Soiling our reputation further
If the city of Houston had anything going for it in the early nineties, it was that we had the best strip clubs in the country. No one, no one at all, questioned that. People would travel far and wide to come to Houston and see our strippers. Strippers would aspire to dance in Houston.
In 1997, everything changed. For some reason, City Council wasn't as thrilled about our being the very best in the country in this particular area as the patrons, out of town guests, and devotees of free buffetts. Houston Proud*, they were not.
So they passed the no touching ordinance, making the radius three feet. And the licence ordinance.** And they got rid of VIP rooms.
And the 1500 feet from homes, schools, churches and other places that might gasp and swoon should a stripper be dancing (behind closed doors with lots of bouncers around to keep kids and other riff raff out) near by ordinance.
Houston no longer has the reputation it once had as the Best Place to See Strippers in the United States.
Stupid ass Bible Belt was supposed to stop at around Conroe, not make it far down to Houston. But no, they had to start building megachurches here. Fuckers.
So, emasculated as the strip clubs were, imagine my surprise to it's going to get worse.Some of Houston's best-known topless clubs might have to relocate because of a federal judge's recent ruling, city officials said Monday.
In the latest decision on local regulation of sexually oriented businesses, U.S. District Judge Nancy Atlas has ruled the city can double, from 750 to 1,500 feet, the distance required between the clubs and "sensitive" areas including schools and churches.
That new requirement could imperil dozens of topless clubs and adult book stores.
Atlas wrote that the ordinance, passed in 1997, didn't violate the businesses' First Amendment rights because alternate sites are available where they could relocate and comply with the regulations.
The businesses could appeal last week's ruling, preventing immediate enforcement. Attorneys for those businesses, who filed suit over the ordinance in 1997, couldn't be reached for comment Monday.
The decision is the latest twist in a years-long legal battle about changes in 1997 to the city's sexually oriented businesses ordinance, and a victory for police and some neighborhood activists, who have sought tougher regulations for years.
"They may be lawful businesses, but they create a danger to our kids," said Houston police Capt. Steve Jett, who heads the department's Vice Division. "It's just a big success for Houston to be able to regulate where these sexually oriented businesses operate."
The ruling could affect well-known establishments including The Men's Club at 3303 Sage, and Treasures at 5647 Westheimer. Managers at those facilities couldn't be reached Monday, but city officials said they wouldn't be eligible for licenses under the ordinance Atlas upheld.
It restricts sexually oriented businesses from operating within 1,500 feet of schools, parks, churches and day-care facilities.
Such businesses must be at least 1,000 feet from each other and outside of residential areas.
The ordinance also set other rules that courts have upheld previously. It requires managers and performers to be licensed by the city, and it bars physical contact between performers and customers. The ordinance also addressed signage, structural aspects of adult video and bookstores, and indoor lighting. And it banned private "VIP rooms" in topless clubs.
I'd love, love, love to see the evidence that strip clubs hurt kids. Kids aren't allowed in strip clubs. Kids can't get in to strip clubs. Strip clubs know that their licenses would be yanked faster than the dollar bills hit the stage if a minor so much as crossed the threshold of a strip club.
Strip clubs in Houston used to be a draw. People would set up meetings in Houston so they could go to Treasures or the Men's Club or Rick's afterwards. Multimillion dollar deals have been negotiated in the strip clubs of Houston. At one point, the Men's Club had the highest number of American Express charges in the country.
Damnit, we're a city. We're a big fucking city. There are other things to worry about than the proximity of strip clubs to churches and schools. Some people like to pray. Some people like to see naked women dance. If you don't like it, don't go to one. But shit, man, this is our rep. This was the one thing that we were good at. And it got fucked up.
*Every few years some boneheaded campaign takes off to try and elevate Houston. The leaders of our great city are often troubled that our reputation isn't better than it is, so every now and then we'll see stupid ass bumperstickers that avow how great we are. "Houston Proud" was one such effort. It wasn't until the recent Houston. It's Worth It. geurilla campaign that people actually in the city cared to display their pride in the city. You'll see hundreds of "Don't Mess with Texas" and "Native Texan" bumper stickers around the city, but the affiliation with Houston isn't something the masses have chosen to wear on their cars, until Houston. It's Worth It. Of course, the official tourism people can't stand the Houston. It's Worth It. campaign, and there's some bitching about how it's not through the city or the tourism bureau and it sends mixed messages to people outside the city. I say the campaign that encourages people to send ice scrapers with "Houston. It's Worth It." to places where ice scrapers aren't a novelity item is the one that's going to generate the most interest in Houston.
**I was working at the Houston Area Women's Center at the time, and our organization was pissed off mightily about the licence ordinance, which required that strippers go down and get a licence, and wear the license while performing. We weren't as concerned with the logistics wearing a license while stripping off items of clothing, but we were concerned that the strippers' real names were on the documents. There are too many delusional people in the world when it comes to women's affections. Stalkers don't need encouragement or help.
