Slow Death Of The Strip Club

Although I am not dancing anymore, I am devastated. Most people probably don't realize how heartbreaking it is for industry members to see so many British Columbia strip clubs closing. We are one of the few provinces left where dancers are consistently paid for their stage shows and women who need options for financial independence can work without crossing any physical boundaries.

If strip clubs in B.C. hadn't offered no-contact dances and paid stage shows, I don't know what I would have done ten years ago when I was trying to survive on $350/month working in retail and conducting a futile and depressing job search. It's hard to describe how this industry saved me because so many people assume that it is degrading and exploitive. But for me, it was the light at the end of the tunnel when I was barely surviving financially or emotionally. Stripping gave me both - money and happiness - when I was at one of the lowest times in my life.

As the clubs continue to close down, there are less and less options for women in our province. Sex industry work is the only option for many women. I'm not just talking about women who are drug addicted or uneducated, although it is an important option for them as well. I'm talking about single moms, women with disabilities, women who are supporting their parents or sick loved ones - women who are poor and need the money to survive.