Jacksonville strip clubs fight to lower dancer age to 18
shadowcat
Atlanta suburb
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Some Florida strip club owners are lobbying to lower the age limit for dancers from 21 to 18-years-old, calling the current age requirement unconstitutional.
A lawyer representing 13 clubs and four dancers in Jacksonville argued before a federal judge that dancing is a form of expression protected under the First Amendment.
“This is just a ban on speech,” attorney Gary Edinger said.
The city law currently bans dancers under the age of 21 and was passed in an effort to reduce sex trafficking. The measure also requires dancer to have ID city-issued cards.
City attorneys said younger people are more susceptible to the coercion that’s often part of trafficking and argued that 21 is a safer age.
During Friday’s hearing U.S. District Judge Timothy Corrigan repeatedly asked about the trade-off between personal rights and pubic interests.
“When you start telling adults what they can and can’t do, you’ve got to bring the goods. These are people who can vote, they can go into the service,” the judge said.
The Florida Times-Union reports the parties are also arguing over whether issuing ID cards to the dancers as a kind of work permit could be justified as a legal form of prior restraint on dancers who would otherwise have a right to perform.
A lawyer representing 13 clubs and four dancers in Jacksonville argued before a federal judge that dancing is a form of expression protected under the First Amendment.
“This is just a ban on speech,” attorney Gary Edinger said.
The city law currently bans dancers under the age of 21 and was passed in an effort to reduce sex trafficking. The measure also requires dancer to have ID city-issued cards.
City attorneys said younger people are more susceptible to the coercion that’s often part of trafficking and argued that 21 is a safer age.
During Friday’s hearing U.S. District Judge Timothy Corrigan repeatedly asked about the trade-off between personal rights and pubic interests.
“When you start telling adults what they can and can’t do, you’ve got to bring the goods. These are people who can vote, they can go into the service,” the judge said.
The Florida Times-Union reports the parties are also arguing over whether issuing ID cards to the dancers as a kind of work permit could be justified as a legal form of prior restraint on dancers who would otherwise have a right to perform.
Got something to say?
Start your own discussion
26 comments
i get a feeling that sometimes they are actually more happy than you are when they get that money. you can see it on their faces.
1) some of these girls have been fucking since 14; might as well make some $$$ from it
2) if they are old enough to go fight in war they are old enough to sell ass
at palimino (vegas) 18 can dance even though alcohol is served.
" if they are old enough to go fight in war they are old enough to sell ass"
AND you can do porn as soon as you turn 18 (amateur or professional) - a huge step above stripping, in my opinion. Not every producer/company is a good-willed, but they don't bump the age requirement to 21 just because they think older actresses will have less run-ins with those types.
It seems Jacksonville has a lot of colleges though? Are a lot of dancers students or something and that’s why club owners are fighting for 18+ ?
Lol. I doubt I've met five 18-20 y.o. dancers in J'ville over the last 8 years who were actually in a full time college program, excluding a few girls who were going to hair dressing and Cosmetology schools.
Much more likely is that they want to protect their supply of fresh young talent flowing from Jacksonville and Palatka high schools into the clubs. Now it often doesn't happen immediately after graduation, but rather once the girls are 6 months to a year removed from school and the reality of real life has started sinking in. Though I did once meet an early bloomer who was dancing while she was still in her senior year.
What do you think it comes down to then, in your opinion? The girls visibly age faster/more prone to significant weight gain over there? Or girls who stick with dancing are more likely to move to other cities? If you had to make a guess.
I read somewhere once that the average lifespan of a stripper career is 6 months. For every 10 girls that start dancing at a young age, I suspect that only 1-2 are still doing it a year later. Hence the need for a fresh pipeline of young new talent.
at palimino (vegas) 18 can dance even though alcohol is served.
I don't care which age politicians choose, but just choose one for fuck's sake.
It's interesting the way state laws differ and what kind of pressure can be put on the legal system to adjust these laws for the sake of profit.