Legal & Safety

• Legal Action Center
  http://lac.org/
• Red Light Legal
  http://redlightlegal.org/
• SWOP Behind Bars
  http://swopbehindbars.org/
• SOAR Institute
  https://www.soarinstitute.org/
• Adult Biz Law
  https://adultbizlaw.com/
• Walters Law Group
  https://www.firstamendment.com/
• XXX Law
  http://xxxlaw.com/

• Alliance for Global Justice
  http://afgj.org/campaign-for-labor-rights
• American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations
  https://aflcio.org/
• Fair Labor Association
  http://www.fairlabor.org/protecting-workers-rights-worldwide
• Solidarity Center
  https://www.solidaritycenter.org/
• Unite Here
  http://unitehere.org/
• Freelancers Union
  https://www.freelancersunion.org/
• Industrial Workers of the World
  https://www.iww.org/

Sex trafficking is a real phenomenon that occurs throughout the world. Labor traffickers within the sex trade or commercial adult industry use force, abduction, fraud, or coercion in order to make a person perform sexual acts against their will. The different way people are trafficked vary drastically. Some find themselves trafficked by a romantic partner who manipulate and coerce them to engage in prostitution. Others are lured in by false promises of money, modeling, or material items such as a car and clothes. Others find themselves being trafficked by their family members or loved ones.

Be cautious about what “anti-trafficking” organizations you contact for help. They can be great for certain things like immediate shelter, food, toiletries, and helping with bills or rent. However, most organizations are not positive space for trafficking survivors or sex workers and especially not for folks who straddle the line between those two identities. Conversely, may sex workers’ rights organizations may not have proper services in place to assist potential trafficking survivors. The key is to find a balance of services from a variety of organizations.

• • • Freedom Network https://freedomnetworkusa.org/current-members/
    • Rate That Rescue https://www.ratethatrescue.org

Per federal law, it is the industry standard that you must at least be 18 years old to participate in adult entertainment. Of course, we understand there are often complex circumstances that may lead you or someone else to dance underage. Please contact us if you or someone you know is dancing as minor, so we can connect with you the appropriate resources you may need to find more suitable employment.

If you plan on taking a “Paycation” or just want to make some cash while on the road, travel dancing is a great option! A fresh club full of new coworkers, new clients, and new policies can be the perfect change of scenery to boost your earnings.

Prior to packing those Pleasers into your carry on and flying out the door, there are some key things to remember for better chances at success and safety :

• • • Research your destination’s local ordinances, entertainment license requirements, the club options available, business hours and audition times for each club, regional trends for peak earnings, and plan ahead for lodging and transportation.
    • Once you have your top clubs picked out, it’s a good idea to reach out to other dancers you know who work there or to call the club in order to find out more about audition days/times and the application process.
    • Have enough money to eat and get home in case your guest stint is a bust or an emergency arises.
    • Try to travel with a hustle buddy or give a trusted contact back home your travel itinerary.
    • Make sure to have a valid ID and your social security card/passport for auditions.
    • Bring a variety of outfits (Types of panties, garters, stockings, money bags, bikinis, dresses, skirts, pasties/liquid latex, and gowns) to fulfill the different requirements you may have to adhere to during your visit.
    • Bring a your own padlock! Not all dressing rooms will have spare lockers, but you’ll want to protect your things regardless. In addition, only bring what valuables are absolutely necessary into the club and keep your most sacred items at your place of lodging.
    • When possible, go into the start of your shift with your phone at full charge.
    • Prepare driving directions, ride share and taxi service, or transportation to/from the club. Being in a new town and coming or going from a strip club can make you more vulnerable for any creeps and predators lurking those areas. Having a clear plan will help reduce your risk of being targeted.

• • • US Border Rights
      http://maggiestoronto.ca/uploads/File/FINAL_USborderrights.htm

As dancers, we work hard to create fulfilling fantasy for customers in the realms of the strip club. However, it is important to maintain boundaries between our work persona and true self.

While selecting a stage name to go by is an industry norm, here are additional ways you can maintain your privacy with customers, family, and society :

• • • Consider using a burner phone or phone app to exchange numbers with customers in regards to seeing you at work again. It is risky to give your personal cell phone number as it is likely tied to your legal name and even your personal social media accounts.
    • Use discretion when sharing about your personal life with customers. Casually mentioning where you go to school, where you live, or information are parts of your life that you may share normally, but it could put you in a vulnerable position not knowing the intentions of some customers. Even our most beloved regulars can have a change of heart and use any information they have against us. The best option is to opt for a created background story for your professional persona: fake birthday, fake hometown, etc.
    • Use a PO Box instead of your home address if customers want to send you gifts.
    • Be careful who you talk about your life as a stripper. While we may have pride in our job and love what we do, being overly open about our work can have negative consequences, such as hurting future employment opportunities, child custody, and hurt personal relationships. Decide for yourself who and where it is appropriate to share details of your work life with, then stick to those firm boundaries
    • Consider making your personal social media private. If you have separate accounts to promote your work persona, then be sure to not use the same picture in both accounts.

