Gay site Rentboy stopped by US Homeland Security

Rentboy, one of the largest gay booty call sites in the United States, has just been taken offline by the US Department of Homeland Security. The reason for the suspension: the promotion of illegal prostitution almost everywhere in the United States. A sanction that could make many sites similar to Rentboy think.

Rentboy closed for pimping

Like some sites in France, Rentboy allowed gay escorts to meet their clients. And like a few sites in France, he made money by causing these connections. Rentboy existing for 20 years and not being the only one to have this type of business model, the authoritarian closure of the site surprised many people. The operation was indeed conducted by the Department of Homeland Security also in charge of the fight against terrorism. In these troubled times it therefore seemed strange that large resources were devoted to Rentboy who was established and who, while breaking the law, did not threaten anyone.

When Rentboy revives the debate on internet prostitution

Following Rentboy's disappearance, the New York Times, a newspaper of reference, split an op-ed criticizing the police operation. Emphasizing the lack of threat posed by the site, the New York Times even defends Rentboy by explaining that the site offered an alternative to street prostitution and could therefore play a protective role for gay escorts and prostitutes. The newspaper also tells us that New York shelters are flooded with requests from young gay people potentially rejected by their families who come to use prostitution to be able to afford a roof.

Is the operation against Rentboy an attack on homosexuality?

The other thing that shocks the New York Times is that the indictment is piling up details about gay sexuality. Information about sex toys and or the vocabulary used by gay sexuality is thus described as deviant by a terribly heterocentric relationship. We will add to this that many other sites publish escort girl ads and are not worried. But it cannot be said that the closure of RentBoy is solely due to moral reasons. With these activities to promote prostitution Rentboy has earned $ 10 million in 5 years, enough to justify that the justice seized the subject.

Can a case like Rentboy happen in France?

Yes, it is quite possible. Sites that allow escorts to find clients are multiplying and the main ones have several hundred thousand visitors each month. A bill even envisaged being able to close them administratively as is already the case for jihadist propaganda sites. For the moment we have mostly seen small sites disappear overnight without explanation, probably precautionary measures of the owners of these digital brothels, but it would not be surprising if a 6ad, a Wannonce or a LadyXena is one day taken offline as Rentboy was in the USA.