Categorizing a lap-dance to be equivalent to rape?? Talk about going from the sublime to the ridiculous. From The Times of London...
"Strip club owners fear that new licensing guidelines will herald a purge of adult entertainment venues across Scotland because government advice states that lap-dancing should be seen as an act of violence against women.
"Laws underpinning the new licensing regime have been passed by Holyrood but the system has not yet come into force. The framework will allow councils to set a number for strip clubs, classified as sexual entertainment venues, in their area, which could be zero.
"The limit applies even if there are existing venues, meaning owners could face closure or a lengthy and expensive legal fight to challenge effective bans.
"Draft guidelines on how the laws should be interpreted allow councils to license venues but draw attention to an official Scottish government strategy in which stripping is deemed an act of “violence against women and girls”.
"The strategy classifies lap-dancing, stripping and pornography as acts of violence, alongside sexual harassment in the workplace, physical and psychological abuse in a relationship, human trafficking, rape and child sex abuse.
"In response to a consultation on the guidelines, a coalition of women’s groups argues that Scotland should follow Iceland in banning strip clubs.
"Businesses involved in the industry criticised the reference to violence. Brightcrew, operators of the Platinum Lace chain, which has a venue in Glasgow, said any “presumption or even inference” that sexual entertainment was a form of violence against women was “unfair, untrue” and “likely to be unlawful”."
I'll bet the sheep are worried. :)