Freedom of degradation

Last year, ABC News reported that Portland tops the nation in the number of strip clubs where full nudity, alcohol and video gambling are allowed within a single establishment. And that number appears to still be growing.

According to KGW, the Mynt Gentleman’s Club in Portland’s Laurelhurst neighborhood was granted a liquor license by a vote of four to one from the Oregon Liquor Control Commission, despite arguments from many neighborhood residents who did not find the strip club to be appropriate for their area.

But what is so bad about stripping?

There are people in this world who think that stripping is a personal choice and that women or men who strip should do whatever they feel is right for them. There are also people who think that stripping is not just entertainment but is in fact a form of prostitution.

It may not be sex, but it is payment for stripping. Is that not simple compensation in return for a sexual act? Something people forget is the sexual aspect of strip clubs. If dancing nude was the true aspect of stripping, then perhaps it could be entertainment, but dancing nude on the stage often includes sex acts that are done to arouse sexual desire in the customer.

Why do you think striptease workout videos such as Carmen Electra’s Aerobic Striptease or the Exotic Dance Workout DVDs come out so that women can learn the same moves as a stripper but perform them on their partner in the privacy of their own home? The lap and private dances that are taught on the DVDs are the same sexually explicit moves performed naked onstage in front of many people. These dances are meant to make contact between the stripper and the customer, whether it is by having breasts in the face or body of the customer, or something even more sexual.

As many people forget about such sexual aspects of stripping, this also leads to sexual harassment for almost every stripper in one point of their career. According to The Freedom and Justice Center for Prostitution Resources, “strippers are not entitled to file discrimination claims, receive workers’ compensation or unemployment benefits. Club owners are free from tax obligations and tort liability. Owners pay no Social Security taxes, no health insurance and no sick pay. Some club owners require strippers to sign agreements indicating that they are working as independent contractors and many clubs require women to sign a waiver of their right to sue the club for any reason.”

Still not convinced?

A survey conducted by the same organization reported that “customers spit on women, spray beer and flick cigarettes at them. Strippers are pelted with ice, coins, trash, condoms, room keys, pornography and golf balls…customers often attempt and succeed at penetrating strippers vaginally and anally with their fingers, dollar bills and bottles. Customers expose their penises, rub their penises on women and masturbate in front of the women.”

What is even more bizarre is that the Oregon Supreme Court ruled in 2005 that Oregon’s Constitution protects these kinds of live sex acts in strip clubs as “freedom of expression.”

Perhaps it is “freedom of expression,” but no one should forget that stripping is nearly the same as prostitution. Aside from being labeled a whore, stripping is degrading to women and men alike.

What is the difference between buying someone for sex and buying someone to give you sexual arousal?