In the UK the steady increase of lap-dancing establishments over the last ten years or so has inevitably aroused public interest. There has been a tendency for media reports and public discussion to view and portray the industry as immoral and/or exploitative.
This is apparent in the recent proposals put forward under the Policing and Crime Bill, currently being discussed in the House of Lords.The Bill stipulates that lap-dancing clubs be re-licensed as ‘sex encounter establishments’, in a similar way to sex shops and sex cinemas, and cease to be regulated under the Licensing Act 2003. Pressure to re-license lap-dancing clubs is a result of the proposals and actions of a number of different public sources; in particular, the lobbying of women’s pressure groups ‘Object’ and the ‘Fawcett Society’. They strongly oppose the current licensing on the basis that such establishments are linked to crime and disorder and, more generally, promote the victimisation of women.
They suggest that re-licensing lap-dancing clubs will hinder the growth of the industry by giving the public more power to object to the opening of clubs.
However, there are a number of problems with these new proposals.
Lap-dancers are likely to be further stigmatised when they are viewed as ‘sex encounter workers’, and the proposed re-licensing is likely to give a false impression of what is on offer to the public in clubs.
In addition, as the number of lap-dancing clubs is likely to be cut, many dancers could find themselves out of work.
In response to these recent policy debates an academic at Teesside University has received a grant from the British Academy to research how lap-dancing clubs are viewed and used by customers. Through interviewing lap-dancing customers, this study intends to identify the different reasons for their attendance and customer experiences of these clubs.
It is hoped that by understanding how and why customers use these clubs it might help these recent policy discussions move further forward in establishing the actual role and purpose of lap-dancing clubs within the leisure industry.
If you are interested in learning more about this project or are based in the UK, go to lap-dancing clubs and would like to take part in this study, please contact Dr Rachela Colosi via email [email protected]
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