In 1997, everything changed. For some reason, City Council wasn't as thrilled about our being the very best in the country in this particular area as the patrons, out of town guests, and devotees of free buffetts. Houston Proud*, they were not.
So they passed the no touching ordinance, making the radius three feet. And the licence ordinance.** And they got rid of VIP rooms.
And the 1500 feet from homes, schools, churches and other places that might gasp and swoon should a stripper be dancing (behind closed doors with lots of bouncers around to keep kids and other riff raff out) near by ordinance.
Houston no longer has the reputation it once had as the Best Place to See Strippers in the United States.
Stupid ass Bible Belt was supposed to stop at around Conroe, not make it far down to Houston. But no, they had to start building megachurches here. Fuckers.
So, emasculated as the strip clubs were, imagine my surprise to it's going to get worse.Some of Houston's best-known topless clubs might have to relocate because of a federal judge's recent ruling, city officials said Monday.
In the latest decision on local regulation of sexually oriented businesses, U.S. District Judge Nancy Atlas has ruled the city can double, from 750 to 1,500 feet, the distance required between the clubs and "sensitive" areas including schools and churches.
That new requirement could imperil dozens of topless clubs and adult book stores.
Atlas wrote that the ordinance, passed in 1997, didn't violate the businesses' First Amendment rights because alternate sites are available where they could relocate and comply with the regulations.
The businesses could appeal last week's ruling, preventing immediate enforcement. Attorneys for those businesses, who filed suit over the ordinance in 1997, couldn't be reached for comment Monday.
The decision is the latest twist in a years-long legal battle about changes in 1997 to the city's sexually oriented businesses ordinance, and a victory for police and some neighborhood activists, who have sought tougher regulations for years.
"They may be lawful businesses, but they create a danger to our kids," said Houston police Capt. Steve Jett, who heads the department's Vice Division. "It's just a big success for Houston to be able to regulate where these sexually oriented businesses operate."
The ruling could affect well-known establishments including The Men's Club at 3303 Sage, and Treasures at 5647 Westheimer. Managers at those facilities couldn't be reached Monday, but city officials said they wouldn't be eligible for licenses under the ordinance Atlas upheld.
It restricts sexually oriented businesses from operating within 1,500 feet of schools, parks, churches and day-care facilities.
Such businesses must be at least 1,000 feet from each other and outside of residential areas.
The ordinance also set other rules that courts have upheld previously. It requires managers and performers to be licensed by the city, and it bars physical contact between performers and customers. The ordinance also addressed signage, structural aspects of adult video and bookstores, and indoor lighting. And it banned private "VIP rooms" in topless clubs.
I'd love, love, love to see the evidence that strip clubs hurt kids. Kids aren't allowed in strip clubs. Kids can't get in to strip clubs. Strip clubs know that their licenses would be yanked faster than the dollar bills hit the stage if a minor so much as crossed the threshold of a strip club.
Strip clubs in Houston used to be a draw. People would set up meetings in Houston so they could go to Treasures or the Men's Club or Rick's afterwards. Multimillion dollar deals have been negotiated in the strip clubs of Houston. At one point, the Men's Club had the highest number of American Express charges in the country.
Damnit, we're a city. We're a big fucking city. There are other things to worry about than the proximity of strip clubs to churches and schools. Some people like to pray. Some people like to see naked women dance. If you don't like it, don't go to one. But shit, man, this is our rep. This was the one thing that we were good at. And it got fucked up.
*Every few years some boneheaded campaign takes off to try and elevate Houston. The leaders of our great city are often troubled that our reputation isn't better than it is, so every now and then we'll see stupid ass bumperstickers that avow how great we are. "Houston Proud" was one such effort. It wasn't until the recent Houston. It's Worth It. geurilla campaign that people actually in the city cared to display their pride in the city. You'll see hundreds of "Don't Mess with Texas" and "Native Texan" bumper stickers around the city, but the affiliation with Houston isn't something the masses have chosen to wear on their cars, until Houston. It's Worth It. Of course, the official tourism people can't stand the Houston. It's Worth It. campaign, and there's some bitching about how it's not through the city or the tourism bureau and it sends mixed messages to people outside the city. I say the campaign that encourages people to send ice scrapers with "Houston. It's Worth It." to places where ice scrapers aren't a novelity item is the one that's going to generate the most interest in Houston.
**I was working at the Houston Area Women's Center at the time, and our organization was pissed off mightily about the licence ordinance, which required that strippers go down and get a licence, and wear the license while performing. We weren't as concerned with the logistics wearing a license while stripping off items of clothing, but we were concerned that the strippers' real names were on the documents. There are too many delusional people in the world when it comes to women's affections. Stalkers don't need encouragement or help.