• • • Heart Sucker – Protecting Your Identity as a Sex Worker
      https://heartsucker.com/blog/2016/08/20/protecting-your-identity-as-a-sex-worker
    • Red Light Legal – Sex Workers : Clients Are Seeing You On Facebook! Here’s How To Stop It
      http://redlightlegal.org/sex-workers-clients-are-seeing-you-on-facebook-heres-how-to-stop-it/
    • Cathy Reisenwitz – A Privacy Guide for Sex Workers: Tips and Apps to Keep Your Identity More Secure
      http://cathyreisenwitz.com/a-privacy-guide-for-sex-workers-tips-and-apps-to-keep-your-identity-more-secure/
    • Electronic Frontier Foundation – Protecting Your Anonymity and Privacy: A How-to for Sex Workers
      https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2014/07/protecting-your-anonymity-how-sex-workers

We’re all concerned with safety at work. Clubs might have poor security, clients can try to follow us home, and we’ve all heard about sex workers being robbed or assaulted. It’s true that the money can pit us against one another since we all have bills to pay, but we must stand united against the disproportionate discrimination, violence, and stigma that we all face. If you do have a negative experience, don’t be afraid to reach out to others for help and to warn them of the problem. Being aware of safety concerns is the first step in addressing them.

Although many dancers think blacklists are reserved only for FSSW, it is best to screen any and all regulars to the best of your capability and with what resources you have available to you prior to giving them your contact information, sharing personal details, or meeting with them outside of the club.

“Before a shift, I always make sure a friend knows my schedule for the day. As soon as I get home, I send her a text that I made it back all right.” – Stacey

“I took a self-defense class called Female Self-Awareness. It was super empowering and made me more aware of my surroundings and how to behave in different situations.”

– Vera

Many of us feel unsafe at work when rowdy customers try to violate our physical boundaries or verbally threaten us. It doesn’t matter if the customer tells you that other girls do it or claims to be a friend of the club’s owner. If you feel unsafe, trust your gut and call security.

Here are some tried and true habits to add to your routine :

• • • Don’t hesitate to turn down a customer if you get a bad vibe from him. Additionally, don’t be afraid to remind customers that there are cameras and/or security staff all over the club.
    • If you’re comfortable talking to management at your club, let them know if a certain customer causes you trouble. Many managers will respect your boundaries if you are clear about them.
    • Be cautious about giving out your real name and phone number, and don’t tell customers where you live.
    • Try to get a sense of what is expected in the champagne room at your club. Oftentimes customers may expect or demand more physical contact in the champagne room, and management may be willing to turn a blind eye—or take the customer’s side—because they are getting a share of the profit.

“One time I was in the champagne room with this guy and he was being so grabby, I had to fight him off. In the end he asked for his money back. I thought the manager would take my side but he told me not to come back to work if I wasn’t willing to do what customers wanted in the champagne room.”

– Zoe

If you feel that the management or security staff at your club doesn’t care about your personal safety, you might want to think about trying a different club or have a buddy system with a trusted dancer at the club.

Anyone who has been stripping long enough has probably encountered someone in the club trying to lure them into a job that offers better earnings, a better schedule, and a better life. It’s best to alert other dancers to pass their table until the floor host/bouncer/manager can address the issue. Calling the cops puts your club at risk and doesn’t actually eliminate this from happening again.

When you leave the club, be aware of your surroundings or walk with other dancers or staff for added security. Make sure you have car service phone numbers in case you decide to use them. This is important if you find yourself in a situation where you have been drinking or are not sure if you can get home safely. If you are waiting for a car service or a ride, wait inside until the car comes. Share these safety tips with friends, whether they are dancers or not.

“When it’s late or super-quiet outside, sometimes I’ll walk in the middle of the street rather than the sidewalk.”

– Donna

“I keep my phone in my hand, ready to dial my emergency contact person if I need to.”

– Monique

• • • Center for Anti-Violence Education
      http://caeny.org/
    • Female Awareness
      http://www.femaleawareness.com/
    • Screening 101 from SWOP- Chicago
      https://redlightchicago.wordpress.com/screening-101/
    • VerifyHim – Safety Tips for Dancers When Leaving The Club
      http://www.verifyhim.com/pg/pages/view/93297/
    • How To Strip – Survival Safety
      http://how-to-strip.com/blog/how-to-be-a-stripper-11-safety-tips-you-need-to-survive