Alcohol May be Key to Washington Exotic Dancer Bill of Rights Victory

Proposal Would Allow Both Alcohol and Lewd Conduct to Coexist

According to Strippers Are Workers, exotic dancers in Washington state face some of the most restrictive laws in the country. The dancer-led organization hopes that Senate Bill 6105, which is being called the Strippers' Bill of Rights, will not only make it easier to make a living in the state’s 11 clubs, but also safer.

Since the 1970s, Washington businesses that feature adult entertainment are not allowed to serve alcohol. Likewise, establishments that serve alcohol are not allowed to have “lewd conduct” take place on the premises. The latter recently became an issue when law enforcement officers warned queer bars in Seattle that even an exposed male bartender’s nipple would put them in violation of the law. LGBTQNation reports that the Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board (LCB) and the City of Seattle Joint Enforcement Team (JET) enforce the law and were responsible for the raids. Because of this, it is not only strippers but also LGBTQ rights advocates who publicly support SB 6105, the result of six years of work on the part of Strippers Are Workers.

Some members of the Washington State Legislature, including House Speaker Laurie Jinkins (D), who vowed to vote against the bill, are skeptical about introducing alcohol into an adult entertainment establishment, the Oregon Capital Chronicle reported. Dancers told the news source that customers already show up at the clubs drunk, so allowing alcohol sales would encourage more customers and save businesses. The ability to monitor customers’ states of drunkenness would also be easier.

Initially willing to see SB 6105 pass without an allowance for alcohol, Strippers Are Workers decided otherwise once the Cannabis and Liquor Board announced that the Legislature is the sole authority on the issue. The fear, according to Madison Zack-Wu, leader of the group, is that without the addition of liquor sales, the other protections they seek will be impossible for clubs to afford. The Washington State Standard reported that majority floor leader Senator Jamie Pederson (D-Seattle), who is an out gay man, proposed an amendment that would also revoke the “lewd conduct” section of the state code, telling the Senate this month that the Seattle gay bar raids were like something “from another era.”

Pederson’s amendment was adopted by the Senate and SB 6105 passed on February 7 by a vote of 29-20, despite Senator Curtis King (R-Yakima) insisting that “this bill needs more work.”

Zack-Wu told a Senate committee in January that “Washington’s industry is broken.” By allowing liquor sales, clubs would no longer be allowed to charge house fees that can often be greater than the dancer’s shift income. The proposal recommends that fees not exceed 30 percent of a performer’s eight-hour earnings, which would boost the income of the workers, most of whom are independent contractors by choice.

A similar bill has been introduced to the House by Representative Amy Walen (D), who told her fellow lawmakers, “It is a legal, licensed business operation in the state of Washington, so the people who work there deserve our attention and our respect and the protections that every other Washington worker gets.”

Walen’s measure would limit house fees to $150 or, as Strippers Are Workers recommends, 30 percent of the shift’s tips, whichever is less. Fees currently can run as high as $200. NPR says that Washington stage fees are currently more than twice those of states such as Oregon and Nevada. But less expensive fees are not the only concern of dancers, who also want security on-premises and sexual harassment training for club employees. Further, the Senate bill would require keypad codes on dressing rooms, and de-escalation training to be used when customers get out of line with dancers or refuse to pay for private dances.

NPR attempted to learn how the state’s larger clubs felt about the proposals, but none responded. A lobbyist for five club owner groups likewise declined comment, although he had publicly indicated that the requirements for training and security were not realistic. Still, he said, they generally support the bills’ goals. Dancers counter that without these, the frequency of assault, verbal abuse, and refusal to pay will continue because customers and club staff such as DJs know nothing will be done about them.

The most recent efforts by the state to improve dancer safety were in 2019 when Strippers Are Workers successfully pressed for panic buttons and customer blacklists. NPR reports that 20 Washington state senators voted against SB 6015 before it went to the House. None were willing to explain why. Now in the House, it has been placed on second reading. To pass, the Strippers’ Bill of Rights will need to pass the state House and be signed into law by the governor.