Strip clubs fight to avoid sex-industry re-licensing
Venues aiming for minimum standards
A new trade body for lap-dancing clubs, the Lap Dancing Association (LDA), launched on Monday, is fighting a move that would see clubs re-licensed as sex-encounter establishments.
Lobby group Object is pushing for the new title under a campaign called "Stripping the illusion: the re-licence lap dancing campaign". Object is working with a coalition of MPs, peers and Durham MP Roberta Blackman-Woods towards a 10-Minute Rule Bill to raise the issue in Parliament.
"Our campaign strips the illusion that you can licence cappuccinos in the same way as you licence lap dancing," said Object spokesperson Sandrine Leveque.
"Re-categorisation of lap-dancing clubs will take power out of the hands of club operators and put it back into the hands of local authorities and local people.
"It's time to start licensing lap-dancing clubs for what they really are — part of the sex industry."
However, the LDA has called on Object to work with it to improve standards and claims its literature is "factually inaccurate" and "over-sensationalised".
Simon Warr, president of Spearmint Rhino and LDA chairman, said: "Like Object we are concerned about
the practices of irrespon-sible operators and poten-tial links with prostitution and drugs.
"Classifying us as sex-encounter establishments will do nothing to prevent this and will simply drive irresponsible operators underground.
"At the LDA we are working to help the industry come of age and adopt minimum standards of best practice.
"We would urge Object to work with us on that — not against us."
