The phrase in the context of 1970s articles typically refers to two distinct topics: the legal movement to "bar sex discrimination" in public spaces and the rise of the commercial sex industry in urban districts . 1. Legal Efforts to "Bar Sex Discrimination"
: Research into 1970s global cultures, such as those found on Wikipedia , discusses the role of "bargirls" in regions like Ethiopia and West Africa, where they were employed to entertain customers and sometimes provide sexual services. ARTICLE - Harvard Law Review Bar Sex (1970s)
During the 1970s, many articles documented the legal transition toward banning gender-based exclusion in public accommodations. The phrase in the context of 1970s articles
: In the United States, journalism of the era focused on efforts to bar sex discrimination through Title VII of the Civil Rights Act and the push for the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) . 2. The 1970s Urban "Sex District" ARTICLE - Harvard Law Review During the 1970s,
: Historically, many bars and restaurants either excluded women or required them to be escorted by men. A landmark 1975 article in the New York Times detailed how Britain put laws into force to bar sex discrimination in places like the El Vino bar, a popular gathering spot for journalists.
: By the mid-1970s, New York’s Times Square featured over 100 sex shops and topless bars . Articles from the period and retrospective analyses, such as those in the New York Times , describe this as a "boom time" for the sex industry.
Other articles use the term to describe the burgeoning commercial sex scene in cities like New York and San Francisco.