BELLINGHAM, Wash. (AP) — A couple of Bellingham women put on corsets and Victorian undergarments one day a week to lead “sin and gin” tours that explore the city’s history of prostitution, booze and gambling.
Marissa McGrath and Sara Holodnick told The Bellingham Herald they were inspired by the book, “The Brothels of Bellingham.”
The Friday tours started in June, and the $15 tickets include a cocktail at a bar where the tour ends. People taking the tour must be 21 because of the alcohol and subject matter. The women guides talk about commercial sex and the role of the city’s red light district in relation to pioneer industries, immigration and racial tensions.
Holodnick says Bellingham was built on the backs of prostitutes and they get no credit for it.
