"Booby Trap," "Good Time Girls," and "Smash the Prostitution Racket!" These were a few of the terms used during early- to mid-20th century public health campaigns by the American Social Health Association. Today, these terms are outdated, humorous, even offensive. But, in some respects, that makes for a great teaching tool.
"One of the things that the American Social Health Association believed in strongly was bringing prostitution, human trafficking, and STDs to light," said Linnea Anderson, a curator with the Social Welfare and History Archives at the University of Minnesota Libraries. "They believed that if you swept it under the rug, kept it secret, that it allowed them to flourish. It's one of the reasons we selected the cartoon, 'If we can get the beast out of his lair...' for the theme of the exhibit."
Leave a comment