Bella Cummins
Bella Cummins | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | November 7, 1949 Chicago, Illinois, U.S. |
| Alma mater | State College in Goodwell, Oklahoma |
Bella Cummins (born. November 7, 1949, Chicago, Illinois) is an American brothel owner. She is the owner and madam of Bella’s Hacienda Ranch, a legal brothel located in Wells, Nevada. As of 2023, Cummins is the longest-serving living female legal brothel owner in the United States.[1] She is the founder of the Onesta Foundation, a nonprofit organization with a mission to support Nevada sex workers and advocate for prostitution legalization throughout the United States.
Early life and education
Cummins was born in Chicago, Illinois, to William Boyd Lynch Jr. and Marylew Ellison Lynch. The oldest of six siblings, she relocated with her family to Eden, New York, at the age of 14. Most of her childhood was spent in rural New York state.[2]
Cummins attended Bush School in Libertyville, Illinois, till the eighth grade. In 1967, she graduated from Eden Central High School with two diplomas. Between 1967 and 1969, Cummins attended Panhandle State College in Goodwell, Oklahoma, majoring in animal science.
Career
In 1987, Cummins acquired the Hacienda Ranch Brothel and transformed it into the famed "Bella's Hacienda.", a legal and licensed adult entertainment destination located in Wells, Nevada. In 2020, Cummins was denied emergency loan stimulus money during the COVID-19 pandemic.[3][4][5][6][7]
During the COVID pandemic, when the legal brothels were shuttered by Nevada’s governor, Cummins creatively obtained an escort license for her business, allowing sex workers to sustain their income by providing non-sexual companionship services.[8] Cummins founded the Onesta Foundation in 2018 in response to efforts by religious groups to ban legal brothels in certain Nevada counties. The foundation offers a platform for women working in Nevada’s sex industry and facilitates professional development and support for the legal sex work community.[9][10]
Bella owned and operated Bella restaurant and espresso for 20 years before it sold in 2023.[11]
Personal life
Cummins is married to Lance Cummins since 2001 in Reno, Nevada.
References
- ↑ "Nevada brothel owner awarded federal relief to support business amid coronavirus lockdown, but funds on hold". 2020-04-24. Retrieved 2024-06-03.
- ↑ Thompson, Nick (2023-11-17). "An Interview With the Longest-Serving Brothel Madam in America". Vice. Retrieved 2024-06-03.
- ↑ "Nevada Brothel Causes Stir With Stimulus Request". JONATHAN TURLEY. 2020-04-23. Retrieved 2024-06-03.
- ↑ "Sex workers have been shunned by banks, even when their work is legal". The Seattle Times. 2023-11-24. Retrieved 2024-06-03.
- ↑ Bahouth, Brian (2020-04-15). "Despite cultural headwind, Nevada brothel owner awarded federal relief, but funds are not available". Sierra Nevada Ally. Retrieved 2024-06-03.
- ↑ Bernard, Tara Siegel (2023-11-18). "Sex Workers Have Been Shunned by Banks, Even When Their Work Is Legal". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2024-06-03.
- ↑ Bahouth, Brian (2020-04-15). "Despite cultural headwind, Nevada brothel owner awarded federal relief, but funds are not available". Sierra Nevada Ally. Retrieved 2024-06-03.
- ↑ "Brothel Owner Awarded Federal COVID-19 Relief, But Funds On Hold". KUNR Public Radio. 2020-04-20. Retrieved 2024-06-03.
- ↑ Luschek, Mat (2020-10-07). "Nevada brothel madam gets creative during COVID times". WKEF. Retrieved 2024-06-03.
- ↑ AVN, Allen Smithberg. "Brothel Owner Aims to Replace 'Prostitute' Work Card Label AVN". AVN. Retrieved 2024-06-03.
- ↑ Bahouth, Brian (2018-11-29). "Nevada brothel owner launches sex industry advocacy and education nonprofit". Sierra Nevada Ally. Retrieved 2024-06-03.