Undue harms against adult dancers: Regulation of strip club labor based on spurious research, claims, and stigma

Abstract

AbstractNationwide, regulations of strip clubs are based on spurious research and claims that create and perpetuate harms against dancers. There is a multitude of scientific evidence suggesting that limited regulation and decriminalization of nudity, alcohol, touch, and physical proximity have positive effects and correlations for dancers and their work. The phenomenon of unwarranted regulations begs the question: Why is our sociopolitical climate so inclined to hinder and harm dancers and their labor? I posit that these regulations are interrelated to the stigmatization and marginalization of sex work and the minority groups that commonly comprise dancer demographics. Lastly, I call for sociopolitical change to empower dancers instead of continuing oppressive patterns of the past.