For months, Andrea studied for her master s degree in library sciences between dancing naked at clubs in Seattle. But then she was sexually assaulted at work and slapped by a customer and nobody …
Washington s industry is broken, said Madison Zack-Wu, an exotic dancer and campaigner. It relies on charging dancers high fees and cutting corners on staffing and security for profit.
The bills are the culmination of six years of advocacy work by Strippers Are Workers, a dancer-led organization in Washington, in response to wide regulation gaps for strippers at the 11 clubs across the state, said Madison Zack-Wu, its campaign manager.
Adult dancers in Washington state are fighting for statewide worker protections that advocates say would be the most comprehensive in the U.S. The industry has such wide regulation gaps that dancers have had to fend for themselves for safety in the workplace. The proposals being considered in the Democratic-controlled Legislature are known as the strippers’ bill of rights. They would require at least one dedicated security guard at each club as well as employee training on preventing sexual harassment and assault. The bills are the culmination of six years of advocacy work by Strippers Are Workers, a dancer-led organization in Washington.
Adult dancers in Washington state are fighting for statewide worker protections that advocates say would be the most comprehensive in the U.S. The industry has such wide regulation gaps that