The current crisis is a major threat to dancers’ safety. ![]() Decriminalize sex work so those of us who work outside clubs can safely provide for ourselves and our families without the threat of discriminatory policing.ģ) Worker-led policies that will improve dancers’ safety, financial stability, and equity as clubs reopen.Update zoning laws to allow for the creation of alternative, lower-risk businesses during COVID, like bikini barista stands and peep shows.This is a critical moment to re-evaluate old policies rooted in stigma, and make sure dancers and other sex workers have safe options available for work. Sex workers of color are even more impacted due to biased policing. And the criminalization of sex work as a whole makes us less safe when we’re working independently. But outdated laws in WA make opening businesses in the sex industry difficult and costly, limiting our choice of workplace. With clubs shut down, many dancers are turning to alternate forms of sex work. Extend moratoriums on evictions and utility shutoffs until all industries, including adult entertainment, have reopened and recovered.Ģ) Ending anti-sex-work policies so we have better & safer paths to income. ![]() Expand alternative forms of low-barrier support at the city and state level, like grocery vouchers and rent assistance.Improve access to unemployment, including acceptance of alternate forms of income documentation & communication from the state about how sex workers can safely & successfully apply for PUA.Here’s how lawmakers can provide the relief we need: Marginalized workers in industries like ours can’t be overlooked. It’s unclear when the industry will be back to business, and in the meanwhile, we’ve had to rely on unemployment - which has been unreliable, especially for dancers who work as independent contractors and may struggle to provide income documentation. Most clubs are still shut down, and we aren’t listed clearly on the state’s reopening plan. Here’s what strippers need from our city and state leaders as the crisis continues.ġ) Immediate income support that provides for all dancers who can’t work in our clubs now. We need reliable income support now, and in the long term we need policies that reduce the stigma against our work, decriminalize our industry, and give us the freedom to make a stable income. Lawmakers can’t continue to leave dancers behind during this crisis. The result is that it’s harder for us to make ends meet, and harder to stay safe at work. ![]() ![]() Zoning regulations and the alcohol ban prevent new clubs from opening, and restrictive local ordinances control how we dress, dance, and interact with customers. But anti-sex-work stigma has led to our work being effectively criminalized. Many of us have been unable to pay rent or afford basic costs of living, turned to less protected forms of sex work, or had to expose ourselves to the risk of COVID.ĭancing can be a crucial path to economic security for women, people of color, people with disabilities, and single parents. But clubs have been shut down for over a year, and far too many of us have gone without crucial income support or the ability to find safe work alternatives. Strippers are workers, and we need our state and city leaders to support us during this crisis just like all workers do. If this data is unavailable or inaccurate and you own or represent this business, click here for more information on how you may be able to correct it.An open letter to Washington State Legislators & Seattle City Council Members: VIEW ADDITIONAL DATA Select from over 115 networks below to view available data about this business.
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