In the state of Florida, a cadre of dancers under 21 have initiated a legal challenge against the recently enacted state law that prohibits their employment in strip clubs. Upended by this mandate, the livelihoods of these young dancers, along with the operational aspects of adult entertainment establishments, have been considerably altered since the law went into effect this past Monday. As FOX 13 News reports, the age requirement prior to this directive was 18, allowing those of legal adulthood to work in such venues. Advocates of the change contend that the raised age limit bolsters efforts to combat human trafficking and better protect dancers.
However, Serenity Bushey, a 19-year-old dancer who is part of the suit, claims the amendment of the law is to her detriment, forcefully rerouting her future aspirations to finance her education, secure a home, and start a family. Alongside Bushey, other workers affected by the law span a range of roles beyond performers, including cooks and security personnel. Inflicted by this incontrovertible turn of policy, the adult entertainers and supporting staff have found their constitutional freedoms angled precariously under the gavel of legislative intent.
The federal lawsuit, which was filed in Tallahassee, requests a halt on enforcement of the law, deeming it unconstitutional under the First and Fourteenth Amendments which protect free speech and equal protection, respectively. As documented by the New York Post, this challenge has been brought forward not only by the individual dancers but also by the strip club owners and two other adult businesses in Jacksonville.
According to a statement obtained by WUSF, the law's restrictions have ricocheted through Cafe Risque, where eight additional dancers over 18 but under 21 have been sidelined due to the new legislation. "As with similar performers around the state, Bushey earned her living through her art while providing entertainment for the benefit and enjoyment of her audience," the lawsuit stated, emphasizing the impact felt by the individuals behind the performances. Challenges to the law extend to ancillary positions and the services provided by third-party contractors who now find their employment options restrained by an age bar not previously in place.
Despite not having been served with the lawsuit yet, Kylie Mason, the communications director for the Office of the Attorney General, expressed Tuesday that the office's stance is to defend the law's enactment and purpose. The dancers, in their contestation, maintain that their "clear legal right to engage in protected speech of this nature" holds precedent – a claim casting young adults across Florida into a collective moment of reckoning with the statutes meant to govern their expression and economic survival.
