In the lap of fate

As Scottish Government plans to introduce a licensing scheme for sexual entertainment venues move forward, Violence Against Women Partnerships has called on Scotland to follow Iceland and ban lapdancing clubs outright. The government’s Equally Safe campaign defines violence against women as including lap dancing and stripping.

This is getting silly. Unless the dancers are coerced, lapdancing may be sleazy but it is not an act of violence. If the dancers want to perform in clubs, that’s their business. They are adult, possessed of all their faculties and with a right to self determination. They don’t need patronising and – ironically – paternalist feminist groups telling them what’s good for them.

Dourpresbyterian Its a fairly distasteful/

desperate form of entertainment but living in a democracy allows us to choose (or it should, anyway) and not be dictated to by government or pressure groups. I don’t object to anyone earning a living any way they like but do object to where these places are located. The scum they attract is not the best way to present our cities to the wider world.

Little Goose Women’s rights groups which want to take away women’s livelihoods. Aye, that makes sense!

Reality Demands To Be Heard Why do women allow other women, who appoint themselves as their moral guardians and feminist protectors, to decide what they shoud be allowed to do for a living? Were a religious group to suggest banning such establishments, they would be condemned as the last vestiges of tyrannical patriarchy and told, by these

same self-appointed alpha females, to sling their hook.

Arch Stainton All that would happen is that this practice would continue, but illegally and make the women who work there unsafe by removing any kind of regulation.

Canyonero Lapdancing clubs may be distasteful but a legal ban is not the way forward. If some women prefer the regime of lapdancing clubs to the dreadful working conditions in some call centres and distribution centres, that should be up to them. There is a certain kind of absolutist mind that wants to ban absolutely what is morally

objectionable to them rather than working to limit damage.

PF Brownsey If all taking part – lap-dancers and clients – are willing participants, why ban? What harm are they doing? Or is it puritan sour grapes from the banners ? Holyrood should concentrate on genuine issues and not pander to such silly nonsense.

daftgowk If a lady wants to earn money by lapdancing what right have you to stop her? This is yet another freedom being removed.

British and in scotland Is that the Chippendales finished too? Might as well

throw that plastic wrap away then!

Graeme Gibson Maybe they do not strip in Iceland because it is too cold?

Johnenosee