Texas Republican Representative, Bill Zedler, is leading yet another legislative charge against women; this time to legally force strippers to wear a license to perform bearing their real name. It’s not enough for them to have the license. No sir. He wants every stripper to wear that license when performing in a “conspicuously” noticeable area such as on a lanyard around their necks, a head band, or on a shoe. What? No “pastie” IDs with laser-beam technology? Most businesses don’t require this in a standard work place let alone requiring such in a strip club where these women might attract a stalker or two.
Star-Telegram online quoted Zedler as stating "They won't want to get a license as a stripper from the state of Texas," Zedler said of his legislation. "I think it would keep a lot of girls from getting involved in that lifestyle and basically wrecking their lives.” Seems Zedler doesn’t like strippers and doesn’t understand that many young women are just trying to pay for college or feed their children in a state where $4 billion was cut from education, and Medicaid won’t be expanded under the Affordable Care Act because the Republican-led state of Texas doesn’t support the safety net; yet they frown upon these women who work very hard night after night to stay off unemployment. We’re talking about tax-paying Americans here who just happen to know how to dance. And what about male strippers? Does Zedler think stripping wrecks their lives? Why the double standard? Should male strippers have to fully disclose their real names, too? Sorry, Titan, but we'll have to see your license, son!
Stranger even, the RNC was recently outed by strip clubs in Tampa this past election season as being the biggest appreciators of the art with club owners and exotic dancers stating they make the most money when the Republican conventions come to town. (Tampa Strip Clubs Business Doing Just Great Because of RNC). Seems these good ole boys enjoy a little peep show while away from their desks so why target that which they support during convention time? And I thought Republicans were all for working Americans who pay taxes?
But this isn’t the first time Representative Zedler has gone after women via legislation designed to impose his personal morals. In 2012, Zedler introduced a bill that would pry into the personal reasons why a woman chooses to have an abortion in the state of Texas. The bill was designed to mandate that women answer questions about coercion, incest, the age of the would-be father, fear of losing family support, financial concerns and readiness for motherhood. He also wanted to have the clinics performing the procedure provide more in-depth information. The current legal information required for this procedure is their birth year, race, marital status, home county, how many children they have and any previous abortions. This is more than enough information and there is no need to delve into personal reasons. However, there seems to be a pattern coming from Zedler and that pattern has to do with trying to humiliate and intimidate women into doing what he thinks is best based on his personal religious morals.
There are many concerns as to safety under the proposed licensing of exotic dancers in Texas if their names must be legally revealed. Zedler says it’s to help curb sex trafficking, but his first statement clearly shows it’s about his personal views on stripping. Valid legislation to help curb sex trafficking would be welcome, but a bill designed to embarrass, demoralize, and dissuade young women from dancing around a pole has nothing to do with sex trafficking. Strip clubs have rules they must abide by such as being legally old enough to enter an establishment that sells alcohol. These women are 21 and over. Sex trafficking statistics show that those trafficked are mostly minors, and worse, children. Further, it also involves illegal immigrants taken from other countries and separated from everything and everyone that they know. Wearing a license in a public business revealing that stripper’s name isn’t going to solve those problems.
While I am not entirely opposed to requiring a license (although it’s silly and we don’t do this for any other vocations except those in the medical field, legal profession, and business contractors), wearing it while dancing is another issue. Legal names should be between the employer, employee, and Uncle Sam. If this bill is deemed more important than education, healthcare, the budget, and the economy in Texas, then I propose every gentleman who enters a strip club be made to wear a name tag with his legal name exposed for all to see …starting with every Republican Representative who votes on this laughable legislation.
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M. Gwynn has authored two books, Harvest and The Cat Who Wanted to be a Reindeer on Amazon.com .
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