Washington's ‘Stripper Bill of Rights’: Proposed bill aims to protect sex workers

‘Stripper Bill of Rights’ in Washington?

Gov. Inslee is expected to sign into law a ‘Strippers Bill of Rights’ which includes some of the most wide-reaching state-level protections for adult dancers in the country.

SEATTLE - Gov. Inslee is expected to sign into law a ‘Strippers Bill of Rights’ which includes some of the most wide-reaching state-level protections for adult dancers in the country.

Passing Senate Bill 6105 also paves the way towards allowing strip clubs to sell booze.

"When we have a dynamic here that exploits dancers and has a predatory model, it really encourages these clubs to allow customers back in, because there is some profit in that, and, of course, we’ve been struggling with keeping doors open," said Madison Zak-Wu, local dancer and organizer with Strippers are Workers.

(File / FOX 13)

Key provisions of SB 6105

Creates a "customer blacklist" — If someone’s being creepy or crossing boundaries, they are not coming back in. Adult entertainment venues must report allegations of customer violence and criminal behavior.

It will require clubs to install panic buttons, specifically in rooms where dancers are alone with customers. According to Zak-Wu, some clubs already have panic buttons, but they’re placed haphazardly.

SB 6105 will mandate hired security. Currently, these establishments are not required to.

It also greenlights the sale of alcohol in adult venues, and further instructs the Washington Liquor & Cannabis Board (LCB) to repeal the state's lewd conduct law.

Questions and answers with local dancer Madison Zak-Wu

Q: More booze, less risk sounds counterintuitive. How does allowing the sale of spirits in strip clubs promote safety?

A: "People are easily able to drink at a bar or in their car, which is very unsafe, and come into the club. They might even seem sober if they’re binge-drinking and then immediately coming in, so there’s really no way to account for that."

Q: If Governor Inslee signs SB 6105 into law, how long before adult entertainment venues can sell you more than a lemonade?

A: "We have a lot of rulemaking to go through. The LCB has to do rule making around what it’ll look like for strip clubs to serve alcohol. We’re probably thinking about a year once we see alcohol in strip clubs."

Q: Are strip clubs in Washington state struggling to make a profit?

A: "The industry in Washington has been bad for decades, but especially since COVID, it’s been getting so much worse. It’s really difficult here because how are strip clubs supposed to be profitable if they’re not selling food and drink."

Q: You’ve been fighting for these changes for the past six years. Did the support from the local queer community following the so-called raids at Capitol Hill bars change the game?

A: "The law that affects those queer venues is one of the same laws that affects strip clubs. It’s the lewd conduct act, and it basically says if you have an alcohol-serving venue, you can’t have sexual expression, nudity, all these things. Most dancers are queer. Sex workers are estimated 50–70% queer."