A Strippers’ Bill of Rights in Washington

A coalition of sex workers in Washington state is advocating for the creation of a “strippers’ bill of rights” to be passed into law. This might sound like a frivolous topic at first glance, but they are addressing some serious issues. Whether you approve of adult entertainment or not, it’s legal in all states (with varying degrees of restrictions) though local and municipal governments can ban it. It can be dangerous work at times and most of the dancers are not offered much in the way of security and protection. The legislation currently being considered in the state house and Senate would introduce new regulations that would provide additional safety protections. (Associated Press)

For months, Andrea studied for her master’s degree in library sciences between dancing naked at clubs in Seattle. But then she was sexually assaulted at work and slapped by a customer — and nobody stepped in to help.

Now, she and hundreds of other strippers in Washington state are fighting for statewide protections that would be the most comprehensive in the U.S., according to advocates.

“We shouldn’t be verbally abused for just doing our job and existing,” said Andrea, who has seen a DJ at one club harass dancers if they don’t tip him enough. She avoids the club if he’s there, said the 24-year-old, who would only use her first name. The Associated Press does not identify people who say they have been sexually assaulted.

We’ve heard these stories before and they are far too common. I haven’t been to a strip club in more than twenty years, with the last time being a close friend’s bachelor party. I’ll go out on a limb here and make what might be an unwise confession. I dated a stripper for a few months when I was a young man newly out of the Navy. That didn’t work out as a permanent relationship for a variety of reasons, but getting to know her was an enlightening experience. 

Shortly after we started dating, she informed me that she had been raped outside of one of the clubs where she worked only a few months previously. She didn’t even report it to the police because she knew they wouldn’t do anything about it. She also complained of regularly having a portion of her tips forcibly taken away and given to the bartenders and bouncers.

The proposed legislation would at least attempt to address some of those problems. A security guard would be required at each club and keypad access codes would be required to enter the dancers’ dressing rooms. Sexual harassment training would be mandatory for all employees. Other mandatory training would cover de-escalating conflict between dancers, customers, and employees. Each club would be required to display a sign saying that dancers can not be forced to hand over tips.

Those things all sound good on paper, but enforcement could be problematic. Though the process varies from state to state, most clubs don’t directly employ dancers as regular employees who would be eligible for typical worker benefits. Most dancers operate as independent agents, dancing at multiple clubs around a given area. Their compensation is almost entirely dependent on the size and generosity of the audience, not the club owner. Since there typically isn’t a shortage of dancers, club owners can simply refuse to offer a shift to a dancer who is too demanding about her working conditions and compensation. It’s also not hard to imagine some club owners simply ignoring part or all of any bill of rights that emerges. 

Some might find it problematic to enact specific employment laws that only apply to a single profession. But that’s really not an issue and it’s been done for many industries, particularly those prone to dangerous conditions or high injury rates. And as occupations go, exotic dancing is relatively in a class by itself. Perhaps Washington can be a productive test case and set a model for others to follow. The possibility of naming the legislation the Fanne Foxe Act was not addressed. (Okay… I couldn’t make it through this entire article without at least one pun.)