Washington Governor Jay Inslee has signed new protections for adult entertainment dancers.
The policy – Senate Bill 6105 – is popularly known as the Stripper Bill of Rights. There are currently 11 strip clubs in Washington.
"It's pretty simple why we're passing this bill," Inslee said during the bill signing on March 25, per KUOW. "These are working folks, and working people deserve safety in the environment in which they work."
Under the new law, strip clubs are obligated to take certain steps to ensure the safety of the performers. Clubs must have full-time security guards, keypads with codes on all dressing room doors, panic buttons and a protocol to deal with violent patrons. Additionally, all strip clubs must post signs that say dancers do not have to turn over their tips and must train their employees on ways to prevent sexual harassment.
The law also set a maximum amount that clubs can charge to rent the stage and opens the door to eventually legalizing the sale of alcohol in strip clubs.
“The department may require annual reporting on training required under this subsection in a manner determined by the department,” states SB 6105.
The bill’s sponsor, Washington Senator Rebecca Saldaña, said that it is “crucial” to “confront the stigma surrounding adult entertainment and recognize the humanity of those involved in the industry.”
“Strippers are workers, and they should be given the same rights and protections as any other labor force,” said Saldaña in a news release. “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.”
State Representative Amy Whalen proposed House Resolution 2036, the companion bill, in December.
“It is a legal, licensed business operation in the state of Washington, so the people who work there deserve our attention and our respect and the protections that every other Washington worker gets,” she told AP News in February.
Advocates for the Stripper Bill of Rights celebrated Inslee’s support. A coalition of exotic dancers from Washington co-signed a letter to state lawmakers and the Seattle City Council in 2021 imploring they take action on their behalf.
“Dancing can be a crucial path to economic security for women, people of color, people with disabilities, and single parents,” they wrote. “But anti-sex-work stigma has led to our work being effectively criminalized. Zoning regulations and the alcohol ban prevent new clubs from opening, and restrictive local ordinances control how we dress, dance, and interact with customers.”
The law was not universally embraced after it was passed by the legislature.
“Since Washington lawmakers passed the Strippers’ Bill of Rights, the Washington Association of Prosecuting Attorneys, including King County Prosecuting Attorney Leesa Manion and Seattle City Attorney Ann Davison, have tried to undercut some of its important provisions,” reports The News Tribune.
