stealing her hard earned money
The State of Louisiana has raised the legal age for exotic dancers from 18 to 21. Why? To combat sex trafficking.
Is this law a good idea? Let's see. Among other things, the law will prevent many female high school graduates from going to college, as the law would prevent 18, 19, 20 year-old females from becoming even a part time exotic dancer. Thus, the law may have the unintended consequence of preventing young women of legal age (18) from earning enough money to afford college.
The state is being sued on the law, for discrimination. In a federal lawsuit, the dancers say the law violates the First Amendment by denying them freedom of expression, and violates the Constitution's equal protection clause by unfairly targeting women.
How so? They say the law's definition of strip club performers as "entertainers whose breasts or buttocks are exposed to view" fails to prohibit the same conduct by male strippers who are between the ages of 18 and 21. Hey, fair and equal means fair and equal, right?
One plaintiff says she has witnessed pimps and prostitutes trying to use the new law in a New Orleans strip club to "recruit entertainers who are now lawfully employed, but who will lose their jobs as a result of the Act."
Another plaintiff, identified as an 18-year-old LSU student, says other dancers under 21 have told her they plan to switch to prostitution once they can no longer dance.
Once again, politicians and bureaucrats, in trying to make things better, will make things worse. Congratulations, Louisiana, in combating sex trafficking this law will probably create more used and abused and exploited young women. This law will rob women, age 18-20, of an excellent job opportunity and a lucrative career and a way to pay for college. And will motivate 18-20 year-old female strippers to turn into hookers and call girls and sex workers. With this law the State of Louisiana is taking away a young woman's right to earn a legal living as an 18-20 year-old exotic dancer. Thus the state may, in reality, be helping to create more hookers and more illegal prostitution. And more abused and exploited and sex trafficked young women. And that helps young women, how?
This law is a bad idea. Repeal it.
