Thread: Calling all Promoters who have had pressure from or been closed down by local council

I can't tell whether this might be scare-mongering by the Lap Dancing Association to get support against Roberta Blackman-Woods and Object's campaign to change legislation for licensing lap dancing clubs but the report in The Stage yesterday was interesting and I'm off to find out more:

Lap Dancing Association warns proposed legislation could tarnish burlesque and nude performer venues as “sex encounter establishments�

Burlesque shows and theatre performances involving nudity could become the victims of proposed legislation intended to relicense lap dancing clubs, say opponents.

Trade body the Lap Dancing Association, which claims to represent one in three UK clubs, is fighting moves to retitle its member venues “sex encounter establishments�.

The association, which last week presented a 3,000-strong petition against reclassification to Downing Street, says the new licence needs a stricter legal definition of which forms of nude entertainment it would apply to.

“If not, the licence could inadvertently capture everything from traditional burlesque - made popular by performers such as Dita Von Teese - to naked actors on stage in the theatre, like Daniel Radcliffe in Equus,� said the LDA.

Far from cracking down on bad practice, says the LDA, the proposed measure by Labour backbencher Roberta Blackman-Woods will leave “irresponsible operations untouched� while increasing costs for legal operators by £8,000 annually.

“The reality is that the imposition of SEELS [Sex Encounter Establishment Licence] on already licensed premises would involve huge practical problems for licensing authorities, as a robust and detailed description of nude and partially nude entertainment would have to be drawn up,� said the LDA in its report on the rule change.

The association said it supported moves to crack down on unregulated establishments, but insists this can be addressed through changes to the 2003 Licensing Act.

LDA secretary Kate Nicholls told The Stage that representatives are due to meet with Home Office officials to discuss alternative proposals and will also present evidence to the Select Committee on Culture, Media and Sport this month.

The reforms suggested by MP Blackman-Woods have won strong support from feminist groups and also the powerful Local Government Association, which represents a total of 446 councils in England and Wales.

But Equity is supporting lap dancers in their concern to ensure that the new licence continues to recognise them as performers.

Union spokesman Martin Brown said: “If [relicensing] establishments would reclassify the people who work in them, then we are opposed. We are opposed to exotic dancers being classified as sex workers.

“Our members have made it very clear to us that they are, first and foremost, dancers and they absolutely object to attempts to classify them as sex workers.�

Lap dancers were first admitted into the union in 2002. Previous attempts by other unions to recruit them failed in one case after performers feared they would be categorised as sex workers.


What do we reckon?

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I found this: Plans for Sex Encounter Establishment (Licensing) Bill Dropped > Poppleston Allen: Licensing Solicitors based in Nottingham and London

does this mean the report is out of date or is it being pushed again?

I'm afraid I really don't get the puritanical attitude - if people want to make money taking their clothes of (male or female) where the problem? If you don't like it then don't go to a lap dancing club!?

Anyway little rant aside I also found this definition of a "sex encounter establishment":

Originally Posted by Rossendale Council

A sex encounter establishment is any premises where live performances are given which wholly or mainly comprise of sexual stimulation of the persons admitted to the premises. This would include a 'peep show' strip club or like establishment.

which does seem to cover a strip / lap dance establishment but (for me anyway) really doesn't cover a burlesque night. Of course with Harriet Harman in the hot seat at the moment sanity and rationality in this area may count for very little

hmmmm...one to keep an eye on, I think....

Thanks for posting this Tempest.

In 2001 I began a PhD research project on the strip clubs in Scotland and am finally submitting the thesis this year. "The Private, the Public and the Pubic: Naked Power in Scotland" is an examination of power relations in these environments; moving away from the 'tired' gender based/feminist arguments of power and instead, addressing the subject from the perspective of perceived service provision and consumption.

I was dismayed at the lack of UK based academic work on striptease and strip clubs; there is a great deal of excellent work on prostitution and North American academics like Judith Hannah have explored exotic dance in the US, but in the UK there was an academic black hole.....


During my research, in 2004, the Scottish Executive held a year long enquiry into adult entertainment in Scotland (AEWG) - which really should have encompassed a variety of products be they print, media or live entertainment....however, the focus was simply on lap dancing. Needless to say the agendas of various public bodies and pressure groups was evident from the outset and the subsequent report is devoid of any data that is of academic value. The recommendations for the strip club sector of the industry were draconian to say the least, ie banning nudity itself....


My academic studies involved examining pressure groups and activists. Consequently, I became actively involved with the IUSW (International Union of Sex Workers) and took part in the 2005 Conference held at the European Parliament where sex workers created a Manifesto and Declaration of Sex Workers Rights. But I hear you shout, 'strippers are not sex workers!' - whilst they may not be defined as sex workers they are widely regarded as adult entertainers.

The entire debate comes down to the perception of content and the intention of the perfomer, consumer and non-consuming public.

Afterall, some comics are notoriously 'blue' - and you would not ask them to do a children's party..... and they too could be perceived to be 'adult entertainers' but often aren't.

Regardless of definitions and perceptions of adult entertainment, all of these activities are protected under the Human Rights Act (which the UK signed) and represent forms of freedom of expression.

The IUSW has tirelessly campaigned against the proposals of the AEWG and I also submitted a paper to the BSA Scottish Studies group analysing the flawed research methodology of the AEWG. Afterall, if the methodology is fundamentally flawed, then the data generated simply cannot be used to justify legislation. We fought the proposals using the Human Rights Act and to my knowledge, Scotland can continue to dance naked - although some other proposals will be enforced in 2009.

Anyway, in response to your question Tempest - I only wish the industry had united in Scotland.....

Burlesquers don't panic, just remember the Human Rights Act and keep a sense of humour!

Gypsy

I reckon it's scare mongering myself ... the article even says there has to be debate about what wording the legislation would need. It'll probably end up being debated so much a decision will never be reached and it'll all just fizzle out.

It bugs me that they have support from 'feminist groups'. No no Mr Journalist, 'extremist groups' perhaps ... The people with the extreme views can never be seen to represent the majority - and they always ruin it for the rest of us!

I should be fine as I don't think anyone gets any sexual stimulation when I'm on stage!!

Originally Posted by Calliope Cootch

I should be fine as I don't think anyone gets any sexual stimulation when I'm on stage!!

Oh honey! Lol!

With this and the forthcoming ban on 'extream' pornography looming it is becoming clear that for some reason, sexual interests and activities that fall outside the broad mainstream are being severly clamped down on and our liberties infringed. Now is not a time for complacancy regarding our rights.

Originally Posted by Vendetta Vain

for some reason, sexual interests and activities that fall outside the broad mainstream

Which is odd, because you would have thought that strip clubs and the like were pretty mainstream!

Vendetta Vain - I agree with you there. I'm very suspicious of the "extreme pornography" ban. It doesn't affect me personally but there are lots of people it will affect unfairly. As far as I'm concerned if the people involved are consenting adults and no one gets seriously hurt it's no one elses buisiness what those people do in private.

I don't think the lap dancing club thing will go through, if it does it shouldn't affect burlesque, but that doesn't mean it won't. Burlesque is obviously not a "sex encounter".

Originally Posted by Emiwee

I don't think the lap dancing club thing will go through, if it does it shouldn't affect burlesque, but that doesn't mean it won't. Burlesque is obviously not a "sex encounter".

Obvious to you, me and well anyone with a clue - I'm not sure the lovely Harriet H and people like OBJECT fall into this catagory though