1. LOOKING AT STRIPPERS DIFFERENTLY
Cincinnati Post, The (OH) - January 4, 2007
Author: Kevin Eigelbach
Readability: 6-8 grade level (Lexile: 1000)
Last night, Campbell County Fiscal Court unanimously approved new restrictions on adult entertainment businesses, especially those that
allow semi-nude dancing.
The decision wasn't a great surprise. After all, no elected official wants to look soft on sex shops.
I attended the court's public hearing about the ordinance last month, then read the first draft. Dull, but effective.
I didn't know that even before this ordinance, local strippers could appear only "semi-nude" -- no showing of pubic areas, bottom cleavage
or female breasts with areolas showing. The ordinance spells this all out in minute detail.
It also spells out where strippers can perform: a stage at least 2 feet tall, at least 5 feet from any customers and separated from them by a
rail or other barrier. The showroom itself also has restrictions: lighting of at least 20 lumens, measured at 3 feet above the floor.
I'm sure that's intended to prevent strippers and customers from indulging in "specified sexual activity" in dark corners. The ordinance
defines this "activity" as well: masturbation, sexual intercourse or sodomy.
Owners lose their licenses if they allow any such activity on the premises. That appears to apply even to a couple of customers who get
frisky with each other.
You may wonder why the county doesn't just ban semi-nude dancing. It has to do with the U.S. Supreme Court's upholding a stripper's
right to express herself through the dance.
It's a legitimate argument. Anyone who says there's no art to striptease has never seen a bad one.
Listening to the ordinance hearing reminded me of the days following my 21st birthday, when a friend and I visited some strip joints in
Louisville. It was a time in our lives when we wanted to do all things forbidden -- have our first legal drinks, see naked women, drive
around aimlessly, stay out way too late.
Although we were eager to see naked women, we looked down on the strippers. They were good enough for us to leer over, maybe even
to buy sex from, but that's all.
My friend advised me that they would probably ask us to buy them drinks. The more we bought, the more sexual favors we could get from
them.
Sure enough, when we stopped at one downtown club, a lovely dancer dressed as a cowgirl, showing a healthy amount of breast
cleavage -- but no areolas -- sat down with me.
When I told her I was nervous, she clasped my cold hand in both of hers, as if praying with me, and assured me I didn't have to be. She
looked happy and full of life.
I felt like I ought to warn her that I wasn't buying, before she invested too much time in me. So I abruptly told her I didn't have any money.
"That's OK," she quickly replied, but it wasn't. A surprised and wounded look replaced her friendly smile.
We sat together awkwardly for a while until she moved on.
I haven't visited a strip joint in 20 years, but I've never forgotten that woman's face. Her wounded expression showed me that she was not
an object, not a Penthouse centerfold come to life, but a person with feelings.
I feel bad about it to this day because I assumed she was a prostitute. I didn't give her a chance to prove otherwise.
If I had it to do over again, I would have bought her as many drinks as she wanted, for as long as she wanted to sit with me, without
expecting anything in return.
We could have talked and watched the show, and I could have asked her what a nice girl like her was doing taking her clothes off for
losers like me.

2. Staff reporter Kevin Eigelbach writes on religion for The Post. Write him at keigelbach@cincypost.com.
Edition: Cincinnati Section: Living Page number: B5 Record: 0701050049 Copyright: Copyright (c) 2007 The Cincinnati Post