The Strippers’ Bill of Rights, a piece of legislation in Washington state that supporters claim offers the most extensive statewide protections in the country, was signed into law on Monday.
The new law mandates that staff members receive training on how to stop sexual harassment, recognize and report human trafficking, defuse disputes peacefully, and provide first aid. Additionally, it requires the presence of security personnel on the premises, panic buttons in areas where performers may be alone with patrons, and keypad codes on dressing rooms.
The bill, which allows the clubs to offer alcohol and improves working conditions for those in the adult entertainment sector, was signed by Governor Jay Inslee.
Bill sponsor, Sen. Rebecca Saldaña of Seattle, said in a news release that “strippers are workers, and they should be given the same rights and protections as any other labor force”. “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”, she added.
The measure also places restrictions on the fees that dancers, who are often independent workers, can be charged by businesses. $150 is the maximum price each night, or thirty percent of the dancer’s pay – whichever is less.
The advocacy group Strippers Are Workers spearheaded the initiative and battled for the measure’s passage. “For five years we have organized and built consensus with dancers to develop a bill that will address issues in the Washington adult entertainment industry and get dancers more workers’ rights and protections,” the group had said before the bill was signed into law. “Dancers deserve to do their work equitably, safely, and without stigmatization.”
