History was made when the so-called strippers’ ‘bill of rights’ was signed into law on Tuesday. The bill, signed by Washington Gov. Jay Inslee (D), represents the most comprehensive protections for the adult entertainment industry in the nation, according to Yahoo! News. Proponents for the introduced legislation have described the measure as necessary for providing adequate worker protections in an often-overlooked industry.
“Strippers are workers, and they should be given the same rights and protections as any other labor force,” declares bill sponsor state Sen. Rebecca Saldaña (D) in a public statement. “If they are employed at a legal establishment in Washington, they deserve the safeguards that every worker is entitled to, including protection from exploitation, trafficking and abuse.”
The new Washington state law will require adult entertainment establishments to address safety concerns for their employees with measures such as formal trainings to prevent sexual harassment, human trafficking and conflict escalation. The bill also enhances security requirements at clubs, such as outfitting dressing rooms with locks and panic buttons.
“It is crucial that we confront the stigma surrounding adult entertainment and recognize the humanity of those involved in the industry,” adds Saldaña.
Additionally, the new protocol limits fees from establishments for dancers who are classed as independent contractors.
The bill, signed by Washington Gov. Jay Inslee (D), represents the most comprehensive protections for the adult entertainment industry in the nation.
“The fees are capped at $150 or 30 percent of a dancer’s income a night, whichever is less,” reports Yahoo! News.
Further, adult entertainment businesses are at last allowed to acquire liquor licenses in Washington as a result of the law, an issue we covered in two prior news story on ExoticDancer.com: here and here.
The resolutions comes after advocacy from Strippers Are Workers, an organization which fought for six years to see the measure through. The group argued for a common standard after their report showed a wide regulation gap among the 11 adult entertainment establishments in the state. Workers complained to the organization about the issues addressed in the bill: relaxed security, unsafe working environments and backlash or blacklisting if they brought harassment issues to managers.
Across the United States, Illinois is the only other state to have any protections for adult entertainment workers, with a similar measure which was passed in 2019.
Read the original story on Yahoo! News right here.
