Dressed in a g-string with high top sneakers and a bandanna wrapped around his long blonde hair, Johnny Moon held court inside Seattle’s Cuff Complex on an unusually balmy Saturday night in early spring.
“Don’t get me wrong,” Moon said, swirling a cocktail in one hand. “That law is very important, but it has nothing to do with men or queer nightlife.”
The law Moon is referring to, known as the strippers’ bill of rights, was signed by Washington Gov. Jay Inslee last month. It aims to bring sweeping changes to an industry that often operates in the shadows.
“Strippers are workers, and they should be given the same rights and protections as any other labor force,” said Sen. Rebecca Saldana (D-Seattle), the bill’s sponsor.
Intended to create safer working conditions for entertainers, the law also permits adult clubs to sell alcohol, repealing outdated regulations that resulted in the recent raids of multiple gay bars, including Cuff, by the state liquor board.
Booze and jockstraps aside, Moon sees a gaping loophole in the new law.
“It protects women as strippers. That’s kind of it,” said the chiseled performer, who hails from nearby Portland, Oregon. “Gay clubs and queer go-go dancers are not treated with the same respect, even though they are probably doing more work.”
Moon said there remains a double standard in the industry, with women paid more for less work.
“CIS women get tipped for literally standing there and having a tit,” Moon said.
Porn Pulse interviewed other male dancers in Seattle, who agreed with Moon’s assessment of the “tipping culture,” but most declined to go on record due to fears of retaliation by clients and club owners.
Lars Larson, an adult film actor for Fort Lauderdale based Fab Scout, was the exception, speaking his mind freely.
“Women absolutely make more money stripping,” said Larson, whose buzz cut and tattooed muscular torso oozes manhood. “But, they are also more vulnerable in the sex industry. If gay strip clubs were more lucrative, then we would have more of them.”
For evidence, Larson points to the historically high number of strip clubs in his hometown of Portland, which in 2015 had, reportedly, ballooned to 54 or 1 for every 11,286 residents.
“And of that number, only two are gay clubs,” Larson noted.
Meanwhile, the Washington law contains a provision that caps “house fees” clubs place on performers at $150 or 30% of their nightly earnings. It also requires establishments to provide on-site security and training that addresses topics such as sexual harassment, human trafficking, conflict de-escalation and first aid.
Other measures include door codes for dressing rooms and panic buttons for performers caught in uncomfortable encounters.
“That’s all great, but now we start tip toeing into licensing and for dancers, what does that look like?” Larson said.
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