brothels as “illicit massage businesses” or “massage parlors” when in fact they have nothing to do with MASSAGE or MASSAGE THERAPY. In 2017, the Polaris Project created a report on human trafficking and coined the words “illicit massage business” making it so the massage profession bears the brunt of these Brothels disguised as massage businesses in every community. The Federation of Massage State Boards also has a task force working on the issue and in 2017, they also wrote a report. (You can read more about the details of all that in my other article The Massage Profession and Human Trafficking.)

The Laws We Make

Massage Establishment Licensing.

Many states have moved to creating massage establishment licensing laws that require massage therapists who open a business to have a specific establishment license. This makes it so massage therapists are now more involved in stopping a problem created by the Sexually Oriented Businesses. AMTA and ABMP have said that they do not approve of it, yet many states are moving forward with it based on the idea that they think it will help end the problem. See their response to the reports created by the FSTMB and the Polaris project reports on human trafficking back in 2017/2018. Here is more information on the reports and the issues of human trafficking in the massage profession.

The massage therapy profession is NOT infested with human trafficking issues —we have a brothel’s disguised as massage businesses issue. Establishment licensing implies that the massage profession is responsible for this problem and makes it so we must solve it. The issues around prostitution and sex trafficking are social issues which must be addressed in each state and in each community.

There is no research or evidence that shows that massage establishment licensing works to help untangle massage from sex work. This needs to be researched if it is to be continued or added to massage licensing laws. The Federation of Massage State Boards apparently does have a human trafficking task force so we might want to start there.

Human Trafficking

The other part of this is that it is often said that human trafficking is involved in these SOB operations making it even more complicated. There have been a few reports on massage and human trafficking that have been created that are inconclusive on how much human trafficking is actually involved in these operations. More research is needed in this area to help create a plan of action.

The main thing we can do right now is work on showing that Massage is Therapy and we need to work Hands Off Our Name which really would take care of most of the issues of the massage profession being entangled and confused with sex work/prostitution.

The Process of taking back our name (massage) requires many efforts in many areas:

Start with something as simple as using #massageistherapy. #massageisnotsexwork #massagechangeslives #lookbeforeyoubookamassage on your social media posts.
Correct the use of the words massage parlor by the media, legislators, law enforcement and others. It has been adopted by many to cover up what it really is: A Brothel Disguised as a Massage Business.
Correct the words “Illicit Massage Business”:The Polaris Project has called it illicit massage business when in fact is it NOT a massage business of any kind. Massage therapists and anyone giving massage for a living are professionally licensed by each state and require training, testing and renewal of licensing. A simple correction on a social media site can lead to a nationwide movement. Call it what it is: A Brothel Disguised as a massage business. #MassageisTherapy #massagechangeslives #handoffourname .
Work with your state board to correct any language still being used in the laws.
Create local networks of Massage Therapists to work on the issues at a very local level. Find or start a local network.
Create local marketing and awareness campaigns to promote and educate consumers about the power of massage therapy along with the issues of being entangled with brothels. Massage is Therapy
Research Establishment Licensing Laws that are intended to curb brothels disguised as massage businesses. Are they doing that? Compare and contrast language used by each state. See what is working and what is not.
Create State and local task forces to investigate human trafficking. It is up to law enforcement, not the massage profession to take on the issues of human trafficking as it is very complex and often involves cartels’ and other criminals. Contact your state legislators to work on that issue.