Strippers Bill of Rights Now Law in Washington

Last month, we looked at new legislation being considered in the state of Washington that would establish a “strippers’ bill of rights,” supposedly ensuring safer working conditions for exotic dancers. In some places, such a proposal might be seen as controversial, but this is Washington we’re talking about. They finished up the bill, passed it in the legislature, and on Monday, Governor Jay Inslee signed it into law. Most of the provisions that were debated during the development of the bill made it into the final version. There will also be a “pathway” for adult clubs to eventually be allowed to sell alcohol. There was surprisingly little resistance to the bill, and these “rights” (such as they are) will now become the new normal in Washington state. The impact on the adult entertainment industry remains unknown, however. (CBS News)

Lawmakers in Washington state signed legislation this week known as the “Strippers’ Bill of Rights,” which advocates say includes the most comprehensive statewide protections in the nation for adult dancers.

The measure, which Gov. Jay Inslee signed Monday, creates safer working conditions for people in the adult entertainment industry and makes it possible for the clubs to eventually sell alcohol.

“It’s pretty simple why we are passing this bill. These are working folks — and working people deserve safety in the environment in which they work,” Inslee said during a press conference Monday.

The workplace safety provisions of the law seem fairly comprehensive and they are mostly unique to this particular profession. All clubs will have to hire a dedicated security guard to keep the peace and protect dancers from being assaulted. Of course, most clubs already employ a bouncer, so that might not be too big of a hurdle. The dancers’ changing rooms will have to have locked doors with key code access. That’s not foolproof if the dancers start sharing the codes with some of their favorite clients, but it’s better than nothing. Also, locked rooms designated for “private dances” will have to have panic buttons installed.

All workers at the clubs will be required to receive training in identifying and preventing sexual harassment. They will also need to be trained to spot human trafficking and report that to law enforcement. First aid training will be required as well. That sounds like a lot to expect from a bartender, but it should be manageable for most people.

One possible negative impact of the law is the likelihood that the cost of going to a strip club may be going up. All of that new equipment I mentioned above is going to cost money, even if much of it will be a one-time expense. The clubs will inevitably pass those costs on to the customers in the form of more expensive drinks or admission fees. And once prices go up (for anything), it’s a rare day when you see them go back down.

Of course, it’s not as if these new rules will create some vast impact that ripples all across the state. I was rather surprised to learn that there are currently just eleven strip clubs in the entire state of Washington. Compare that with New York and California, each of which has more than 3,100 such businesses. And speaking of California, they unintentionally began their own experiment with changing the way strip clubs operate in 2019 after the passage of AB5. Known as the “gig law,” it reclassified many self-employed workers as employees. It was primarily intended for gig drivers working for Uber and Lyft, but it was quickly applied to exotic dancers as well. They were not happy about the change. AB5 assured them of earning the state’s minimum wage, but it served as an excuse for club owners to slash the other money they earned to cover their benefits. Many dancers fled the business.

We won’t know what the results are from Washington’s passage of the strippers’ bill of rights until all the clubs finish adjusting to the new rules. If the new system drives traffic away from the clubs, there will be fewer customers and correspondingly fewer tips for the dancers. But if the changes are implemented smoothly, perhaps the result will be a safer work environment for the dancers without any significant loss of income.