I think this is the first time I've posted here, and perhaps it's the wrong place to post, but I could do with knowing at least some people out there feel the same way I do...
My city (small UK city, pop 330,000, most of whom are pretty poor) currently doesn't have any lap-dancing clubs. I've today attended a licensing meeting in a last-ditch attempt to stop someone opening one. Although I couldn't stay until the decision was announced, right from the start it was clear that the city council were going to grant the license.
I tried. I wasn't allowed to speak as my objection had been received a day too late (despite publicity for the license application only being published on the last day of consultation). The club manager and his entourage of two heavies, a local club manager 'representative' and two solicitors defended their application on the grounds that 'it's legal'. Throughout the whole meeting debate focussed on whether the club would upset people walking past, whether people could see in and be shocked etc.
'The Girls' were mentioned once, and that was to state they'd be 'employed by local agencies' (of which there are none), and they'd 'be over 21' (a lie). Security will consist of one wandering security guard, and unmonitored cctv.
No question of whether the council should support sexual exploitation by granting such a place a license, no question of the safety of the women working there, and a blithe statement about a local (very large) city that has 11 strip clubs and 'no police reports of increase in sexual violence'.
I despair, I really do. I'm sick to f*cking death of watching idiotic, money-hungry, middle-aged gangsters being allowed to get away with w*nking over women in as many ways as possible. No matter what evidence put in front of the council, they dismissed it all out of hand - either as irellevent to licensing (as in a 700+ petition and objections on the grounds of sexism and exploitation) or as being received too late (as in my submission of The Bindel Report. I feel once more as though, no matter what I do and how hard I try to play their game, I'm the one left looking the idiot and loser, as they happily skip off to w*nk over more women. It's like being a prostitute all over again, and I despair, I really do. :'-(
My city (small UK city, pop 330,000, most of whom are pretty poor) currently doesn't have any lap-dancing clubs. I've today attended a licensing meeting in a last-ditch attempt to stop someone opening one. Although I couldn't stay until the decision was announced, right from the start it was clear that the city council were going to grant the license.
I tried. I wasn't allowed to speak as my objection had been received a day too late (despite publicity for the license application only being published on the last day of consultation). The club manager and his entourage of two heavies, a local club manager 'representative' and two solicitors defended their application on the grounds that 'it's legal'. Throughout the whole meeting debate focussed on whether the club would upset people walking past, whether people could see in and be shocked etc.
'The Girls' were mentioned once, and that was to state they'd be 'employed by local agencies' (of which there are none), and they'd 'be over 21' (a lie). Security will consist of one wandering security guard, and unmonitored cctv.
No question of whether the council should support sexual exploitation by granting such a place a license, no question of the safety of the women working there, and a blithe statement about a local (very large) city that has 11 strip clubs and 'no police reports of increase in sexual violence'.
I despair, I really do. I'm sick to f*cking death of watching idiotic, money-hungry, middle-aged gangsters being allowed to get away with w*nking over women in as many ways as possible. No matter what evidence put in front of the council, they dismissed it all out of hand - either as irellevent to licensing (as in a 700+ petition and objections on the grounds of sexism and exploitation) or as being received too late (as in my submission of The Bindel Report. I feel once more as though, no matter what I do and how hard I try to play their game, I'm the one left looking the idiot and loser, as they happily skip off to w*nk over more women. It's like being a prostitute all over again, and I despair, I really do. :'-(
