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At its core, the proposed Strippers’ Bill of Rights (ESSB 6105) is a bill about workers. Pervasive stigma against sex work has kept commonsense protections for workers from being enacted, forcing them into the shadows and allowing rampant exploitation in an industry that has many workers who are queer and people of color.
At The Cupcake Girls, an anti-sex trafficking organization, we have done significant research on how the criminalization and stigma of sex work paves the way for further marginalization. Our organization is built on the vision that we can create a world where sex trafficking is eradicated and consensual sex workers are safe and empowered. We give our full-throated endorsement of this bill, which would protect dancers and their pathway toward financial stability. Spearheaded by the dancers themselves, this bill introduces crucial reforms that would institute minimum health and safety protections, end the cycle of debt for dancers and allow alcohol sales in clubs.
Strippers face serious health and safety risks in their workplaces, with some clubs not even offering running water or bathrooms. And for many, sexual harassment and assault are treated like they are just part of the job. This bill mandates basic protections such as dedicated security personnel, secure dressing rooms, comprehensive training on workplace sexual harassment prevention and protocols for handling violent patrons.
However, the most pressing issue is the predatory economic dynamics of the clubs themselves. Dancers are not paid an hourly wage. They pay to work — often over $200 per night. If they call in sick, miss a shift or cannot pay the fees, they rack up “back rent” — money they owe to the club. If they incur too much, they must pay it off with the money they earn on future shifts and they can even be blacklisted from working. This bill would cap house fees at $150 per night and eliminate the predatory practice of back rent.
Washington clubs charge more in these fees than other states for one basic reason: Alcohol is banned in strip clubs. Without food and beverage sales, the clubs shift the revenue burden to dancers.
Additionally, the ban means patrons often show up after consuming alcohol elsewhere, making it impossible for workers to know how much alcohol, or other substances, someone has had. This legislation would pursue safe outcomes for workers and patrons.
For some, allowing the sale of alcohol may not immediately sound like a way to make a business safer. However, the availability of alcohol for purchase by adults is something we take for granted across a broad range of entertainment choices, from stadiums to dive bars to movie theaters. Liquor licenses come with regulations and safety standards so that adults may consume responsibly. By banning alcohol at strip clubs, Washington is upholding a public policy that tells patrons to get drunk before arriving, absent any of the basic safety requirements that protect against overserving at your neighborhood bar. That’s why allowing for the sale and consumption of alcohol on the premises solves two key issues: safety and financial stability for dancers.
Stigmatizing and banning activities such as nudity and alcohol consumption do not protect anyone; instead, they drive these practices underground, perpetuating exploitation and endangering workers. We already see that when clubs fail in Washington, the dancers do not magically find other sources of income — they drive to Oregon to work in friendlier and financially solvent clubs there.
The reforms outlined in the Strippers’ Bill of Rights are not radical. These reforms are fundamental protections for an industry plagued by exploitation.
It is time we see stripping for what it is — work — and ensure protections for these workers.
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